Entertainment Books

This is a book that should have been filled with fascinating stories but instead is the Dragnet ("Just the facts, maam") version of one Hollywood producer's history. After working with some of the greatest movies stars, you would think Mirisch would have some great insight into the egocentric business or some incredible stories. But what you get in this book is just a year-by-year, movie-by-movie, bare-boned, accountant-like recollection of his films.

The first hundred pages involve a little of his background and the large number of insignificant films he made in his early years. As mentioned in another person's two-star review of the book, Mirish seems ultra-sensitive to perceived anti-Semitism, twisting a comment made by a professor at University of Wisconsin to mean Jewish Mirisch wasn't welcome there (if you read it carefully, the professor was actually offering him a scholarship that Mirisch was dragging his feet on accepting and was giving him some needed honest advice).

There are a few interesting stories in the book, mostly about casting decisions. Tina Louise as the Marilyn Monroe role in the TV pilot of Some Like It Hot. Peter Ustinov originally signed to be Inspector Clouseau before Peter Sellers.

He spends only 8 pages on West Side Story but 17 on the now insignificant movie Hawaii. He also has some memories mixed up--he claims Billy Wilder made "The Fortune Cookie" because he "was a great football fan and a regular viewer of Monday Night Football." Yet Monday Night Football didn't start until four years after the movie premiered!

There are a few in Hollywood who don't come off looking so good--Steve McQueen in particular--but even then the author handles them gently and obviously doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings with this book. He never takes advantage of the chance to go back and rethink some of his casting choices (such as the miscast leads in West Side Story). Instead almost everyone he worked with was talented or wonderful.

For what sounds like a fascinating life, this book is suprisingly dull. You will not learn much that hasn't been told better elsewhere. Mirisch sounds like a really nice guy but in the end he's just in a business where the numbers are what matter. And he really wasn't making much "history" as the title claims.

Although I have yet to finish reading this book (I am about 1/4 way through it), Mirisch tells the history of his family and how they came to carve out careers in different aspects of the movie industry. Along the way, Mirisch relates anecdotes about various well-known stars of yesteryear and gives details as to how several of his films came into production. For anyone who has an interest in the film businesses and its related history, this book is a 'must read' that accomplishes remaining clear of bogging the reader down in any superfluous technicalities.

This is an amazing recollection of how movies became a business and magic happened with humble beginnings by the Mirisch family, especially Walter.

Enjoy your incredible reading journey.

This book contains some innaccurate references to films and people Mr. Mirisch worked with and my copy didn't contain an index. Very little is information is given about Mirisch's early childhood or his teenage years as a film usher. In one passage, he states that he turned down a teaching position at the University of Wisconsin because he thought the head of the department was anti-Semetic. Mirisch thought a remark that "there are very few other jobs open for an Academic like you" supported this idea. Often the reader can get lost in some very technical jargon about film financing and investing. In simple terms this could mean: If the film flops, the director and the cast take the blame and if the film is a success, the producer makes the most money and takes credit for it. A researcher should read this book to check the accuracy of film titles and names mentioned. Example: Monogram's film series was The Teenagers, not "The High School Kids."

Here is one of the most successful producers in the business who started from the bottom and worked his way up to having the biggest, best, independant company in the world. The Mirisch Company. I cannot say enough about reading this book, I was riveted, I received the book on a Sat.and couldn't put it down till I finished it. Wow, what an education I got. Can you imagine having the foresight to have on your regular staff.
Billy Wilder, Norman Jewison, John Sturges, Blake Edwards, Fred Zinnemann.

John Moio

If you are a SF fan, you will enjoy the artwork and stories in this first volume. I enjoyed Volume 1 and 2 more than volume 3, and much more than Volume 4. This begins the battles and adventures of Ryu and his goal to develop as a fighter. It also follows all of the other characters from the SF II and SF Alpha era and merges them. SF Alpha is a precursor to the SF II. It is a quick read with excellent artwork and an interesting story, and although there are some small parts of the story that are boring for a few characters, most of the story and battles are worthwhile. Do a search to find sample pages of what the artwork looks like. The book is in digest size, which is smaller than the comic book sizes. There is also an Ultimate SF book available which collects the entire four volumes and shows them in larger-than-comic-book-size pages if you can find that version. I recommend this book to all fans of SF, and to any non-fans who know of SF but have never tried to learn the backstories.

Round One: FIGHT!

Though I still have fond memories of playing Street Fighter II for the Super Nintendo back in grade school, I'll admit that I don't quite remember the game having any plot to speak of. Well, I just finished the comic book, and, my opinion hasn't changed all that much.

As you might expect, the series tells the story of a Ryu, who--SUPRISE!--gets into street fights aplenty. The honorable brawler finds his beloved sensei slain in his own dojo and sets off to find the killer, running into all manner of classic characters along the way. (Including Guile, the bombastically American super-soldier, who was my personal favorite back in the day. SONIC BOOM!)

Don't get me wrong, the Udon Crew obviously loves the original games, and has created a fitting homage to them (complete with manga-styled visuals). The only problem is that you'd have to be the age I was when I first bought a SNES to enjoy the story.

If you grew up playing Street Fighter games and wanted to know more on the stories of the characters, then THIS IS A DEFINITE MUST PICK UP AND HAVE! Great illustrations with a great storyline to stay true to the characters of the game and brings them to life. Really thought out well and structured greatly. CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT VOLUME, VOLUME 5! :)

this books and the others are really good, I ordered this book with 4 more and all were delivered in less than a week!!

excelent work, excelent art, WOW

I LOVE STREET FIGHTER

The art in this series is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! It's well worth the price tag just to look at all the pretty pictures. But the storyline is excellent as well. If only these guys could be in charge of creating a Street Fighter movie since all the previous ones have been average to suck.

I had this book years ago and lent it to someone who did not return it and just recently got another via Amazon. I was so happy it was still in print, I missed this book.
This book is not for a beginner but don't despair the author has a beginner book that is excellent "Calligraphy Made Easy".
If you are looking for the next step up from beginner this is the book to own.

This book is more complete than I expected and it is written in such a way that you are eager at trying your hand at the next alpahbet. Great for the person who already knows how to handle the pens.

I'm trying to teach myself this beautiful art. This book is certainly not for the beginner. The concept of a new alphabet each week and weekly projects is a great one, however there isn't enough instruction on materials or form to make it very helpful to those of us new to this art. I'll keep it for reference but must continue my search for a great teaching tool.

I was given 3 books on Calligraphy, as a Christmas present from my daughter, and this book is at the bottom of the list.

It does contain many different fonts, and the idea of having a practice lesson every week for a year is a novel idea indeed. However, I found this book disorganized, and try to do the lessons with one arm trying to hold the book flat.

I found the layout really confusing. Also if you are a beginner I would say this is not for you. It doesn't contain much "instruction." I would suggest "The Calligrapher's Bible" instead.

Even if you don't drink, this book is a fun time to be had hanging out with your friends. You'll certainly come up with lots more on your own too. If you just want to check it out instead of buy it, though, just go to the Barguments' website. There are extra bargument questions sent in by website viewers on there too.

A fun and clever way to spend time with loved ones . . . .

great book that will make you really think about things that you never thought about.

What a great book! I foresee many sequels....
Barguments for Prison Inmates: Which is worse: A month in solitary or being Leroy's special love interest....for a year?
Barguments for Kids: Which is more disgusting: nose picking or scab picking?
Barguments for US Soldiers in Iraq, Barguments for Moms, Barguments for College Students....the possibilities are endless.

Having known Doug and his counterpoint Eric for a long time, I loved this book. The whole time I read along, I could see the conversations, the players, and the locations. My wife and I sat down to go through this one together (each holding our own copy) and laughed and thought, and tried to avoid arguing for real. Just a really fun conversation starter for everyone.

I've actually met this guy one time while he put on a show in Maryland. He is very very talented. This book is not for the faint of heart. I can't stop playing the first song Blues Deluxe which is one of the best guitar blues driven songs there is to learn. Joe really works his control over volume, muting, punchy expressive progressions, and control. This will add to your skills but it will take some time. Do not expect to play like him out of the box but you will learn a trick or two. The book is quite eclectic in taste and style and you may not love every song. Take it for what it is, something for everyone. Good luck.

The title says it all. How can producers leave out songs like Pain and Sorrow and call the album "BEST OF?" What a crock. This isn't a review of Bonamassa, but marketing practices by both Amazon and Bonamassa's producers. For example, Amazon is getting really shady with it's marketing. They post that Pain is on the album, but it's not, and I've seen this with their DVDs too: selling old "Lightscribe" DVDs right next to the new Lightscribe 1.2, and there is a big difference. So using the DVD example, an unknowing person sees that what appears equitable merchandise, but one is 29.00 and one is 13.00 dollars, they automatically choose the 13.00 choice--duh they're the same! And you can't blow the images up like on other products to look at the package label--as if that would matter anyway. Sleazy.

I ordered this item as a Christmas gift for my son, I think in Nov. It still has not shipped. What is the deal, is the guy typing it up for me personally? We keep receiving a shipping date but it is then moved back.
If it does arrive, I will return with a rating on it, and not put into the equation how long it took to receive.

OK, I had to post this review to counter the person who gave it 1 star because it took a year to publish. That is inexcusable, but presumably not Joe's fault. I just got mine, and have not had a chance to look very closely, but hey, it's Joe, and it's "artist approved," so it HAS to be good. One word of warning, the song list IS NOT the same as listed above; Pain and Sorrow is not included, and for that I'm bummed.

Here's the actual list:

Blues Deluxe
Faux Martini
Had to Cry Today
If Heartaches Were Nickels
Miss You, Hat You
My Mistake
A New Day Yesterday
Revenge of the 10 Gallon Hat
The River
So, It's Like That
Woke UP Dreaming

Maybe go with Hal Leonard next time, Joe.

I have read David's book when it first came out, and loved it! I learned alot about the experiences on and off The Partridge Family set. A definate must-read for any David Cassidy fan.

David Is Updating His Autobiography! David has just signed a book deal with Headline Books in the UK to update his autobiography. The book is due for publication March 5, 2007.

(for more David Cassidy items, please view my Listmania list; The Ultimate David Cassidy Guide. Thank you.)

I am an long lost David Cassidy fan, lol, 48 now. I saw this book, bought, and read it. I am so sorry to hear of his financial misgivings. I think I could have handled his money better. I don't understand why he didn't get a lawyer to help with his financial affairs. Alas, so goes. Anyway, interesting to learn a teen idol's life isn't all so interesting. I was sorry to read Susan Dey never keeps in contact with him. The part in the book, was silly teen stuff. You'd think she'd grown up and want to keep in touch with old friends. Maybe, she still has a crush on David. Who knows. Interesting book, not recommended for children, written by David Cassidy, himself. Remember, he is writing an autobiography, not Gone With the Wind.

I am a Partridge Family fan, so when I heard that David Cassidy wrote a book about his experiences being Keith Partridge I wanted to read about it.

David Cassidy is very candid about his life. he starts off talking about his childhood as the son of Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward. Then for the majority of the book he goes into the teen/adult years of his life spend having sex with MANY woman and doing alot of drugs. I was not happy because by the title I thought he would spend more time talking about the Partridge Family, but hwe did not. It was an interesting book though, and if you want to know more about David Cassidy this book is for you

Skimmed over a few chapters of this book while I was re-selling it from a garage sale pick up and it was yet another pretty interesting reminder of how things used to be and how much they've changed and regressed for the worse rather than better, not to mention a somewhat unintentional complete laugh riot in spots.



Despite his teeny-bopper image and music, Cassidy had pretensions to being a real `artist' (hey, at least he put in an effort!) and wants you to know very early on in the book that though the 'coolness' never transferred to his music, he's really the guy-man-dude ultimate hipster of the 60s & 70s, really even more like Hunter S. Thompson in real life than the ten-times-more-talented drug-casualty similarly-shag-haircutted Gram Parsons, going as far back as when he was 17 (Davy-boy's drug-use from the time he was in junior-high is introduced very early on in the book in a very straightforward style, as a way of establishing his `street-credentials' to interest a wider audience that would respond to the marketing device of using the instant drug-connected cultural-pavlov-symbol of the phrase "Fear & Loathing" which he borrowed from Thompson who made it famous but who had himself borrowed it from Kierkergaard). Just to mention one of the more hilariously unabashed boasts of the book. According to Davy boy (nicknamed "the Donk" for his similarity to a Donkey in a certain part of his anatomy), he used to last about 2 minutes with most of the girls he met. Girls who would actually just walk up to him and say "Hi, want to f --- ?" This was BEFORE he made it big on the Partridge family during the now legendary 'summer of love' love-ins. According to him, this had nothing to do with his pretty boy looks and it was not at all unusual. The times were different. Magic was in the air. Well, after the 2-minute boy-wonder soaked up some Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, and granted he was having a good trip and not a bum one, he was able to go for 4 to 5 hours. The girl begged him to stop at 2 in the morning and then had to limp home! When he called her later, she thanked him for the most unusual night and said she had a hard time walking. Way to go, Davy boy! The machoest of real rock stars will have a tough time topping that one!



Cassidy went from making 8 million dollars in the 70s, from having more people in his fan club than Elvis to less than a 1000 dollars in his bank account and crashing in the extra room of friends in the mid '80s. Where were all his loyal fans? Did they all move on to Duran Duran and Flock of Seagulls? According to him, the studio made over 500 million dollars from merchandising his image alone. Everyone wrote him off and forgot about him. Even his old friend that big hole Don Johnson snubbed him when he was riding high on Miami Vice. When a guy goes from such a total success to such a complete crash, you can't help but KNOW he was blacklisted from the industry for some dark and mysterious reason.



Maybe there will be clues to the mystery in the other bio book he wrote. Good fun read, this one, much more than you would expect from an ex TV star.

This book is more than the story of a once mega star. It is the story of a heartbreaking father/son relationship. It reveals the struggles of a young artist and well as the madness of becoming a pop icon. It speaks to unfullfilled dreams and achieving the highest level of success, but not in the area/realm that once actually dreamed of. It's about corruption in the entertainment industry and finances mismanaged. It's the story of coming of age in the wild late 60's and 70's with hippies, sex and drugs. It's the story of a television show that will forever be a part of America's history. Reading it, I found myself rooting for Mr. Cassidy to find a lasting and meaningful love interest and a once again successful, though more personally meaningful, career. I also loved that Mr. Cassidy reveals Don Johnson to be the arrogant, shallow person I always assumed him to be. It was nice to learn that Shirley Jones was such a warm and caring person.

I was only 6 years-old when the Partridge Family first aired and I always thought him to be the handsomest of men. I was unaware of his concerts while the show was airing or his fan clubs. I was also unaware that he had written a biography unitl I saw him concert this past Summer. A concert which I learned about more or less by accident. I was mostly interested in seeing that famous smile for old times sake. But I have to say that I was quite impressed with Mr. Cassidy's singing voice and his entertainment capabilities. I have a new view and sense of respect for him. This guy is way more than Keith Partridge (whom I always remembered him as). He can REALLY sing. His life story is a turbulent one and at times a tearfully sad one, but it is also one of ultimate success as a person.

"In 2004, the medical world was shaken a bit when scientists found a link between the incidence of breast cancer and antibiotic use... There has been much debate about this study, but given the increasing resistance of microbes to antibiotics, it generates further concern over the overuse of antibiotics in the United States." Written by Lynne Eldridge, M.D. and David Borgeson, MS, MPT, Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time: Practical Advice for Preventing Cancer is a health and wellness guide to preventing cancer through avoiding carcinogens and implementing lifestyle and diet practices that can reduce cancer risk. From a healthy sex life to the right amount of sleep to maintaining a proper weight, choosing one's medications carefully, and much more, Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time covers reasonable, practical strategies with a strong benefit for overall health. Written in plain terms for lay readers, Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time is highly recommended for its solid health and lifestyle improvement advice.

Dr. Lynne Eldridge and David Borgeson have written an authoritative, good-humored and remarkably practical book on how people can alter their lifestyles and add years to their lives. "Avoiding Cancer: One Day at a Time" is about do-able prevention, and sets a needed example for American health care, where research and resources disproportionately address diagnosis and treatment to the neglect of keeping people healthy in the first place. This is an easy read, loaded with practical information - from everyday environmental hazards, to avoidance of carcinogenic lifestyle choices, to a deep and useful discussion of preventive nutrition. And there is a terrific "Avoiding Cancer Recipe Collection" which could be expanded into a book of its own. In sum, the best reader-friendly cancer prevention book I've ever read.

In the introduction, the author says she wrote this book because she wants you to "be prepared" before the siren blows, announcing the disaster.

Say this out loud: One in every two American men and one out of every three American women will get cancer over the course of their lifetime (pg. 1). Now does the author have your attention?

Quoting from the British Cancer Control Society, "...treating disease is enormously profitable, preventing disease is not."

If far more money is spent to treat than prevent, and physicians are restricted by managed care--now is the time for us to know more and advocate for our own health. Other money issues concern how our food is produced (what is put on our plants to increase yield and what animals are fed to grow faster).

As consumers we will spend whatever is needed to treat illness, but we do not spend time and money to educate ourselves about avoiding the disease in the first place. And yet ... "80-95% of cancers that have a environmental component, only one third are due to smoking."

However: "One thousands Americans stop smoking every day--by dying." (Author unknown)

Chapter 2 starts with 25 questions--and now I AM concerned because I answered yes to too many--and my ignorance is showing. You may feel the same when you answer them.

The authors left no cancer-causing stone unturned. Through charts, graphs, lists, recipes and action suggestions, you will understand your body and your environment--and how what you eat and drink and do can affect your health. The back of the book has worksheets, very helpful appendices, a carcinogen list, references and index so you can find things easily.

Author Lynne Eldridge, M.D. is a medical doctor who has studied human exposure to pesticide and has practiced family medicine with an emphasis on prevention. David Borgeson has a Masters in epidemiology and is a practicing physical therapist that emphasizes health promotion.

The authors have asked us to make many changes in our lives to live longer and cancer free--and some are easy and some will be hard. They do not want us to become overwhelmed and do nothing--just start with what you can change today.

Armchair Interviews says: The contents can--and should frighten you into action and change. Maybe then you will never have to hear the words: You have cancer!

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (12/07)

Cancer touches countless lives every day. Chances are that either you or somebody very near and dear to you has had to fight it at some point in your life. While medicine has certainly advanced greatly in the past, mortality rates from cancer are still high and still scary.

While it seems to me that the American way of medicine tends to be geared much more towards curing the disease once it manifests itself than to preventing it in the first place, I found "Avoiding Cancer One Day at A Time" a very refreshing departure from the usual pattern. Extremely well researched and comprehensive, this incredibly readable book leads the reader through many facets of possible cancer prevention. While it is obvious that the authors have done an incredible amount of serious research, the book never gets too technical for an average reader. From a simple introduction to cancer prevention to an eye-opening Cancer Prevention IQ Pretest and a chapter on what cancer is and what causes it, the authors alert us to numerous things that we could do to increase our chances of not being one of the scary cancer statistics in the future.

While authors primarily focus on primary cancer prevention - as in before it actually happens, there is also a chapter on secondary prevention (finding cancer and preventing it from spreading) and some notes on tertiary prevention (support methods for individuals with cancer). Each of the chapters concludes with a list of practical points, and if you start your journey just by reading those, you'll have to agree that there are very many simple and eminently sensible steps we can take to increase our chances of staying healthy. If any of the topics discussed in the particular chapter really intrigue you, there are very comprehensive lists of resources and further online information available for advanced research.

Chapter 10, the "Avoiding Cancer Recipe Collection," features not only mouth-watering, yet sensible recipes, but also stories of people whose lives were changed by cancer forever. Do take a particular note of the conversion table for the recipes there: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care.

The book concludes with Appendices, the first Appendix being the worksheets for applying cancer-prevention principles, the second one a scarily long list of carcinogens; and a nearly 30-pages long list of references.

"Avoiding Cancer One Day at A Time" was a fascinating read, which showed me how little most of us know about proper cancer prevention and how easy a great majority of those prevention steps really are. This book should find a permanent place in every American home, where it should be read, re-read and used often.

Paranoia would be a perfectly logical response to this cancer-prevention book. You might be tempted to rifle through your medicine cabinet and laundry room shelves, disposing of any product that isn't vinegar, baking soda or bottled water. You may never use an air freshener again or allow another French fry to pass between your lips. In fact, Dr. Lynne Eldridge and her brother, epidemiologist David Borgeson, warn against becoming fanatical in attempting to reduce carcinogenic threats in your environment. But they aren't apologetic about presenting a wealth of valuable information that could help prolong your life. The authors admit that links between certain chemicals and cancers are inconclusive, and they judge the medical establishment pretty harshly. Then they present the most current information based on studies and statistics, and leave it to you to accept or reject their recommendations. We recommend this book in the belief that much of what the authors cover makes sense. Don't get scared; get busy.

Unlike most books on the psychology of color, this one focuses on film and relies heavily on the author's personal experience teaching the subject. Useful for film students--and others.

As a student first looking into the true meaning behind film, I enjoyed "If It's Purple Someone's Gonna Die". In order to recognize the cultural significance of a film, its necessary to notice and understand the emotions that the director wishes to display which cannot always be conveyed through dialogue. Through references to films that have greatly impacted American society, Bellantoni does an excellent job of helping the reader see the crucial role color plays in film.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this work was the stress placed on the feelings and reactions of the audience when certain colors take over the screen. For example, purple, seen as a color that represents royalty from an intellectual perspective actually has associations with the noncorporal in the context of human emotion. However, I did feel that Bellantoni did not provide evidence to support many of her claims. For example, when discussing the color green, Bellantoni states that people hesitate to consume green foods or drinks because of its correlation with evil. Though this may be true, her statements sometimes seemed subjective. Statistical evidence may have made these points more effective.
Lastly, I thought that Bellantoni's work is an overall success in expressing the role color plays in film because of the connections made to the reader. Whether or not one is a film student, Bellantoni cites groundbreaking films that have had an effect on all of our lives. Many can recall the girl in the red coat in Schindler's List and our implied connection to her or the progression through the primary colors representing an emotional and intellectual journey in Malcolm X. These examples presented in the text make it possible for the reader to refer back to a film whose use of color affects them physically and emotionally. By relating to her audience, and providing memorable, relevant examples, Bellantoni makes it possible for the reader to understand the visceral effects of color in film.

As a student in a university level film-studies class, I found this text to be not only intriguingly insightful but also truly helpful in regards to one's ability to intelligently dissect a film. The only minor drawback to If It's Purple, Somebody's Going to Die is Bellantoni's steadfast determination to reference anecdotal factoids without backing them up. While her insightful commentaries on how colors make one feel and what they indicate are impressively well researched, I found her off hand references to red cars getting pulled over more than others etc. to be a bit unfounded.

In addition to the aforementioned fact dropping, it appears Bellantoni starts every chapter by calling the color in question a dual-purpose, contradictory, or multi-use color. While she does always clarify how/why these colors have the ability to produce opposite reactions from the reader, the nitty-gritty of these explanations becomes tedious (95% white yellow, 50% white yellow, 100% pure yellow etc.).

Overall, once you accept the fact that Bellantoni truly knows all there is to know about color in film, and believe me, you will after you see enough people wearing purple die, then this text becomes an invaluable resource. I'm giving it four stars as an indication of how easy it is to ignore the few downsides mentioned above. Definitely an excellent resource.

This book is definitely on the beginners side of the spectrum. (no pun intended) You're not going to learn to be a production designer just from reading it, but it's a great start to becoming more aware of the use of color in film (or comics, video games or any other visual media) to influence underlying mood of the story. And once you're aware of color's presence, you can start making educated choices on how to use color in your own work.

Although a few more pictures would've been nice, the author does a good job of taking each of the six primary & secondary colors and defining its role in general and then giving numerous specific examples of the different visual and emotional tones each color can take.

If nothing else, this book added about 8 movies to my Netflix queue.

As an instructor of film-studies, I needed a text that tackled color-theory but used terms that first-year college-students could understand (i.e. a jargon-free examination of color in film). Bellantoni's work easily fulfills this need.

Foremost, Bellantoni logically divides her chapters by color (How refreshing to find a technical-work which travels a simple path!!) Within these chapters, are references to both well-known films (ex. "The Godfather," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Saving Private Ryan," "American Beauty," "Eyes Wide Shut," "Rosemary's Baby" and "Malcolm X") as well as lesser-watched films (ex. "Mi Familia," "Eve's Bayou, and "The Caveman's Valentine"). The tremendous range of examples ensures that every reader will find a film-favorite for each color entry. (No need to worry about this being another text brimming with obscure/out-of-print works!!)

Now, let me be clear about Bellantoni's work. She emphasizes that there are both "intellectual" and "visceral" responses to color. Her text focuses almost entirely on the "visceral" (which she repeatedly states). Some detractors of the Bellentoni's find fault with her "failure" to explore the "intellectual." Nonsense. Frankly, I prefer this focused approach to a broader (potentially sloppy) work. The richness of this text would have suffered if Belllantoni felt compelled to address every possible interpretation.

While I enjoyed Bellantoni's personal anecdotes, I was occasionally frustrated by her neglecting to cite sources for a variety of evidence. For instance, when she asserts that "red cars get more speeding tickets than cars of any other color," I would have appreciated a footnote citing her source (or even providing the data)(2). Nonetheless, these were minor irritations in an overall informative work. What compensates for this "problem" is her interviews with cinematographers. These frequent "blurbs" lend credence to Bellantoni's work ... if ever you doubted the importance of color, just read a few of these inserts and you will become a "believer."

In my class we read one chapter a week ... by the last week, my students were color-masters!! The assigned films had become exercises in color-exploration ... to the point where I had to stop my class and say "Let's look at other elements also!" What this tells me is that Bellantoni's work is easily accessible to every student and genuinely exciting!! While my class has completed readings on most film elements, they inevitably want to return to Bellantoni's work on color and camp there! That kind of enthusiasm ... well, that's rare!

Thank you, Professor Bellantoni for inspiring excitement in my students! What a gift you have given to professors and students alike!!

i receintly have fallen in love with silent movies and the 20's.when i first took a serious intrest in silent movies i got on the internet and found a website called silent ladies and gents.as i scrowled threw the numerous pictures one caught my eye.it was a picture of clara bow (not even her best picture).from there i became more intrested about her.after reading a little about her on the internet i looked for a biography.i found this book.when i read it the first time i accepted it as absolute truth,though after reading it again there are too many inconsistcies.and as i read it i got the feeling that none of it was true.since the first time i read the book i found something so odd about the man she married, rex bell.becouse of my life i know men like him.the kind everyone thinks is so great....but look a little further and you'll find that it just isn't so.after all he got everything he ever wanted.the ranch(which clara paid for),and the perfect little family picture.all of this went with his ambitions to become the perfect conservitive figure.and in the later years when he basicly put her away he was able to say it was just her "family history" or that "fame had gotten to her".also the way the author tirelesly thanks people like daisy devoe is sickenig.defending her as if clara was the bad guy.budd schulberg,another glorified person in this book refers to clara as "an easy winner of the dumbbell award...she was simply an adorable,in fact irresistable,little know nothing.it was as if father had picked her out a well made collie puppy and trained her to become lassie."but still mr.schulberg is betrayed as just another person who put up with clara.something else i find odd is how the author seems to stress louise brook's admiration for clara yet brook's, on several occasions said that clara was stupid and seemed to resent her for making more money(and having more talent).out of all the people in clara's life a select few seemed to geniunly care about clara.those being gary cooper,roland gilbirt,and artie jacobson.even though artie did seem to care sometimes even that seemed odd.and at times some stories seemed fabricated.and perhaps the other two men seemed to care only because in the book there's not a whole lot of mention of them.one of the other reviewers brought up the intresting point that it seemed that most of the book is fabricated to maintain the reputation that the people in her life wanted to maintian for themselves and by extention her.i also find it alarming how the author even shows some sort of sympathy for her father who rapped her.i just get the feeling that there's more to the story.i've recintly bought another biography about her (it's out of print).and can't wait to read it.i think it may reveal more of the story.clara deserved so much better.she was an amazing actress so much better than todays actresses.and her personality intresting and beautiful.how people used her is sooo terrible.she was an incridible woman.the fact that so often she is forgotten amongst louise brooks (who in fact did little acting and what little she did wasn't very good)colleen moore(who was boring,hateful and talent less) and greta garbo (who can hardly keep her eyes open most of the time)is a real shame.she was not some crazy(as she seems to be portrayed in this book).i believe that rex bell destroyed her and took advantage of her.the people around her all took from her.they all wanted something.she was no puppet of b.p schulberg.she was simply amazing and full of life!!! she was beautiful and was 100% her.she was so talented.i really hope that the other biography
(The "It" Girl: The Incredible Story of Clara Bow) will be a more truthful biography that is about her life and not the glorification of people that treated her poorly.

Clara Bow was an amazing actress and woman. She overcame poverty and abuse to become of the great sirens of the 20's. She was very beautiful, and though she did have her faults, she left her mark on movie history. I've watched her silent movies since I've read this book, and "It" is my favorite. This biography is well done and I'll read it again.

This book is probably one of the best books written on the subject of CLARA BOW (**). I just finished reading this book and loved it.

The author goes in great detail regarding the life of Clara,-- from the time she was born, to the time of her death.

Clara was such a misunderstood person. I think that the author has attempted to give us all a better understanding of Clara (the "It" girl).

I also loved the photos of Clara in this book.(She sure was a pretty actress!)

(**)= The only thing that I question is how the "professionals" came to the conclusion that Clara was (probably) Schitzophrenic?... In my opinion, rather than schitzophrenic, I think Clara probably suffered from Manic Depression. That is not to say that her mother was not schitzophrenic though.... From the sounds of it, Clara's Mom was probably schitzophrenic,that I agree with the author and "professionals" (eg: the instances when Clara's Mom tried to kill her with a butcher knife,while Clara was sleeping!).

However, from all the descriptions of Clara's tortured life, to me, it sounded like Clara was more Bi-Polar than anything else. But Schitzophrenic (?)---probably not.

Clara, by all accounts,was never a violent person. She did not "hear voices". Clara had intense "ups and downs" (as described by her children and husband). Clara loved sex, and the attention it brought her. She was an insecure person, who was searching for love and approval her whole life.

This is the only really researched biography ever written of Clara Bow, a poignant and evocative look at an unforgettable woman who conquered a magical period in our history and blasted apart the Victorian prudishness of western society which was one of the catalysts for birthing modern culture.

The Brooklyn Bonfire, The "It" Girl, the Royal Canadian Mounted Policewoman of sex (she always got her man!), the twenties version of Marilyn and Madonna, Clara was the very first modern, studio-packaged sex symbol. The image the studios fashioned for her, that of a carefree, man-hungry flapper, became an icon for the Jazz Age. But Bow is criminally underappreciated today---this young girl had more influence on modern Hollywood than anyone gives her credit for---and this book will show you exactly why. Here is the original tragic Hollywood sex symbol, the one all others are modeled on. Softly beautiful, powerfully sensual, and an incredibly expressive actress, she had a shocking amount of raw talent, which was exploited, and then ignored, and then sacrificed by the studio system that had grown wealthy off of her.

Stenn lays bare the reasons for her unrelenting self-destruction, revealing an unloved and bewildered young girl who fought desperately to escape from her childhood prison but was wholly unprepared for life on the outside. An authoritative biography of a complex and fascinating woman, highly recommended.

David Stenn's biographical account of Clara Bow is a history of a woman victimized by family, friends, and the movie industry. Clara Bow was given the title of "It" girl by Elinor Glyn and it became her signiture. Born in 1905, Clara Bow suffered abuse and neglect at the hands of both her mother and father.

She achieved stardom at a very young age when she won the Fame and Fortune contest. Her prize was a part in the movie "Beyond The Rainbow", but she was later edited out of the final cut. Nevertheless, Clara's talent was spotted because she had something different. She was a natural born actress with a freshness that brought life to the scenes she appeared in.

Uneducated and naive, Clara was a money making vehicle for Paramount to exploit and use. She was an untreated schizophrenic for most of her life and suffered from insomnia. Clara's career began to decline when Daisy De Voe, hair stylist turned Bow's financial manager testified in a criminal trial about Clara's drinking, gambling, and promiscuous lifestyle. Most of which would not raise eyebrow these days, but was scandalous in the mid 1900s.

Clara died in 1965 with a modest fortune. She was survived by 2 sons from her marriage to George Beldam. This book attempts to present an honest account of a woman vilified by the press. I couldn't shake off the impression that David Stenn was more of a fan than a biographer. I like Stenn's writing style. It is clean and often moving. The author certainly did his research.

In essence, the story of Bow's life is quite complicated. Stenn tells us of Bow's illness only at the end of the book. He also reveals the dark secrets from her youth. I think it detracted from the story and gave the reader a filtered view of Clara. Had he told the reader early in the book, so much of Bow's self destructive behavior would have been explained.