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Reviews (11)
08 December 2007
At This Theater
A large, richly illustrated volume, this is a treasure trove of information, stories and delight for anyone who loves the Broadway theaters. Reading it will give one a sense of history and provide a great deal of isight into why Broadway is what it is today. No doubt the reader will be drawn into more reading but this book alone will provide more hours of pleasure than most writing on this subject. It makes one wish that he or she lived much cloer to the "Great White Way" so that theater-going were a little easier.
08 December 2007
Cary Grant
Part way through this volume, I am tempted to quit reading it! It is fascinating to read more of Archie Leach's early life, but the author seems impelled to trace his adult bi-sexuality to almost everything that happened to him as a child. More than this, he seems impelled to reiterate the adult Cary Grant's popularity to nothing more than his extreme good looks. Gradually, I'm getting disgusted with the author's appearing to be enthralled with the most salacious details he can find. Does the reader really care about the sexual proclivities of the film stars of the '30s, '40s, '50s and on? Mae West, Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, and so many more are reviewed in a very glaring white light. Perhaps their private lives were pretty smutty, but dwelling so much on their weaknesses seems to me to overlook the great gifts of entertainment they gave to moviegoers of their time and to the countless millions who have enjoyed their acting ever since. All of them were human. Undoubtedly, they all made mistakes. Maybe I just want to view them and their world through rose-colored glasses, but, in the past, I've much more enjoyed autobiographies by others in the field of entertainment. Advice: Read "Conversations with Cary Grant" or "Just Lucky I Guess" by Carol Channing or"Martha" by Agnes De Mille or "Gracie" by George Burns if you want to gain better insight into the world of theater and film. And, be sure to read "Harpo Speaks" by Harpo Marx. This delightful volume belongs in everyone's library!!!
08 March 2007
A Man for All Seasons
This is an unforgettable film with wonderful acting. It deserves to be a permanent part of our film library!