Focusing on the life of Bette Davis, this biography delves into her complex personality and illustrious career in Hollywood. The narrative explores her rise to fame, the challenges she faced in a male-dominated industry, and her enduring legacy as a trailblazer for women in film. Through personal anecdotes and insights, the book paints a vivid picture of Davis's fierce independence, her relationships, and her impact on cinema. It offers a nuanced portrayal of a woman who defied conventions and left an indelible mark on the entertainment world.
A biography of anti-Nazi actress and Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich. The author relies extensively on the star's own words and conversations with those who knew her well
Full of anecdotes and records of Groucho's verbal sparrings with, among others, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Jack Nicholson and George Burns, this text presents an affectionate and authoritative overview of the great man's life and career.
"'Nobody's perfect' is the line that most sums up my work," Billy Wilder told writer Charlotte Chandler. "There is no comedy, no drama about perfect people."Film is the Cinderella Art of the 20th century, and Billy Wilder was one of its most legendary figures. When he died recently, Wilder left behind an incredible celluloid legacy. "Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, Double Indemnity, The Apartment, Lost Weekend, Sabrina," and other Wilder films have become a part of our shared experience and collective memory. In "Nobody's Perfect," Billy Wilder speaks for himself, in what is as close to an autobiography as there ever will be. Charlotte Chandler, author of earlier authorized biographies of Groucho Marx and Federico Fellini, met Wilder in the mid-1970s and began a friendship that continued until his death. Over the course of more than twenty years, she interviewed not only Wilder, but many of the actors and other creative people who worked with him. The result is this remarkable book, a very personal look at one of Hollywood's true creative geniuses. In a life as dramatic as his films, Wilder survived World War I and escaped the Holocaust, though his mother and grandmother both died at Auschwitz. When he arrived in Hollywood, he found himself a writer without a language, a man without a country. Wilder's great gift as a screenwriter soon became apparent, as did his easy rapport with actors. As a writer-director, he worked with such stars as Greta Garbo, William Holden, Tony Curtis, Barbara Stanwyck, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers, Gloria Swanson, Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper, James Cagney, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Marilyn Monroe -- most of whom were interviewedfor this book. He gave Garbo her laugh, Swanson her comeback, Holden his stardom, Lemmon a career, Matthau an Oscar, and contributed greatly to Marilyn Monroe's immortality. Actors from Wilder's films talk enthusiastically about Wilder. Danielle Darrieux, the star of the first picture he directed, remembers him from 1933. Ginger Rogers tells how "The Major and the Minor" paralleled her own life. Jack Lemmon reveals how wearing a dress affected him as a man. Tony Curtis talks about what it was like to work with Billy Wilder -- and under Marilyn Monroe. Chandler's conversations with Wilder and the others began when he was still a working director and continued through the time he was retired but didn't know it. A man of the 20th century, Billy Wilder lived into the 21st century, alone from his time, a legend forever. This revealing and vastly entertaining book is a wonderful, timely tribute to this great writer-director, a legacy of Wilder's wit, insight, and remarkable wisdom.
When Groucho Marx was well into his eighties, Charlotte Chandler approached him about writing a profile of him for a magazine. Groucho invited Charlotte to meet and that meeting grew into a friendship that lasted until Groucho's death in August 1977. Groucho was surrounded by a group of friends - some old timers like George Burns and Jack Benny - some younger comedians, like Woody Allen, who revered Groucho. Charlotte was present for most of these meetings and these conversations form the basis of HELLO, I MUST BE GOING. Some are hilarious, some are poignant, all of them are fascinating. If you ever wondered what it was like to spend some time with Groucho Marx, one of the wittiest men ever, this is your book.
Ingrid Bergmanová byla jednou z největších filmových hvězd zlaté éry Hollywoodu, ale její kariéra se ocitla v ohrožení kvůli mezinárodnímu skandálu. Zahrála si v několika filmových klasikách, jako jsou Casablanca a Podzimní sonáta, po boku slavných herců jako Humphrey Bogart a Cary Grant. Charlotte Chandlerová, autorka této biografie, čerpala z dlouhých rozhovorů s Ingrid, čímž přináší unikátní pohled na její život. Ingrid, která byla hvězdou již ve Švédsku, se díky producentovi Davidu Selznickovi stala senzací v Hollywoodu, kde její jméno zaručovalo úspěch. Největší drama však prožila mimo plátno, když během natáčení filmu Stromboli navázala vztah s režisérem Robertem Rossellinim. Skandál, který následoval, ji donutil žít v Itálii po dobu sedmi let, zatímco Hollywood ji zavrhl a tisk ji zneuctil. Chandlerová zachycuje vzpomínky těch, kteří Ingrid znali, včetně Alfreda Hitchcocka a Caryho Granta, a nabízí tak fascinující pohled na život této složité ženy před, během a po skandálu. Tento autentický přístup činí z knihy nejpoutavější životopis o této hollywoodské legendě.
Alfred Hitchcock britský a americký filmový režisér a producent, mistr thrillerů a kriminálních příběhů, patří mezi absolutní špičku nejznámějších osobností světového filmu. Za svou kariéru režíroval více než 60 filmů. Autorka čerpá ve své biografii z důvěrných rozhovorů s Hitchcockem samým, jeho ženou Almou a dcerou Pat, které vedla po několik let, jakož i s plejádou filmových osobností, které s Hitchcockem měly možnost spolupracovat.
Bette Davis war eine der ganz großen Charakterdarstellerinnen Hollywoods. Ich sechzig Jahren drehte sie 102 Filme, sie war 22, als sie ihr Debüt auf der Leinwand gab, und 81 Jahre, als sie ihre letzte Rolle spielte. Bette Davis erhielt für ihre außergewöhnliche Darstellung zwei Oscars und weitere zehn Oscar-Nominierungen - mehr als jede andere Schauspielerin, bis heute. Auf der Grundlage von ausführlichen Gesprächem nit Bette Davis im letzten Jahrzehnt ihres Lebens legt die bekannte Biografin und Bestsellerautorin Charlotte Chandler eine Biografie vor, in der die große Schauspielerin offen über sich selbst spricht. Schauspieler, Regisseure und Freunde kommen ebenfalls zu Wort. Bette Davis bekennt sich zu ihrem Erfolg im Beruf, aber auch zu ihrem Scheitern im Privatleben. Sie erzählt freimütig von ihren Ehen und Affären, sie erinnert sich an geliebte Filmpartner ebenso wie an ungeliebte Rivalinnen. (Auszug aus der Verlagsangabe)
