Peek inside the life and career of John Wayne, or "The Duke," in this amazingly detailed book, The Story of John Wayne. Read about his humble beginnings, his desire to join the military, be a football pro, and ultimately his rise to stardom in the Wild West movies of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. It features a review of the top 10 Wayne movies for each decade and discusses how he became the star, how he got along with his co-stars and leading ladies. Additionally, included is information about ...

Told in the charming and self-deprecating style that has made him one of America’s most beloved celebrities—the real story behind Hollywood legend James Garner, from his Depression-era childhood to his colorful career.His incredible story, in his own words.One of Hollywood’s all-time great leading men, James Garner enjoyed a remarkable career spanning six decades, and whether you know him as Bret Maverick or Jim Rockford, his appeal bridges generations. Few...

Few film actors had the lasting popularity of John Wayne, especially when he appeared in westerns. During his lifetime, he was a top-ten box office star for twenty-four years. Three decades after his death, a 2012 Harris poll continued to place him among the top 5 most popular film actors. In this comprehensive essay, Rambo-creator David Morrell analyzes Waynes career in westerns and explores his fascinating, complex personality, including his Latin studies in high school and his skills as...

“Everybody wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant.”—Cary GrantHe is Hollywood’s most fascinating and timeless star. Although he came to personify the debonair American, Cary Grant was born Archibald Leach on January 18, 1904, in the seaport village of Bristol, England. Combining the captivating beauty of silent-screen legend Rudolph Valentino with the masculine irresistibility of Clark Gable, Grant emerged as Hollywood’s quintessential leading man. Today, “the ...

**A revelatory biography of Robert Redford, written in close collaboration with the extraordinary actor and director himself, revealing the complex man beneath the Hollywood façade.“As incisive a biography of Redford as there is ever likely to be.” —The New York Times**Among the most widely admired Hollywood stars of his generation, Redford has appeared onstage and on-screen, in front of and behind the camera, earning Academy, Golden Globe, and a multitude of other...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “[A] masterly biography” (People) of Judy Garland that thoroughly captures her intrepid spirit—and her hidden demons—from the acclaimed author of Capote“A compelling read . . . In a big, gutsy biography, Gerald Clarke brings insight and fresh detail to Judy Garland’s story.”—Entertainment WeeklyShe lived at full throttle on stage, screen, and in real life, with highs that made ...

The New York Times bestselling biography of John Wayne: “authoritative and enormously engaging…Eyman takes you through Wayne’s life, his death, and his legend in a detailed, remarkably knowledgeable yet extremely readable way” (Peter Bogdanovich, The New York Times Book Review).John Wayne died more than thirty years ago, but he remains one of today’s five favorite movie stars. The celebrated Hollywood icon comes fully to life in this complex portr...

A film journalist's insider account of the truth behind some of the movie industry's biggest legends and scandals—a perfect gift for film buffs.Hollywood exists to create and sell myth. Often, however, the myths created on screen are secondary to the rumors, half-truths, and lies that circulate through studio back lots and the press. Discover the real stories behind Hollywood's greatest myths, as veteran film critic and Hollywood reporter Joe Williams sorts fact fro...

As he did in his bestselling biographies of Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Clint Eastwood, Marc Eliot offers an exciting, groundbreaking new take on an American icon—the most legendary Western film hero of all time, John WayneAn audience favorite and top box-office draw for decades, John Wayne symbolized masculinity, power, and patriotism, and inspired millions of Americans. Yet despite his popularity and success, he was unfairly dismissed as a "B" movie actor lacking elegance, cre...

Based on over five years of interview and archival research, John Wayne: American explains the appeal of Wayne's abiding "Americanness" and how he became such a revered icon.**No American has been more identified with his country than John Wayne. For millions of people from the heartland to the furthest corners of the earth, he simply is America. Wayne virtually defined the role of the cowboy and the soldier, unswervingly playing the gruff man of...

“Revelatory…fascinating” (The New York Times): The first definitive biography of Bob Hope, featuring exclusive and extensive reporting that makes the persuasive case that he was the most important entertainer of the twentieth century.With his topical jokes and his all-American, brash-but-cowardly screen character, Bob Hope was the only entertainer to achieve top-rated success in every major mass-entertainment medium of the century, from vaudeville in the 1...

Whoopi Goldberg (/ˈhwʊpi/, born Caryn Elaine Johnson; November 13, 1955) is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host. Although Goldberg made her film debut in the avant-garde ensemble film Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away (1982), her breakthrough role was playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South in the period drama film The Color Purple (1985).Goldberg was born in Manhattan and raised in the ...