THE HOLLYWOOD BOOK OF BREAKUPS

THE HOLLYWOOD BOOK OF BREAKUPS. James Robert Parish. John Wiley and Sons; 2006.

This absorbing tome looks into the lives, loves and break-ups of both old and new, very familiar names in movies and on television: Woody vs. Mia; Aniston vs. Pitt; DeMaggio vs. Monroe; Cruise vs. Kidman; Hughes vs Peters; Eastwood vs Locke; and so on, going all the way back to the days of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks Sr., while stopping to revisit the likes of Madonna vs. Sean Penn and Sonny vs. Cher along the way. There are also chapters on Petter [sic] Lindstrom's bitter split with Ingrid Bergman over lover and film director, Roberto Rosellini; Ted Danson's bizarrely appearing in blackface during his involvement with Whoopi Goldberg; the bad marriage of Cary Grant and Barbara Hutton; and dozens more. Throughout its pages, the book documents one basic Hollywood truism: that relationships in La La Land are often based more on career advancement than "love." It is amusing how people who break up relationships via affairs justify their infidelity. Anne Heche, who discarded Ellen DeGeneres as she had Steve Martin before her, seemed to blame DeGeneres for her affair because Ellen didn't trust her, but considering that Heche had an affair with a cameraman while everyone was filming a documentary about Ellen, it seems DeGeneres' fears were thoroughly justified!

Verdict: Excellent look at the bizarre nature of Hollywood relationships and the disasters they often incur. ***1/2.

FIASCO: A HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD'S ICONIC FLOPS

FIASCO: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops. James Robert Parish. Wiley; 2006.

This fascinating book looks at the back stories of some of Hollywood's most infamous flops, movies which were not only artistic disasters but in general lost literally millions of dollars for their respective studios. The movies covered include Cleopatra with Liz Taylor and Richard Burton; Ishtar and Town and Country, both of which starred Warren Beatty; Kevin Costner's two mega-bombs, Waterworld and The Postman; Showgirls; Cutthroat Island; and others. Parish explains in engaging and authoritative fashion why some of these movies were disasters-in-the-making, with bad decisions made by ego-driven movie executives who wanted to be the instigator of the Next Big Blockbuster but wound up with egg on their faces, dismal reviews and returns, and careers in tatters. What's amazing is how the green light was often given to projects in spite of the fact that similar films were turkeys of major proportions. Given the out-of-control egomania of both stars, directors, and executives, the vast number of people who tinker with each screenplay, the very bad casting decisions, and the who-gives-a-shit-let's-just-spend-and-spend attitude, it's a wonder that anything decent ever gets made. Part of the problem is the unbelievable salary demands of today's movie stars, who jack up the budget of every film to incredible proportions, sometimes sinking a property right from the start.

Verdict: Compulsory reading for every film enthusiast who wants to know more about the inner workings of Hollywood. ****.

KATHARINE HEPBURN: THE UNTOLD STORY

KATHARINE HEPBURN: The Untold Story. James Robert Parish. Advocate Books.

This is a highly compelling and frank biography of the late actress which, in addition to her life as a screen star, focuses on her relationships with several women over the years, as well as on her one marriage and her relationships with such men as Howard Hughes and Spencer Tracy. From a combination of facts and intelligent and educated speculation the book posits the fascinating and undoubtedly accurate theory that Hepburn and Tracy, far from being a great romantic love story, were in truth good and loving platonic friends who, in essence, used each other as beards to hide their true sexuality. In the 21st century it is a pleasure to read books that cut through the Hollywood press agent crap and recognize the reality about gays and lesbians in Hollywood. In a compulsory readable fashion, Parish examines the contrary and contradictory nature of the Great Hepburn, as well as the high and low points of her career. Zealously guarding her privacy and personal life for many decades, Hepburn is a tough nut to crack, but Parish manages to do just that.

Verdict: An excellent and very entertaining bio. ***1/2.