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Dropped Names
- Famous Men and Women As I Knew Them
- Narrated by: Frank Langella
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
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Publisher's summary
Rita Hayworth dancing by candlelight in a small Mexican village; Elizabeth Taylor devouring homemade pasta and tenderly wrapping him in her pashmina scarf; streaking for Sir Laurence Olivier in a drafty English castle; terrifying a dozing Jackie Onassis; carrying an unconscious Montgomery Clift to safety on a dark New York City street.
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What, for instance, was Jack Kennedy doing on that coffee table? Why did the Queen Mother need Mr. Langella's help? When was Paul Mellon going to pay him money owed? How did Brooke Astor lose her virginity? Why was Robert Mitchum singing Gilbert & Sullivan patter songs at top volume, and what did Marilyn Monroe say to him that helped change the course of his life? Through these shared experiences, we learn something, too, of Mr. Langella's personal journey from the age of 15 to the present.
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Pass on this
- By Lulew on 03-24-17
By: Susan Meissner
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American Rose
- A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee
- By: Karen Abbott
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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With the critically acclaimed Sin in the Second City, best-selling author Karen Abbott “pioneered sizzle history” (USA Today). Now she returns with the gripping and expansive story of America’s coming-of-age - told through the extraordinary life of Gypsy Rose Lee and the world she survived and conquered. America in the Roaring Twenties. Vaudeville was king. Talking pictures were only a distant flicker. Speakeasies beckoned beyond dimly lit doorways; money flowed fast and free.
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Well done biography of a complicated Icon
- By Moire on 01-27-11
By: Karen Abbott
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The Mother of Black Hollywood
- A Memoir
- By: Jenifer Lewis
- Narrated by: Jenifer Lewis
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Jenifer Lewis keeps it real in this provocative and touching memoir by a Midwestern girl with a dream whose journey from poverty to Hollywood will move, shock, and inspire listeners. Told in the audacious voice her fans adore, Jenifer describes a road to fame made treacherous by dysfunction and undiagnosed mental illness, including a sex addiction. Yet, supported by loving friends and strengthened by "inner soldiers", Jenifer never stopped entertaining and creating.
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I could barely finish it.
- By Manning Fam on 06-17-18
By: Jenifer Lewis
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No Cunning Plan
- By: Sir Tony Robinson
- Narrated by: Tony Robinson
- Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Sir Tony Robinson is a much-loved actor, presenter and author with a stellar career lasting over 50 years. Now, in his long-awaited autobiography, he reveals how the boy from South Woodford went from child stardom in the first stage production of Oliver!, a pint-size pickpocket desperately bleaching his incipient moustache, to comedy icon Baldrick, the loyal servant and turnip aficionado in Blackadder.
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Great audible book as read by Sir Tony Robinson
- By Michael Thomas Fortson on 04-15-21
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What Fresh Lunacy Is This?
- The Authorised Biography of Oliver Reed
- By: Robert Sellers
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Oliver Reed may not have been Britain's biggest film star - for a period in the early 70s he came within a hairsbreadth of replacing Sean Connery as James Bond - but he is an august member of that small band of people, like George Best and Eric Morecambe, who transcended their chosen medium, became too big for it even, and grew into cultural icons. For the first time Reed's close family has agreed to collaborate on a project about the man himself.
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Ollie!
- By GK on 12-28-14
By: Robert Sellers
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Daring
- My Passages - A Memoir
- By: Gail Sheehy
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Candid, insightful, and powerful, Daring: My Passages is the story of the unconventional life of a writer who dared - to walk New York City streets with hookers and pimps to expose violent prostitution; to march with civil rights protesters in Northern Ireland as British paratroopers opened fire; to seek out Egypt's president Anwar Sadat when he was targeted for death after making peace with Israel.
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Enjoyed unexpectedly
- By Corinne O'Rourke on 09-06-23
By: Gail Sheehy
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There Are Worse Things I Could Do
- By: Adrienne Barbeau
- Narrated by: Adrienne Barbeau
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Adrienne Barbeau never set out to be a sex symbol, and she never planned on giving birth to twins when she was 51, but both those stories and a lot more are detailed in this witty, revealing memoir. With humor and fearlessness, she shares her romance with a superstar, her marriage to a famous film director, her marriage to a much younger man and her successful battle with infertility.
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Excellent book
- By Jill on 01-05-10
By: Adrienne Barbeau
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In Black and White
- The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.
- By: Wil Haygood
- Narrated by: Kevin Free
- Length: 23 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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This biography of entertainment legend Sammy Davis, Jr. is an enthralling portrait of one of the most recognizable figures from the golden age of American show business. Davis, a guarded man who protected his private life with great vigor, lived an extraordinary life in the limelight, while also forging new uncharted paths across racial lines.
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Sammy Plus
- By James Gordon on 07-02-06
By: Wil Haygood
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Some Girls
- My Life in a Harem
- By: Jillian Lauren
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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A jaw-dropping story of how a girl from the suburbs ends up in a prince's harem and emerges from the secret Xanadu both richer and wiser. At 18, Jillian Lauren was an NYU theater school dropout with a tip about an upcoming audition. The "casting director" told her that a rich businessman would pay pretty girls $20,000 if they stayed for two weeks to spice up his parties. Soon, Jillian was on a plane to Borneo, where she would spend the next 18 months in the harem of Prince Jefri Bolkiah....
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Boring, Pretentious Book
- By Marcos on 04-23-11
By: Jillian Lauren
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I Blame Dennis Hopper
- And Other Stories from a Life Lived in and out of the Movies
- By: Illeana Douglas
- Narrated by: Illeana Douglas
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1969, Illeana Douglas' parents saw the film Easy Rider and were transformed. Taking Dennis Hopper's words - "That's what it's all about, man" - to heart, they abandoned their comfortable upper-middle-class life and gave Illeana a childhood filled with hippies, goats, free spirits, and free love. Illeana writes, "Since it was all out of my control, I began to think of my life as a movie, with a Dennis Hopper-like father at the center of it." I Blame Dennis Hopper is a rollicking, funny, at times tender exploration of the way movies can change our lives.
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Loved Every Moment of this Book!
- By Susan Van Allen on 01-20-16
By: Illeana Douglas
What listeners say about Dropped Names
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- Kathy
- 04-03-12
Delightful
I thought this book would be a little like listening to a grocery store tabloid but it wasn't. Langella gives a well written, insightful and sensitive voice to some great stories he shared with other famous people. That is not to say he takes the warts off,,, not even for himself. Not only are his memories told in almost elegant prose but his narration is splendid
I must admit that I've been in love with Mr. Langella since I saw The Twelve Chairs and again when I saw the Sphinx (he says it was a stinker but I loved it) I gave up dreams of marrying Capt. Von Trapp for him. I turned away from John Lennon and oh so many others for him. Yet odd as it might seem, he seems to have had close if not intimate relationships with everyone on the planet except me! How could that be? :::sigh:::
Cruel. Downright brutal
Still, its a delightful memoir of a fascinating and fortunate life
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25 people found this helpful
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- PT
- 05-10-12
Very Enjoyable
Not as "sexy" as its billing--or, rather, it was more discreet than I expected. Which I actually appreciated. Made it seem much classier.
I felt the author was being honest and sincere, no more and no less. He evaluated everyone for their good and bad traits alike. As a professional (technical and business) writer I am sensitive to bias and loaded language. Mr. Langella seemed quite straightforward.
I was never a fan, although the latest movie I saw him in gave him a very full-blooded part that caught my interest. His voice, of course, is among the finest speaking voices recorded.
His subjects are just about all dead. Besides avoiding libel problems, this allows for stories that are complete with endings. Beyond that, there are moments of poignant memory that are very touching. A couple of passages made me catch my breath.
A good read, and not especially scandalous. Told with considerable dry humor. What more could you want?
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10 people found this helpful
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- Douglas
- 06-07-12
A Good One
I'm not a People Magazine reader, so, this somewhat gossipy reading material would not normally be my first pick to read/listen to. But, I love the Charlie Rose Show, and I've always found Frank Langella to be a superb guest. He's intelligent, self reflective, revealing, and an entertaining story teller. All of those qualities make this such a delightful book. I looked forward to getting into my car and listen to Frank Langella read his own book and tell wonderful stories about celebrities he's known: he can demystify celebrity while engaging the reader in a treasure of life's lessons.
He is an exceptional narrator. This is the first author narration in which the material was not negatively effected by the typical amateurish sounding author's own narration.
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8 people found this helpful
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- John
- 02-12-13
Pleasantly surprised
I knew very little of the author but thoroughly enjoyed this book. Dropped names is an apt title as the number of well known people involved in Langella's life is staggering. Will listen to this again soon.
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7 people found this helpful
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- G Barth
- 06-03-12
Good Dishing
Langella is a masterful narrator, to be expected of an actor I suppose, but still this is first rate. The writing is clever and smart and, necessarily, catty, mean, score-settling but...revealing of the actors craft: skill, rehearsals, the ruined family life, the travel, the rarified circle of friends and acquaintances. And the detailed memories of well-know people! This audiobook doesn't sound like People magazine, more like Insecure People magazine. George C. Scott, Liz Taylor, Paul Newman mix pathos with talent. Langella spares no one and certainly not himself. He sounds like he was a horse's ass of a young talent. Richard Burton comes off as a total ass no matter his age. Loved this audiobook.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Tina Tipton
- 05-02-12
A glimpse into bits of Frank Langella's life.
What made the experience of listening to Dropped Names the most enjoyable?
Mr. Langella's voice was so delicious. And knowing that everything he spoke of was his own observations, for good or ill.
What other book might you compare Dropped Names to and why?
Not as deeply personal as David Niven's autobiographies, yet much, much, much more poetic.
Which scene was your favorite?
The description of his accidental "meeting" with Marilyn Monroe. The whole scene was almost painful in its beauty. It took my breath away. There were many more breathtaking pieces of writing, but this one in particular was solitary in its perfection.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I so loved the reading that I will be buying a hardcopy of the book. I want to revel in that beautiful prose.
Any additional comments?
If this book was truly written by Mr. Langella, he definitely had an alternate method to earn a living.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Jerold
- 05-18-12
Highly Entertaining Fun Gossip
Where does Dropped Names rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?
Langella has written a good entertaining book. Mr Langella does a good job presenting a positive presentation of the many celebrities he has met in his life. A really good celebrity memoir more interested in the people Mr Langella has met in his life.
What did you like best about this story?
I enjoyed Frank's celebrity chapters as opposed to chapter and boring chapter on the writer's point of view as an actor and celebrity.
What does Frank Langella bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?
Mr Langella brings his personal interest and confident voice in reading his own book.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, this is a book I wanted to listen entirely in one sitting.
Any additional comments?
Frank Langella's personal stories and commentaries regarding Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlton Heston, Jackie Kennedy, and Raul Julia were particularly fascinating. Very nice of Mr Langella's admission of Raul Julia as his boyfriend. His commentaries were so honest and enjoyable. I feel as if Mr Langella has been a life long friend.
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4 people found this helpful
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- DS
- 02-15-13
good hollywood story
While Frank Langella is best known for his movie work, he was first and foremost a stage actor. He knew everyone, befriended most of them and has a lifetime of stories to tell about them all. I enjoyed this very much.
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3 people found this helpful
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- C. A. Cameron
- 08-07-12
Prince o' Darkness Silkily Observed Tidbits
What did you love best about Dropped Names?
Citing anecdotal chapter and verse and wielding a stiletto of finely toned English , the great and the good are praised, rewarded ... and and great and the bad sent forthwith to Langella Hell.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Dropped Names?
You know, I always thought that was something fishy, distinctly "off" about The Actor's Method, at least as promulgated by Lee Strasberg. Langella briskly skewers Strasberg on his own petard. Liked that, I did.
Which scene was your favorite?
Ah, that macrocosmic world of Unspeakable (as one does not speak of it) Wealth, its weedless emerald lawns, its summer linens lifting in a light Cape Cod breeze, its breezy luncheons, chummy discourses over dewy glasses of G&T and crisp, monogrammed cards of perfectly penned thank you notes. Extraordinary generosity to charities and important museums to be sure. But too often neither finding nor seeking a bridge connecting "their" world to "ours", to a genuine, feeling, human to human experience. Oh, don't bother, the servants will take care of it. Absolutely terrifying.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Rita Hayworth and Gloria de Haven ... what tender bundles he lifts up and delivers to his readers with his experiences with these beautiful and battered Hollywood moth-blossoms, while candidly admitting his own selfish shallowness.
Any additional comments?
A box of chocolates ... you never knew what you were going to get. In Hogwartian terms, some bonbons were earwax and vomit and some truffe-rich, nougat-yummt or cherry centered creams. But the box is beautifully presented, impeccably appointed and offered to one with such slyly casual aplomb that one cannot fail, no matter one's choice, to be deliciously captivated.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Hilary
- 07-09-13
Frank! Where have you been all my life?!
If you care even a little bit about Old Hollywood, you need to read this luxuriously written book. If you want to hear the best narration ever committed to an audio file, please hear this. Hollywood's best kept secret, Frank Langella, has been there and done everything(one) and tells his stories with tactful abandon. My favorite story is his on-set dalliance with the beauty of mythological proportions, Rita Hayworth (at the time 20 years his senior). He shed light on her secret (even to her) struggle with Alzheimer's starting at age 53, for which she was chalked up as a crazy, paranoid alcoholic. Exceptional purchase.
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1 person found this helpful