The author has put together a large collection of stories and anecdotes about Hollywood elite but not all these stories are from reliable sources. The book doesn't cite references or sources from where these anecdotes came from. The internet is full of stories about Hollywood stars; you may find these in leading websites such as, Wikipedia, internet movie database, Amazon.com and numerous fan sites that cater to the need of those who are interested in the history of Hollywood. Some of these websites are reliable and the stories are trustworthy. However I also came across some stories in this book that I read elsewhere.
This book is described arbitrarily in 13 chapters but they all contain very similar anecdotes. I found the some stories very interesting, the facts about Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable who went to serve in the Second World War despite some objections from President Eisenhower. They were heroic and proud participants in the service of their nation despite their popularity and success in movie business. Jimmy Stewart was known to be friendly to the visitors of Hollywood and would wave his hands at the celebrity tour buses when he is on his evening walks near his house in Beverly Hills. Stewart had partially lost his hearing due to low flying B-24 bomber planes during the war, but never wanted publicity for his sacrifices. Carole Lombard is another patriotic lady who campaigned for war bond rally in the country. Lombard traveled to her home state of Indiana for a war bond rally. Just before boarding the plane, Lombard addressed her fans, saying: "Before I say goodbye to you all, come on and join me in a big cheer! V for Victory! Tragically her plane crashed near Las Vegas and there were no survivors. Lombard was much loved for her unpretentious personality and well known for her earthy sense of humor. Friends of Lombard's included Alfred Hitchcock, Marion Davies, Jean Harlow, Fred MacMurray (co-starred in several movies), Cary Grant, Jack Benny, William Powell (her ex-husband), and Lucille Ball. She was a liberal democrat and her husband Clark Gable was conservative republican, but despite these differences they were happy couple. She joined him on hunting and fishing trips and tried to control his drinking and swearing. Carole had to worry not only about his philandering ways but also his male buddies who were rowdies on many occasions.
Ingrid Bergman was not terribly impressed in doing Casablanca in 1942. The unfinished script she read did not give her clue about her leading man in the movie: was it Humphrey Bogart or Paul Henried(?) She felt very little connection to Bogart and did not think the movie was good even after it won Academy Award. Some critics said that Bogart's wife Mayo Methot was very possessive and did not allow Bergman to be too friendly with her husband on or off the set. When Greer Garson accepted the title role of Mrs. Miniver, she wanted to give up stardom when the Nazi invasion was imminent and wanted go back to England and help her country by becoming an ambulance driver. Years later Garson lamented that her title role in this movie typecast her as a sacrificing mother in Hollywood.
During the filming of The African Queen on location in Congo, Hepburn was annoyed with Bogart's constant drinking on the set. Director John Huston highlighted their personal differences in several scenes where she objects to his drinking and in one scene she throws his entire case of liquor bottles overboard. The chemistry between the two stars was so good that it won the hearts and minds many viewers and Bogart won his only Academy Award. George Cukor's star-studded 1939 classic, The Women is one of his great success, but also a challenge to keep some of the Hollywood's best female actors working on the set harmoniously. Norma Shearer complained that her lead character was too straight and her colorful co-stars were upstaging her. Joan Crawford was partly jealous of Shearer's success and made some harsh comments about Norma sleeping with the producer to advance her career. Rosalind Russell pretended to be sick and missed work until she got equal recognition for her role in the movie. It turned out that this off the set rivalry turned into success, because several girls' cat fights seen in this movie partly reflected the personal differences between these stars.
When John Wayne accepted the High Noon's best actor Academy Award on behalf of Gary Cooper, he lamented that he had not been offered that role. Later Gary Cooper turned down leading roles in Big Train, Stagecoach, and Red River; all three parts went to John Wayne which was crucial in advancing his career.
This book is described arbitrarily in 13 chapters but they all contain very similar anecdotes. I found the some stories very interesting, the facts about Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable who went to serve in the Second World War despite some objections from President Eisenhower. They were heroic and proud participants in the service of their nation despite their popularity and success in movie business. Jimmy Stewart was known to be friendly to the visitors of Hollywood and would wave his hands at the celebrity tour buses when he is on his evening walks near his house in Beverly Hills. Stewart had partially lost his hearing due to low flying B-24 bomber planes during the war, but never wanted publicity for his sacrifices. Carole Lombard is another patriotic lady who campaigned for war bond rally in the country. Lombard traveled to her home state of Indiana for a war bond rally. Just before boarding the plane, Lombard addressed her fans, saying: "Before I say goodbye to you all, come on and join me in a big cheer! V for Victory! Tragically her plane crashed near Las Vegas and there were no survivors. Lombard was much loved for her unpretentious personality and well known for her earthy sense of humor. Friends of Lombard's included Alfred Hitchcock, Marion Davies, Jean Harlow, Fred MacMurray (co-starred in several movies), Cary Grant, Jack Benny, William Powell (her ex-husband), and Lucille Ball. She was a liberal democrat and her husband Clark Gable was conservative republican, but despite these differences they were happy couple. She joined him on hunting and fishing trips and tried to control his drinking and swearing. Carole had to worry not only about his philandering ways but also his male buddies who were rowdies on many occasions.
Ingrid Bergman was not terribly impressed in doing Casablanca in 1942. The unfinished script she read did not give her clue about her leading man in the movie: was it Humphrey Bogart or Paul Henried(?) She felt very little connection to Bogart and did not think the movie was good even after it won Academy Award. Some critics said that Bogart's wife Mayo Methot was very possessive and did not allow Bergman to be too friendly with her husband on or off the set. When Greer Garson accepted the title role of Mrs. Miniver, she wanted to give up stardom when the Nazi invasion was imminent and wanted go back to England and help her country by becoming an ambulance driver. Years later Garson lamented that her title role in this movie typecast her as a sacrificing mother in Hollywood.
During the filming of The African Queen on location in Congo, Hepburn was annoyed with Bogart's constant drinking on the set. Director John Huston highlighted their personal differences in several scenes where she objects to his drinking and in one scene she throws his entire case of liquor bottles overboard. The chemistry between the two stars was so good that it won the hearts and minds many viewers and Bogart won his only Academy Award. George Cukor's star-studded 1939 classic, The Women is one of his great success, but also a challenge to keep some of the Hollywood's best female actors working on the set harmoniously. Norma Shearer complained that her lead character was too straight and her colorful co-stars were upstaging her. Joan Crawford was partly jealous of Shearer's success and made some harsh comments about Norma sleeping with the producer to advance her career. Rosalind Russell pretended to be sick and missed work until she got equal recognition for her role in the movie. It turned out that this off the set rivalry turned into success, because several girls' cat fights seen in this movie partly reflected the personal differences between these stars.
When John Wayne accepted the High Noon's best actor Academy Award on behalf of Gary Cooper, he lamented that he had not been offered that role. Later Gary Cooper turned down leading roles in Big Train, Stagecoach, and Red River; all three parts went to John Wayne which was crucial in advancing his career.
Reference: Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes about the Stars and Legends of the Movies! By Stephen Schochet
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