Publisher Description

This is the first full-length biography of Irene Dunne, one of the most versatile actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age. A recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors award in 1985, Dunne's acting highlights include five Best Actress Oscar nominations, occurring in almost as many different genres: the Western Cimarron (1931), two screwball comedies: Theodora Goes Wild (1936) and The Awful Truth (1937), the romantic comedy Love Affair (1939), and the populist I Remember Mama (1948).

Turning to primary sources others have overlooked, Sibley challenges the cliches about Florence Harding's time in the national spotlight. She describes her support for racial equality, lobbying for better treatment for veterans and female prisoners and her lifelong interest in preventing animal cruelty.

A biography of the celebrated jazz singer, known especially for her scat singing and "songbook" recordings of the works of many major American composers.

A successful British model, this book tells the candid life story of April Ashley, who at the peak of her fame in 1961, was outed by the British press asnbsp;a transsexual.

Rachel Jones is a successful businesswoman who has it all. Her husband's infidelity pushes her to the edge and after reaching her breaking point; she's convinced to seek spiritual restoration. On her journey to mend her broken heart and establish a devout relationship with God, she becomes entangled with a new lover, more sin and is introduced to a world of homosexuality. Finally after experiencing the death of a child, the possibility of contracting AIDS, and another heartache, she decides to leave her comfort zone for a fresh start. How her journey ends is a mystery and the entire ride is filled with suspense.

This acclaimed biography shines a light on a trailblazing woman who created a classic movie monster—and the author’s quest to rescue her from obscurity. As a teenager, Mallory O’Meara was thrilled to discover that one of her favorite movies, Creature from the Black Lagoon, featured a monster designed by a woman, Milicent Patrick. But while Patrick should have been hailed as a pioneer in the genre, there was little information available about her. As O’Meara discovered, Patrick’s contribution had been claimed by a jealous male colleague and her career had been cut short. No one even knew if she was still alive. As a young woman working in the horror film industry, O’Meara set out to right the wrong, and in the process discovered the full, fascinating story of an ambitious, artistic woman ahead of her time. Patrick’s contribution to special effects proved to be just the latest chapter in a remarkable, unconventional life, from her youth growing up in the shadow of Hearst Castle, to her career as one of Disney’s first female animators. And at last, O’Meara discovered what really had happened to Patrick after The Creature’s success, and where she went. A true-life detective story and a celebration of a forgotten feminist trailblazer, Mallory O’Meara’s The Lady from the Black Lagoon establishes Patrick in her rightful place in film history while calling out a Hollywood culture where little has changed since. A Hugo and Locus Award Finalist A Thrillist Best Book of the Year One of Booklist’s 10 Best Art Books of the Year

Includes statements on Nancy Reagan by Nancy Reagan, Richard Allen, Bill Blass, William F. Buckley, Betty Friedan, Lyn Nofziger, Maureen Reagan, Ron Reagan, and Ed Rollin.

The made-in-Hollywood marriage of Ronald and Nancy Reagan was the partnership that made him president. Nancy understood how to foster his strengths and compensate for his weaknesses-- and made herself a place in history. Tumulty shows how Nancy's confidence developed, and reveals new details surrounding Reagan's tumultuous presidency that shows how Nancy became one of the most influential first ladies in history. -- adapted from jacket

The definitive biography of movie executive and philanthropist Sherry Lansing traces her groundbreaking journey to become the first female head of a major motion picture studio, sharing behind-the-scenes tales from movie sets and Hollywood boardrooms. When Sherry Lansing became the first woman ever to be named president of a major studio, the news ricocheted around the world. That was just the beginning of an extraordinary run that saw her head two studios, make hundreds of films, produce classic pictures such as Fatal Attraction and rule for twenty-five years as the most powerful woman Hollywood has ever known. Award-winning writer Stephen Galloway takes us behind the scenes of Lansing's epic journey—inside the battles; up close with the stars; and into the heart of a creative world populated by the likes of Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise. He shows us the velvet touch that masked the iron hand, and the roller-coaster drama behind such movies as Titanic, Forrest Gump, Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan. Above all, he takes us into the mind of Lansing, creating a revealing portrait of a dynamic, driven woman who overcame unimaginable odds, pushed boundaries and left Hollywood at the peak of her power to achieve the life she wanted.