THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: HOLLYWOOD IN THE FIFTIES

THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Hollywood in the Fifties. Sam Kashner and Jennifer MacNair. W. W. Norton; 2002.

This is a very entertaining and readable account of Hollywood trends, important movies, and notable performers, writers and directors during the very end of the film capitol's golden age. The Bad and the Beautiful has chapters on the scandals both in and surrounding the controversial publication Confidential; the troubled offspring of certain movie stars (such as Edward G. Robinson and his son Manny); James Dean and Rebel Without a Cause; Rock Hudson, Douglas Sirk and Ross Hunter; Charles Laughton's Night of the Hunter; Kim Novak and Sammy Davis Jr.; Sweet Smell of Success, Burt Lancaster and Walter Winchell; rival Hollywood "news hens" Hedda Hopper, Louella Parsons and Sheila Graham; the life and plays (Picnic; Come Back, Little Sheba) of William Inge and the film versions thereof; and Gloria Swanson and Sunset Boulevard. The book also details how Hollywood was completely changing in this decade, what with the inroads of television, the breakdown of the studio system, and the increasing use of location filming over shooting strictly on sound stages. Some of this material may be familiar to the film enthusiast, but there is much that is new and interesting as well, all told in compelling prose that keeps the pages turning.

Verdict: Excellent look at the foibles and triumphs of 1950's Hollywood. ***1/2.

'TIS HERSELF Maureen O'Hara

'TIS HERSELF A Memoir. Maureen O'Hara with John Nicoletti. Simon and Schuster; 2004.

Extremely well-written by Nicoletti, this memoir of the red-headed Irish actress describes her journey from Good Catholic Girl in Dublin from a well-heeled, cultured family, to life in Hollywood as a movie star, most famously associated with Johns Ford and Wayne. As O'Hara describes the making of such films as How Green Was My Valley and The Quiet Man, as well as the turmoil of her private life and disastrous early marriages, the book almost reads more like a page-turning novel than non-fiction. While the last sections of the book are not quite as absorbing, there is still some interesting stuff surrounding the mysterious death of her last husband, and some readers may enjoy her inside tales of her long friendship with "Duke" Wayne. The most fascinating material has to do with the contrary character of director John Ford, who used her more than any other actress, but snapped that she couldn't act when asked about her by a student. Ford's love/hate for O'Hara went on for decades, and she observes that he was probably conflicted about his sexuality -- she saw him smooching with a guy -- and imagined he was in love with her [or the character she played in The Quiet Man]. Her religiosity isn't too oppressive, and thankfully she doesn't go much into her presumably conservative politics [although Roddy McDowell tried to explain to her why she would probably never be honored in liberal Hollywood]. Although O'Hara styles herself as feisty and independent, one can't imagine Davis, Crawford or Stanwyck putting up with Ford's nasty, almost insane behavior for as long as she did [I mean, the man tried to have her arrested, had her thrown out of a film she wanted to do for another director behind her back, destroyed her brother's career, prevented her from getting an Oscar nomination and on and on]. She also stayed married to her alcoholic, unloving, abusive, parasitical second husband for way too long. [Marrying "for better or worse," she married for worse!] One wonders how she would have behaved had she wound up in today's Hollywood or wasn't such a Good Catholic Girl? Anyway, this is a frank and interesting memoir.

Verdict: A damn good read for most of its length. ***1/2.

PARTY ANIMALS

PARTY ANIMALS: A Hollywood Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll starring the fabulous Allan Carr. Robert Hofler. Da Capo Press; 2010.

Although the title barely seems to acknowledge it -- probably because his name was never exactly a household word -- this is the story of producer Allan Carr, and his involvement with everything from the Village People group to La Cage Aux Folles the musical, the abysmal film version of Tommy, Can't Stop the Music, Grease, and a disastrous Oscar telecast with a singing Rob Lowe. Flamboyantly and openly gay, Carr conversely seemed to be full of self-hatred, something Hofler briefly touches upon as he looks into the behind-the scenes details of Carr's various projects -- including parties/orgies/drug fests at his home and gargantuan movie premieres set in the subways and elsewhere -- and traces his rise and fall on Broadway and in Hollywood. Very well-done and readable biography with an interesting cast of characters and many quotes from those who both loved and hated the subject or both.

Verdict: An interesting little slice of Broadway and Hollywood history. ***.

IF CHINS COULD KILL: CONFESSIONS OF A B MOVIE ACTOR

IF CHINS COULD KILL: CONFESSIONS OF A B MOVIE ACTOR. Bruce Campbell. St Martin's Press; 2001.

A combo autobiography/Hollywood insider book by the likable star of The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, etc., a typical working actor who gets big roles in "B" [or less prestigious] productions and small roles in "A's -- one chapter is titled "The Higher the Budget, the Lower the Part." The early pages about his childhood are kind of tedious, but the book gets more interesting when Campbell starts making movies, and later stars in a television series. While much of his inside stuff about Hollywood is familiar, young actors who haven't been this way before may get a certain value from Campbell's experiences. Campbell had leading man charisma and talent, but it's a shame that the very movies that put him on the map -- the Evil Dead series -- also insured that he perhaps wasn't taken seriously enough by Hollywood. But weep not for him for he's had a continuing career, unlike many another actor who winds up waiting tables or in real estate. [He is now a regular on Burn Notice.]

Verdict: Not essential reading, but informative and of value to young people interested in a career in acting. **1/2.

KATE: The Woman Who Was Hepburn

KATE: The Woman Who Was Hepburn by William J. Mann. Henry Holt; 2006.

A monumental, scrupulously researched look into the life of Katharine Hepburn. If you're looking for an analysis of her films or acting technique or a great many behind-the-scenes-on-the-film-set anecdotes, look elsewhere, because Mann says upfront that that's not the kind of book he's written. This is a frank, detailed look at Hepburn's single-minded drive to reach stardom, as well as a no-holds-barred examination of her sexuality and romantic life. Always an unconventional person in many ways, like many movie stars with secrets Hepburn became more conservative in her attitudes as she got older. Her contradictory nature is what makes the book so fascinating. Mann shows how Hepburn herself helped to turn a close platonic friendship with the equally ambiguous Spencer Tracy into one of the great "love stories" of the century -- but it was more about image than anything else. Mann seems to think Hepburn's relationships with men (many of whom were closeted homosexuals) indicate a bisexual nature, but it could just as easily have been internalized homophobia that had her desiring a "normal" relationship with a man, but Mann, surprisingly, never delves into this. Mann's book is not at all disrespectful to Hepburn, but he does tear away all the Hollywood publicist bulls--t and get at the truth behind the myths. (The passages about Hepburn's work on the Broadway musical Coco are alone worth the price of admission.)

Verdict: Fascinating! ***1/2.