Good Night, Jim

 

I was very sorry to hear a few days ago that author James Zeruk, Jr. had died. Although I didn't know him well, we met through social media. He was supportive of my writing, and I certainly admired his. Part of his legacy will be his fine biography of actress Peg Entwistle, which I reviewed here shortly after its publication in 2014. 

My condolences to his family and friends. 

Finis!

Having spent many hours in recent days indexing, proofreading, and just generally worrying over details, I think I can safely say that Gale Storm: A Biography and Career Record is DONE. The final product should be out soon. Having seen the page proofs, I know it will be a beautiful book; my publishers did their usual bang-up job.

At the moment, I am giving myself a couple of days off to recharge and regroup. Maybe I can even relax and enjoy reading someone else's book. On the other hand, there are also naps...

Book Review: Here He Is (By Himself!)

I was a Groucho Marx fan even before I knew much about the famous Marx Brothers as a group. That's attributable mainly to the 1970s syndicated reruns of You Bet Your Life (or, as it was retitled, The Best of Groucho), where I first appreciated the sardonic humor of the cigar-smoking Marx. So I was intrigued by the premise of Matthew Coniam's book, That's Me, Groucho! The Solo Career of Groucho Marx (McFarland, $35). As the subtitle suggests, Coniam's book gives us a new slant on Groucho's work by spotlighting the wide range of projects -- not all of them in the realm of comedy -- that he did without his illustrious brothers.

Those projects include You Bet Your Life, of course, but also a surprisingly varied lot of others: a television performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado, the stage play Time for Elizabeth (which Groucho co-wrote, with Norman Krasna), and films such as Copacabana (opposite Carmen Miranda, no less), and the groovy 1960s curiosity Skidoo, for director Otto Preminger. Often dismissed in a few sentences when other authors have written about Groucho's career, they receive full attention here, and the results are surprisingly illuminating. Also discussed is Groucho's authorship of books and magazine articles.

There have already been a lot of books about Groucho and his brothers, and I've read most of them. Take it from me: what Coniam offers here is not just a reshuffling of previously published material. He's done quite a bit of original research to inform his text, and has insightful comments to make about the career Groucho built for himself apart from his brothers. There's interesting commentary on the infamous Erin Fleming, and the live performances she managed for Marx near the end of his life.

This is Coniam's second book on matters Marxian for McFarland. I haven't read his first one -- but I think I will, now.

(No disclaimer needed today -- bought my own copy).

Hollywood Chatting

Many thanks to the fine folks at Facebook's Hollywood Book Chat page, especially my fellow McFarland author James Zeruk, for recently recognizing me as "Author of the Day." I'm grateful for their support.

If you're either a reader who appreciates books about show business history, or an author who writes them, you should definitely join this community of like-minded folk. Just don't be surprised if visiting the page sends you directly to the nearest bookstore, or library.

Where Authors and Readers Meet

Big thanks to author James Zeruk, Jr., who created this banner for his busy Facebook page Hollywood Book Chat, of which I am a member. The page, which now boasts more than 2,000 members, was created to cater to readers who enjoy books about show business history. The group also has numerous authors among its membership, and James was nice enough to include me and my newest book in this visual assortment.

I'm in pretty good company here, wouldn't you say?