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Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood
- Narrated by: Melanie Gall
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
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Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood
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Publisher's summary
The 1930s was a magical age in Hollywood, with Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney, Bette Davis, and Clark Gable lighting up the silver screen. But Deanna Durbin’s fame surpassed them all. Born in Canada, Deanna was “discovered” by star-maker Eddie Cantor, producer Joe Pasternak, and director Henry Koster, and she quickly became the world’s most celebrated star. She saved Universal Studios from ruin, she was a favorite of Winston Churchill and Anne Frank, and she became the highest-paid woman in America.
From the start, Deanna’s life was irrevocably connected with that of another young ingénue, Judy Garland. Deanna and Judy were wildly talented, ambitious, and strong-willed young women who followed vastly different paths to stardom. While fame was thrust upon Deanna, Judy spent years struggling for success and their early friendship soon turned into a lifelong rivalry.
Despite her tragic life, Judy Garland is remembered as an entertainment icon, beloved by millions. However, Deanna Durbin—who turned her back on Hollywood at the age of twenty-eight to pursue love and happiness—has been largely forgotten. But Deanna’s legacy endures, and this first-ever biography tells of how her gorgeous voice and winning charm vaulted her to worldwide fame and how a thirteen-year-old girl transformed moviemaking and influenced a generation of fans as the first teenage superstar.
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-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
It was the Golden Age of Radio and powerful men were making millions in advertising dollars reaching thousands of listeners every day. When television arrived, few radio moguls were interested in the upstart industry and its tiny production budgets, and expensive television sets were out of reach for most families. But four women - each an independent visionary - saw an opportunity and carved their own paths, and in so doing invented the way we watch TV today.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Must Read T.V.
- By cindy on 05-18-21
-
Myrna Loy
- Being and Becoming
- By: James Kotsilibas-Davis, Myrna Loy
- Narrated by: Holly Palance
- Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
The actress recalls her long, rich, and varied career in Hollywood, on the stage, and as a political activist.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Great actress, great person, great book.
- By MikeEC on 10-15-20
By: James Kotsilibas-Davis, and others
-
High Society
- The Life of Grace Kelly
- By: Donald Spoto
- Narrated by: George K Wilson
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 80
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 63
In just seven years---from 1950 through 1956---Grace Kelly embarked on a whirlwind career that included roles in 11 movies. From the principled Amy Fowler Kane in High Noon to the thrill-seeking Frances Stevens of To Catch a Thief, Grace established herself as one of Hollywood's most talented actresses and iconic beauties.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Find a better Grace Kelly biography, I'd skip this
- By Daniel on 08-20-12
By: Donald Spoto
-
Something Wonderful
- Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution
- By: Todd S. Purdum
- Narrated by: Todd S. Purdum
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 449
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 380
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 377
They stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fabulous book about Rodgers & Hammerstein!!!
- By BigWally on 06-27-18
By: Todd S. Purdum
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The Sound of Music Story
- How a Beguiling Young Novice, a Handsome Austrian Captain, and Ten Singing Von Trapp Children Inspired the Most Beloved Film of All Time
- By: Tom Santopietro
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
Now Tom Santopietro has written the ultimate Sound of Music fan audiobook with all the inside dope, from behind-the-scenes stories of the filming in Austria and Hollywood to new interviews with Johannes von Trapp and others. Santopietro looks back at the real-life story of Maria von Trapp, goes on to chronicle the sensational success of the Broadway musical, and recounts the story of the near cancellation of the film when Cleopatra bankrupted 20th Century Fox.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A must for super-fans
- By Simone on 07-29-17
By: Tom Santopietro
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Without Lying Down
- By: Cari Beauchamp
- Narrated by: Holly Palance
- Length: 20 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 19
Cari Beauchamp masterfully combines biography with social and cultural history to examine the lives of Frances Marion and her many female colleagues who shaped filmmaking from the early teens through the 1940s. Frances Marion was Hollywood's highest paid screenwriter - male or female - for almost three decades, wrote almost 200 produced films and remains the only woman to win two Academy Awards for original screenwriting (The Big House and The Champ).
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Must Read
- By Robert Wallace on 03-19-19
By: Cari Beauchamp
-
Another Nice Mess
- The Laurel & Hardy Story
- By: Raymond Valinoti
- Narrated by: Jack de Golia
- Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
Arguably the greatest comedy duo in show business history, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy delighted filmgoers and theatregoers for over 30 years. The public not only found Laurel's serene simpleton and Hardy's pompous buffoon hilarious, but they also thought of them as friends. Laurel and Hardy may have been nitwits, but they were loveable nitwits.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Two Hours + of Biography
- By Jim on 05-13-15
By: Raymond Valinoti
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Singular Sensation
- The Triumph of Broadway
- By: Michael Riedel
- Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 64
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
The 1990s was a decade of profound change on Broadway. At the dawn of the '90s, the British invasion of Broadway was in full swing, as musical spectacles like Les Miserables, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera dominated the box office. But Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard soon spelled the end of this era and ushered in a new wave of American musicals, beginning with the ascendance of an unlikely show by a struggling writer who reimagined Puccini’s opera La Bohème as the smash Broadway show Rent
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4 out of 5 stars
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Why Didn’t Michael Riedel Read This Himself?
- By Tallulah on 01-17-22
By: Michael Riedel
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Meghan: A Hollywood Princess
- By: Andrew Morton
- Narrated by: Charles Armstrong
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 114
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 112
From Andrew Morton, the New York Times best-selling author of Diana: Her True Story, comes a revealing, juicy, and inspiring biography of Meghan Markle, the American actress who won Prince Harry's heart. When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were set up by a mutual friend on a blind date in July 2016, little did they know that the resulting whirlwind romance would lead to their engagement in November 2017 and marriage in May 2018. Since then, our fascination with the woman who has smashed the royal mold has rocketed.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Book offers no new material
- By Jean on 04-24-18
By: Andrew Morton
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Furious Love
- Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century
- By: Sam Kashner, Nancy Schoenberger
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 17 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 171
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 113
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 114
He was a tough-guy Welshman softened by the affections of a breathtakingly beautiful woman; she was a modern-day Cleopatra madly in love with her own Mark Antony. For nearly a quarter of a century, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were Hollywood royalty, and their fiery romance - often called "the marriage of the century" - was the most notorious, publicized, and celebrated love affair of its day.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Paul Boehmer needs more practice
- By Brenda Miller on 06-16-10
By: Sam Kashner, and others
-
Can I Go Now?
- The Life of Sue Mengers, Hollywood's First Superagent
- By: Brian Kellow
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 57
A lively and colorful biography of Hollywood's first superagent - one of the most outrageous showbiz characters of the 1960s and 1970s, whose clients included Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, Faye Dunaway, Michael Caine, and Candice Bergen. Before Sue Mengers hit the scene in the mid-1960s, talent agents remained quietly in the background. But staying in the background was not possible for Mengers.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
A little long.
- By Doris on 11-29-15
By: Brian Kellow
-
Street Gang
- The Complete History of Sesame Street
- By: Michael Davis
- Narrated by: Caroll Spinney
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 179
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 111
When the first episode aired on Nov. 10, 1969, Sesame Street revolutionized the way education was presented to children on television. It has since become the longest-running children's show in history, and today reaches 8 million pre-schoolers on 350 PBS stations and airs in 120 countries. Street Gang is the compelling and often comical story of the creation and history of this media masterpiece and pop culture landmark.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
An important subject, but hardly gripping
- By Scott T. Hards on 09-24-10
By: Michael Davis
-
Unsinkable
- A Memoir
- By: Debbie Reynolds, Dorian Hannaway
- Narrated by: Debbie Reynolds
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 605
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 539
The definitive memoir by legendary actress and performer Debbie Reynolds - an entertaining and moving story of enduring friendships and unbreakable family bonds, of hitting bottom and rising to the top again - that offers a unique and deeply personal perspective on Hollywood and its elite, from the glory days of MGM to the present.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Loved Loved loved IT!
- By Virginia on 12-07-17
By: Debbie Reynolds, and others
-
Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted
- And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made the Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic
- By: Jennifer Armstrong
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 86
Mary Tyler Moore made her name as Dick Van Dyke's wife on the eponymous show; she was a cute, unassuming housewife that audiences loved. But when screenwriters James Brooks and Allan Burnes dreamed up an edgy show about a divorced woman with a career, network executives replied: "Americans won't watch television about New York City, divorcées, men with mustaches, or Jews." But Moore and her team were committed, and when the show finally aired, in spite of tepid reviews, fans loved it.
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2 out of 5 stars
-
An Interesting Story That Never Quite Gets Told
- By S. Blythe on 07-26-13
-
In Black and White
- The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.
- By: Wil Haygood
- Narrated by: Kevin Free
- Length: 23 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 87
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 87
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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4 out of 5 stars
-
Sammy Plus
- By James Gordon on 07-02-06
By: Wil Haygood
-
Make 'Em Laugh
- Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends
- By: Debbie Reynolds, Dorian Hannaway
- Narrated by: Judith Ivey
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 102
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 88
Debbie shares memories of late-night pals and some of the greatest comedians of all time, stories from the big screen and small, and tales of marriage, motherhood, and children. Combining her wicked sense of humor and appealing charm, she reveals the personal side of show business and fame in funny, poignant, and delightful reminiscences. Nothing is off limits: Debbie talks about her sex life, her family drama - and even shares a few secret recipes.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Love the book just wish it had been Debbie.
- By Kristopher's Korner on 08-13-16
By: Debbie Reynolds, and others
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3 out of 5 stars
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ABRIDGED VERSION BADLY NEEDED!
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In the Presence of Greatness
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Patty first gained national attention and praise playing Helen Keller in both the Broadway stage and film versions of The Miracle Worker. As identical cousins on The Patty Duke Show, her name became an American household word. Her later work in Valley of the Dolls, Me, Natalie, My Sweet Charlie, a later television remake of The Miracle Worker, and others established her as one of America’s leading actresses. Now, her indelible show-business legacy echoes enduringly with untold stories of her six-decade career.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Jayne Mansfield was driven not just to be an actress but to be a star. One of the most influential sex symbols of her time, she was known for her platinum blonde hair, hourglass figure, outrageously low necklines, and flamboyant lifestyle. Mansfield proved early in her career that she was adept in both comic and dramatic roles, but her tenacious search for the spotlight and her risqué stunts caused her to be increasingly snubbed in Hollywood. In the first definitive biography of Mansfield, Eve Golden offers a joyful account of the star Andy Warhol called “the poet of publicity.”
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The Purple Diaries
- Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 510
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1936 was a great year for the movie industry - the financial setbacks of the Great Depression were subsiding, so theater attendance was up. Americans everywhere were watching the stars, and few stars shined as brightly as one of America's most enduring screen favorites, Mary Astor. But Astor's personal story wasn't a happy one. Born poor and widowed at 24, Mary Astor had spent years looking for stability when she met and wed Dr. Franklyn Thorpe.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Impossible not to like for old movie buffs
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Michael Curtiz
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Academy Award-winning director Michael Curtiz—whose best-known films include Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mildred Pierce, and White Christmas—was in many ways the anti-auteur. During his 27-year tenure at Warner Bros., he directed swashbuckling adventures, Westerns, musicals, war epics, romances, historical dramas, horror films, tearjerkers, melodramas, comedies, and film noir masterpieces. In the first biography of this colorful, instinctual artist, Alan K. Rode illuminates the life and work of one of the film industry's most complex figures.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Comprehensive
- By MikeEC on 04-28-22
By: Alan K. Rode
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Tragic Hollywood, Beautiful, Glamorous And Dead
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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 20th century, Sunset Boulevard is also famous as silent-star Gloria Swanson’s comeback picture.
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3 out of 5 stars
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- By The Louligan on 01-18-22
By: Sam Staggs
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In the Presence of Greatness
- My Sixty-Year Journey as an Actress
- By: Patty Duke, William J. Jankowski
- Narrated by: Kathy Garver
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 22
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Patty first gained national attention and praise playing Helen Keller in both the Broadway stage and film versions of The Miracle Worker. As identical cousins on The Patty Duke Show, her name became an American household word. Her later work in Valley of the Dolls, Me, Natalie, My Sweet Charlie, a later television remake of The Miracle Worker, and others established her as one of America’s leading actresses. Now, her indelible show-business legacy echoes enduringly with untold stories of her six-decade career.
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1936 was a great year for the movie industry - the financial setbacks of the Great Depression were subsiding, so theater attendance was up. Americans everywhere were watching the stars, and few stars shined as brightly as one of America's most enduring screen favorites, Mary Astor. But Astor's personal story wasn't a happy one. Born poor and widowed at 24, Mary Astor had spent years looking for stability when she met and wed Dr. Franklyn Thorpe.
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Michael Curtiz
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
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Academy Award-winning director Michael Curtiz—whose best-known films include Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mildred Pierce, and White Christmas—was in many ways the anti-auteur. During his 27-year tenure at Warner Bros., he directed swashbuckling adventures, Westerns, musicals, war epics, romances, historical dramas, horror films, tearjerkers, melodramas, comedies, and film noir masterpieces. In the first biography of this colorful, instinctual artist, Alan K. Rode illuminates the life and work of one of the film industry's most complex figures.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Comprehensive
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By: Alan K. Rode
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Sinatra and the Jack Pack
- The Extraordinary Friendship Between Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy - Why They Bonded and What Went Wrong
- By: Michael Sheridan, David Harvey
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
Frank Sinatra desperately wanted to be part of John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s gang. He had his own famed "Rat Pack", made up of hard drinking, womanizing individuals like himself - guys like Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Peter Lawford - but the guy "Ol' Blue Eyes" really wanted to hang with was Lawford's brother-in-law, the real chairman of the board, John F. Kennedy. In Sinatra and the Jack Pack, Michael Sheridan delves deep into the acclaimed singer's relationship with the former president.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I'm blown away by my naïvety.
- By barbara crowell on 09-06-17
By: Michael Sheridan, and others
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Finding Jackie
- A Life Reinvented
- By: Oline Eaton
- Narrated by: Jo Anna Perrin
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 9
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Story4 out of 5 stars 8
Jackie. One name was all you needed. A paragon of femininity, fashion, ideal American wifeliness and motherhood, she was also fiercely independent, the first of the modern First Ladies. Then her husband was murdered, changing her world and ours. Traumatized and exposed, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy nonetheless built a new life for herself in an America similarly haunted by upheaval. But the story of Jackie’s reinvention has been culturally erased. In Finding Jackie, author Oline Eaton pieces it back together.
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3 out of 5 stars
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So NOT the right reader
- By Gail Meyer on 07-31-23
By: Oline Eaton
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The Peter Lawford Story
- Life with the Kennedys, Monroe, and the Rat Pack
- By: Patricia Lawford Stewart, Ted Schwarz
- Narrated by: Nancy Linari
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- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 236
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 200
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 200
As the brother in law to JFK and a member of the Rat Pack, Peter Lawford was one of America's most acclaimed movie stars. Lawford led an extraordinary life. His story, as told by the woman who knew him best, is the always candid, sometimes shocking unveiling of the most intriguing show business personalities and significant political events of our time.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Don't chose this book.
- By Placeholder on 07-22-15
By: Patricia Lawford Stewart, and others
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Marlene Dietrich
- The Life
- By: Maria Riva
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 127
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 103
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 103
With intimate detail, author Maria Riva reveals the rich life of her mother, Marlene Dietrich, the charismatic star of stage and screen whose career spanned much of the 20th century. Opening with Dietrich's childhood in Schöneberg, Riva's biography introduces us to an energetic, disciplined, and ambitious young actress whose own mother equated show business with a world of vagabonds and thieves.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wow
- By Tabitha McIntyre on 10-03-20
By: Maria Riva
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The Kennedy Curse
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- By: Edward Klein
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 29
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 29
Death was merciful to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, for it spared her a parent's worst nightmare: the loss of a child. But if Jackie had lived to see her son, JFK Jr., perish in a plane crash on his way to his cousin's wedding, she would have been doubly horrified by the familiar pattern in the tragedy. Once again, on a day that should have been full of joy and celebration, America's first family was struck by the Kennedy Curse.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Apt Title for a Dysfunctional Family
- By Admiralu on 07-18-19
By: Edward Klein
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Ron Howard
- From Mayberry to the Moon...and Beyond
- By: Beverly Gray
- Narrated by: Donna Postel
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 23
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Story4 out of 5 stars 23
Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon...and Beyond, the first full-length biography of Ron Howard, takes an in-depth look at the Oklahoma boy who gained national fame as a child star, then grew up to be one of Hollywood's most admired directors. Author Beverly Gray, an entertainment industry veteran, has spoken to teachers, friends, and professional colleagues from all phases of Howard's career. She has also combed the archives to gain further insight into this very private man whose accomplishments have brought pleasure to so many.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A solid biography ending about 2002
- By D. Frrazier on 06-17-22
By: Beverly Gray
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If This Was Happiness
- A Biography of Rita Hayworth
- By: Barbara Leaming
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 419
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 365
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 360
Rita Hayworth was the epitome of 1940s glamour. A legendary "Love Goddess", she was a huge box-office star, and her sultry beauty and sensational figure made her into one of Hollywood's greatest sex-symbols: a pin-up so incendiary that GIs pasted it on to the first atom bomb ever detonated.
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5 out of 5 stars
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What a fascinating book about a fascinating person
- By B. Norber on 10-02-20
By: Barbara Leaming
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The Kennedy Wives
- Triumph and Tragedy in America’s Most Public Family
- By: Amber Hunt, David Batcher
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 309
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 269
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 267
The Kennedy wives saw history up close - and made history in some cases. They knew wealth and privilege, but we are bonded to them by losses that are our losses, too. The Kennedy women - fierce, intelligent, and very private - belong to us. Not because of their glamour but because of their grief and misfortunes. The Kennedy Wives takes an unflinching look at the women who married into the Kennedy family and their distinct roles.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Royalty, American style
- By Silverthorne on 06-22-16
By: Amber Hunt, and others
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A Very Private Woman
- The Life and Unsolved Murder of Presidential Mistress Mary Meyer
- By: Nina Burleigh
- Narrated by: Siiri Scott
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 16
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 17
In 1964, Mary Pinchot Meyer, the beautiful, rebellious, and intelligent ex-wife of a top CIA official, was killed on a quiet Georgetown towpath near her home. Mary Meyer was a secret mistress of President John F. Kennedy, whom she had known since private school days, and after her death, reports that she had kept a diary set off a tense search by her brother-in-law, newsman Ben Bradlee, and CIA spymaster James Jesus Angleton. But the only suspect in her murder was acquitted, and today her life and death are still a source of intense speculation.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Easier to listen to than to read
- By Cheaton on 06-05-20
By: Nina Burleigh
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On the Road and off the Record with Leonard Bernstein
- My Years with the Exasperating Genius
- By: Charlie Harmon, Harold Prince - foreword
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
Written by his former assistant and with a foreword by Broadway legend Harold Prince, this audiobook celebrates Leonard Bernstein's centenary with an intimate and detailed look at the public and private life of the maestro.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting easy listening
- By Mary on 12-29-19
By: Charlie Harmon, and others
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The Reagans
- Portrait of a Marriage
- By: Anne Edwards
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story4 out of 5 stars 3
The Reagans is a penetrating portrayal of one of the most powerful couples of the 20th century. Distinguished biographer Anne Edwards paints the first in-depth, intimate portrait of the man who became our 40th president and the woman without whom he might never have reached such heights. It was a dramatic love story from the start: Nancy was always first in Reagan's thoughts, and he was paramount in Nancy's actions. But this obsessional love had a darker side for the four Reagan children.
By: Anne Edwards
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Bing Crosby: Swinging on a Star
- The War Years, 1940-1946
- By: Gary Giddins
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 26 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 20
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Bing Crosby dominated American popular culture in a way that few artists ever have. More than just a charismatic crooner, Bing Crosby redefined the very foundations of modern music, from the way it was recorded to the way it was orchestrated and performed. In this much-anticipated follow-up to the universally acclaimed first volume, acclaimed music critic Gary Giddins now focuses on Crosby’s most memorable period, the war years and the origin story of White Christmas.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Well worth the wait
- By Mike D. on 08-22-21
By: Gary Giddins
What listeners say about Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- CarmenJones
- 06-01-23
The wonderful fabulous Deanna Durbin and oh yeah and that fat kid Judy
Melanie, girl you triiied it! Lol
This could have been a great book to show love and appreciation for two ladies who started out together and went on to have great careers of their own. The author’s constant passive aggressive digs at Judy do not sit well with this Judy Garland fan. It was so unnecessary and most of her comments were not true. It’s obvious the book was only greenlit because of Judy (obvious because of the authors obvious bias towards Deanna), which shows Judy’s enduring legend. Judy had countless enduring memorable screen performances and a legendary vocal career, Deanna not so much (I loved her in “Three smart girls”. Since most readers are more acquainted with Garland this book could have been a great opportunity to introduce Durbin to a new audience but the shabby way the author treats Judy does not inspire me to do so. Exploited in life and further exploited in death…
I wish the author could have just written her book about Deanna and keep Judy out if it, especially if she was just going to disrespect her and use her to uplift Deanna
* the narrator was okay but not memorable.
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