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Book Review – John Gilbert: The Last of the Silent Film Stars by Eve Golden

It’s only in recent years that I’ve developed an appreciation for silent film, much less for the people who made up of the world of early Hollywood.

John (“Jack”) Gilbert was one of silent film’s success stories but also one of Hollywood’s great cautionary tales. He was a real star. But not the kind affixed in the firmament. Gilbert was more like a shooting star; a man who toiled unnoticed for years, slowly climbing his way up, until he flashed brilliantly across the screen for a handful of years before experiencing a sad descent. Continue reading “Book Review – John Gilbert: The Last of the Silent Film Stars by Eve Golden”

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Book Review – Memoirs of a Professional Cad by George Sanders

George Sanders was one of classic Hollywood’s most popular character actors who was occasionally cast as the leading man. He often played elegant, suave villains whose acerbic wit made his performances memorable.

It turns out that famed onscreen wit was an extension of Sanders himself. It is also what has made his autobiography one that many reviewers rave about. I have long meant to read his Memoirs of  a Professional Cad and finally made time to do so. Continue reading “Book Review – Memoirs of a Professional Cad by George Sanders”

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Book Review – A Twist of Lemmon by Chris Lemmon

Can you believe that it is only in recent years that I have gained a deep appreciation for Jack Lemmon’s skill as an actor? And yet despite my new found sense of awe, I really don’t know much about the man himself.

You would think this would lead me to discover more about him through a typical biography or documentary, but no. Instead,  I picked up a book written by his son Chris Lemmon.

A Twist of Lemmon is exactly the type of book I love to read about a celebrity I respect. Just about anyone willing to diligently research can write a good biography. But it is rare to get the personal perspective from the subject’s friends or family, which is exactly what I’m interested in. And it is a quick little read at under two hundred pages. Continue reading “Book Review – A Twist of Lemmon by Chris Lemmon”