Lawrence J. Quirk delves into every personal and professional aspect of Bob Hope's long, complex and dramatic life; rising by sheer dint of will to great wealth and fame. Why did Hope become so identified with sponsoring the Vietnam War? What's the real scoop on his relationship with Bing Crosby? How far astray did Hope's frankly oversexed nature lead him from the marriage he successfully maintained with Dolores for over sixty years? Quirk writes about Hope based on long experience. He knew and interviewed Bob Hope while serving as an army seargeant during the Korean war and later as entertainment editor, and interviewer of top stars for over forty years. Quirk approaches his subject with original observations born of years of studying this most celebrated, yet in some ways most mysterious of entertainment giants.

Henry McAvoy was employed by Fox Silent Films as Location Manager from 1915 until his death in 1920. Henry had managed a fire works company, which gave him the experience of handling explosives to becoming an electrician. His job included that whenever Fox needed anything (submarines, war ships, naval aircraft. locations for filming) it was his job to acquire it. It was also his job to handle the explosives that were used in the thrilling scenes. The breathtaking scenes that thrilled the audiences were staged at the location. Many times this almost cost the life of one of the actors or actresses and in one case did. Author George McAvoy was only three months old when his father was killed in a dynamite explosion in his own garage. George only knew of his father, Henry McAvoy, through stories passed down from his mother and two brothers, from the letters his father had written to his mother when they were courting and when he was traveling, and from the thousands of photographs that his father took. George McAvoy uses these photos to tell the story of his entrepreneurial father who during the period of silent films became in charge of Fox Films special effects and finding the right locations for movies to be filmed. It was a much wilder time in the film industry when the center was Fort Lee, New Jersey, before the move to Hollywood. Many more risks were taken and there were few, if any, stuntmen. Unfortunately much of the film history was destroyed in a large fire at the Fort Lee storage warehouse where the highly flammable films were kept. The story includes onsite tales of filming and details of Henry McAvoy's family life.

2014 bronze medal winner eLit Awards, 2013 gold medal winner Living Now Awards, March 2014 #1 book of the month Stevo's Internet Reviews, June 2013 book of the month Pacific Book Review. Wild Among Us: true adventures of a female photographer who stalks bears, wolves, mountain lions, wild horses and other elusive wildlife is a fascinating series of autobiographical stories by Pat Toth-Smith. The story telling pulls you into her perilous world, where you share the strange and sometimes dangerous situations she navigates as she travels the highways and wilderness areas of North America. In the end it all seems worth it when we see the results of her labors, the stunning wildlife photos, the vivid observations of the animal s behavior and the hard earned knowledge gleaned from learning on the job. Wild Among Us is unique in that it has the aesthetic beauty of a fine art photo book combined with the powerful stories of pursuit, danger and life-threatening wildlife encounters, that push the author to face her fears and rely on her intuition to survive and become stronger for it."

Irwin Bazelon, one of the most original figures in American music in the second half of the 20th century, devoted his life to the art of composition. He was also well known for his musical compositions for films, television, commercials, and documentaries. His music was inspired by his experiences in the fast-paced environments of Chicago and New York. This major bibliography presents a biographical sketch, which details the influence of city life on the composer's artistic creativity, a catalogue of his compositions and performances, and a discography. A bibliography includes excerpts from the composer's lectures and other unpublished writings.

This thorough research tool will appeal to scholars of 20th-century music and to Bazelon fans. An archive of the composer's collections is included, and the separate book sections are cross-referenced throughout.

The Ella Fitzgerald Companion is a celebration of the woman who is arguably musical history's greatest singer of popular. An international superstar of jazz and popular music, Fitzgerald boasted astounding versatility and sophistication that covered the entire musical spectrum, and her combination of incredible vocal flexibility, precise diction and articulation, accurate improvising skills, and a huge repertoire remains unmatched. This guide to her sixty-year career-including her recordings, her important influences, and her collaborators-offers an overview of the evolution of American popular singing in the twentieth century through the lens of its greatest interpreter. Interspersed throughout the text are over eighty transcribed examples of recorded performances by Fitzgerald and a number of her influences, illuminating her genius in an unprecedented way. With accompanying discussions in both descriptive and musical language, this unique collection of transcriptions is accessible to musicians and non-musicians alike. Concluding the volume is a comprehensive discography of all the important Fitzgerald albums that have been re-issued to date on compact disc, offering the reader a practical way to become acquainted with one of the twentieth century's true musical pioneers.

Material Girl . . . Immaculate sexpot . . . Superstar . . . Mother . . . Kabbalah enthusiast . . . For three decades she has defied categorization. . . . She remains one of our greatest living pop icons.

Here is the groundbreaking biography that finally solves the mystery at the heart of Madonna's chameleonlike existence. Drawing upon scores of candid interviews with producers, musicians, collaborators, lovers, and friends, Lucy O'Brien's "Madonna: Like an Icon" explores the complex personality and legendary drive that have made Madonna the most famous female pop artist of our time. From her mother's premature death to Madonna's dynamic arrival on the New York club scene, from "Like a Virgin" to Evita and beyond, every stage of this dazzling star's life and career is brilliantly illuminated--the stereotypes deconstructed, the lies exposed, the artist examined, the legend celebrated.

NewsLady is the memoir of a trailblazing African American woman journalist whose life is about "firsts." Carole Simpson was the first woman to broadcast radio news in Chicago, the first African American woman to anchor a local newscast in the same city, the first African American woman national network television correspondent, the first African American woman to anchor a national network newscast and the first woman or minority to moderate a presidential debate. Hers is a story of survival in a male-dominated profession that placed the highest premium on white males. In this book she recounts how she endured and conquered sex discrimination and racial prejudice to reach the top ranks of her profession. Along the way she covered some of the most important news events over the four decades of her illustrious broadcasting career. Her inspirational story is for all trying to succeed in a corporate environment.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'These rollicking gabfests ... bring together nearly everyone ... who made the series a creative and cultural landmark' New York Times 'Essential for fans, with a revelation on every page' Kirkus Welcome to the Family. Michael Imperioli, who played the inimitable Christopher, and Steve Schirripa, the lovable Bobby Bacala - who together host the hit podcast Talking Sopranos - lay bare the secrets of The Sopranos. In these pages you'll find where all the bodies are buried: the stories behind the stories, the backstage gossip, and, most important, the love, trust, camaraderie and friendship that a group of actors and their crew discovered together. Woke Up This Morning is the essential companion to the seminal series, whether you're a first-time viewer or a longtime fan. Read it and you'll become a member of the family. You got a problem with that? 'A spectacular tell-all about the making of the Emmy-winning hit television series' Publishers Weekly 'For Sopranos fans this one is an absolute must-read' Booklist

From the Preface: " ... an account of the girlhood of the famous pianist whose art and personality are vividly remembered by the older generation of the music lovers of to-day ..."

He is a retired attorney who critically analyses Christian religion for its failure to conform to God's Gospel and Christ's order inviting everyone to Holy Communion with no strings attached.

This reference work provides a comprehensive record of the life and career of Betty Grable. The book begins with a biography that presents and discusses the most significant events in Grable's life. The chronology that follows summarizes her career in capsule form. The succeeding chapters provide a detailed account of Grable's performances in various media, including films, television, radio, stage, nightclubs, videos, and records. The entries in these sections succinctly present the facts concerning each of Grable's performances and offer insightful commentary. The volume concludes with a list of Grable memorabilia, a section of miscellaneous information, and an annotated bibliography of books and articles containing extensive or unique material about Grable and her career.

A critical biography of one of the pioneers of alternative weekly comic strips Best known for her long-running comic strip Ernie Pook's Comeek, illustrated fiction (Cruddy, The Good Times Are Killing Me), and graphic novels (One Hundred Demons ), the art of Lynda Barry (b. 1956) has branched out to incorporate plays, paintings, radio commentary, and lectures. With a combination of seemingly simple, raw drawings and mature, eloquent text, Barry's oeuvre blurs the boundaries between fiction and memoir, comics and literary fiction, and fantasy and reality. Her recent volumes What It Is (2008) and Picture This (2010) fuse autobiography, teaching guide, sketchbook, and cartooning into coherent visions. In Lynda Barry: Girlhood through the Looking Glass, author Susan E. Kirtley examines the artist's career and contributions to the field of comic art and beyond. The study specifically concentrates on Barry's recurring focus on figures of young girls, in a variety of mediums and genres. Barry follows the image of the girl through several lenses--from text-based novels to the hybrid blending of text and image in comic art, to art shows and coloring books. In tracing Barry's aesthetic and intellectual development, Kirtley reveals Barry's work to be groundbreaking in its understanding of femininity and feminism.

This is the first book devoted to the actor who has created a judicious blend of high-definition performances on the British stage and a wide range of award-winning television and film roles. ENew York TimesE writer Mel Gussow interviewed Gambon on many occasions and those conversations comprise the majority of this book. Gussow also draws insights from some of the people who have worked with Gambon. Gambon was named the successor to the late Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films making his debut in 2004's EHarry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanE and he will be featured more prominently in the June 2005 film EHarry Potter and the Goblet of FireE. He can also be seen in Mike Nichols' Emmy Award-winning HBO film of Tony Kushner's EAngels in AmericaE and a growing number of films including the recent EBeing JuliaE with Annette Bening ESky Captain and the World of TomorrowE and Wes Anderson's EThe Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouE with Bill Murray.

Shirley Jones is an American film legend of the first order, having starred in Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Music Man, and her Oscar-winning role as a prostitute in Elmer Gantrylong before the iconicThe Partridge Family.On the show, she portrayed the epitome of American motherhood, a symbol to generations of families in the 1970s, and she remains a cult icon today. But for those who only think of Shirley as the prim and proper Marion the librarian or the chaste and demure Mrs. Partridge, a massive surprise is in store. Here, in this candid memoir, the realflesh and blood Shirley Jones is revealed at last. In this hilarious and heart-warming, shocking and intimate memoir, Shirley dishes the raw truth about her own highly charged sexuality, her two husbands-the charismatic and deeply troubled Broadway star Jack Cassidy and the wacky TV comic Marty Ingels-her legendary Hollywood co-stars, and her interactions with the cast of The Partridge Family, including her rock star stepson David Cassidy. From smuggling marijuana across the Mexican border to infidelity and her wild sexual escapades, movie and television icon Shirley Jones gives us an unparalleled look beyond the America's sweetheart exterior.

This bio-bibliography provides an overview of the life and career of the noted actress Agnes Moorehead. A brief biography discusses her midwestern upbringing as well as her academic background and early struggles in establishing her career. The biography also discusses Moorehead's later career successes in addition to her professional and personal relationships. The largest portion of the book is devoted to detailed listings of her work in film, television, radio and theatre. In many cases, these listings include synopses, cast listings and credits, review excerpts, and other information. Her most celebrated appearances are described and discussed at length. These appearances include the films, Citizen Kane and Magnificent Ambersons; television programs, "The Twilight Zone," "The Wild, Wild West," and "Bewitched;" radio shows "The March of Time," "The Shadow," and "Sorry, Wrong Number;" and her one-woman stage production as well as her work in Don Juan in Hell. This work is a valuable addition to the performing arts series.