For decades, the Gabor dynasty was the epitome of glamour and fairy tale success. But as biographer, film historian, and Gabor family friend Sam Staggs reveals, behind the headlines is a true story more dramatic, fabulous, and surprising than their self-styled legend would have you believe . . .In 1945, after barely escaping Hitler’s invasion of Hungary followed by “liberation” of the country by the Red Army, three members of the Gabor family—Jolie, her ex-husband ...

A "highly enjoyable" behind-the-scenes history of the film noir classic about the dark side of Hollywood ( Publishers Weekly).Sunset Boulevard, a damning dissection of the Hollywood dream factory, evokes the glamour and ruin of the stars who subsist on that dream. It's also one long in-joke about the movie industry and those who made it great—and who were, in turn, destroyed by it. One of the most critically admired films of the twentieth century, ...

"From the original tale . . . to the Broadway musical . . . thoughtful film analysis and a thrilling final coup: an interview with the real Eve." — PeopleTo millions of fans, All About Eve represents all that's witty and wonderful in classic Hollywood movies. Its old-fashioned, larger-than-life stars—including Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, and Celeste Holm—found their best roles in Eve and its sophisti...

In "a passionate and witty behind-the-scenes exposé," the author of All About "All About Eve" takes on the 1959 Douglas Sirk film starring Lana Turner (Turner Classic Movies).Few films inspire the devotion of Imitation of Life, one of the most popular films of the '50s—a split personality drama that's both an irresistible women's picture and a dark commentary on ambition, motherhood, racial identity, and hope lo...

"A witty, insightful probe of Tennessee Williams' most famous play in all its variations" from the author of All About 'All About Eve' ( The Dallas Morning News ).Exhaustively researched and almost flirtatiously opinionated, When Blanche Met Brando is everything a fan needs to know about the groundbreaking New York and London stage productions of Williams' Streetcar...

Inventing Elsa Maxwell, the first biography of this extraordinary woman, tells the witty story of a life lived out loud.With Inventing Elsa Maxwell, Sam Staggs has crafted a landmark biography. Elsa Maxwell (1881-1963) invented herself–not once, but repeatedly. Built like a bulldog, she ascended from the San Francisco middle class to the heights of society in New York, London, Paris, Venice, and Monte Carlo. Shunning boredom and predictability, El...

For decades, the Gabor dynasty was the epitome of glamour and fairy tale success. But as biographer, film historian, and Gabor family friend Sam Staggs reveals, behind the headlines is a true story more dramatic, fabulous, and surprising than their self-styled legend would have you believe…In 1945, after barely escaping Hitler’s invasion of Hungary followed by “liberation” of the country by the Red Army, three members of the Gabor family—Jolie, her ex-husband Vilmo...

Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, a classic film noir and also a damning dissection of the Hollywood dream factory, evokes the glamour and ruin of the stars who subsist on that dream. It’s also one long in-joke about the movie industry and those who made it great—and who were, in turn, destroyed by it. One of the most critically admired films of the twentieth century, Sunset Boulevard is also famous as silent-star Gloria Swanson’s comeback picture.Sam Staggs’s ...

To millions of fans, All About Eve represents all that’s witty and wonderful in classic Hollywood movies. Its old-fashioned, larger-than-life stars—including Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, and Celeste Holm—found their best roles in this movie, and its sophisticated dialogue has entered the lexicon.But there’s much more to know about All About Eve. Sam Staggs has written the definitive account of the making of this fascinating movie and i...

A thorough analysis of Allied actions after learning about the horrors of Nazi concentration camps—includes survivors' firsthand accounts.Why did they wait so long? Among the myriad questions of what the Allies could have done differently in World War II, understanding why it took them so long to respond to the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps—specifically Auschwitz—remains vital today.In Auschwitz and the Allies, Martin Gilbert presents a c...

Susan Shumsky is a successful author in the New Age/Spirituality field, writing books on meditation, intuition, prayer, auras, chakras, and the like. But in the 1970s, she was one of only a handful of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s personal attendants and administrators, in India, Switzerland, and elsewhere. Following the teachings of Maharishi displaced Susan’s devotion to the hippie lifestyle, as she learned about meditation and grew spiritually self aware.Maharishi died in 2008 at the ...

In 1968, Olivia Hussey became one of the most famous faces in the world, immortalized as the definitive Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet. Now the iconic girl on the balcony shares the ups and downs of her truly remarkable life and career …At only sixteen-years-old, she was an internationally celebrated overnight discovery. The part was an opportunity of a lifetime for a simple girl from Buenos Aires, Argentina. But for Olivia, admired for her b...