Hollywood Handbook

by Andre Balazs

From the legendary Chateau Marmont, Hollywood's hippest and hottest haunt, comes this extraordinary glamorous and fierce literary collection baring the stars, the landscape, and the ever-changing mood of America's most absorbing town. Rare and original texts, heart-stopping photography, and decades of gossip and anecdotes take you from film to rock and roll, from scandals to masterpieces, from starlets to moguls, and studios to bungalows in an unprecedented tour of Hollywood from the Golden Age to this morning's wake-up call.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Luke Devenish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feather light and tissue thin, but that aside, some absolutely marvellous photos and some surprise nuggets among the writing, most particularly Dominic Dunne's, and Carole Lynley's daughter. The actual staff cards filled out on famous guests were a highlight. Would have loved to have seen more of them.

[Boyce McClain · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a place in Hollywood California that holds decades of secrets and titillating and tantalizing tales of movies, TV, sports and other pop culture celebrities.
It is the Chateau Marmont Hotel that for nearly a century has hosted some the most recognizable celebrities in the world. Whether visiting or residents, those that frequent the hotel indulge themselves in many ways.

Author Andre Balazs and Rizzoli present Hollywood Handbook, that explores the colorful past of the infamous Chateau Marmont Hotel.

Celebrity scandal sheets and publications, stories by famous authors centered on the Chateau and other documents, accompanied by vintage photos, both posed and candid, the book investigates every room, hallway and hidden nook to ferret out some fascinating and often shocking stories, facts and fiction associated with hotel.

Hollywood celebrity fans and those interested in the inner workings of the City of Dreams are sure to find this book packed with engrossing tales and scandals.

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

[William Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll always love you, Chateau Marmont

[BarbaraW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good compulation

[David Fulmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Chateau Marmont’s Hollywood Handbook’ is the second book published under the auspices of an owner of the storied Los Angeles hotel built as an apartment building at the end of the roaring twenties which has been the accommodation of choice for countless famous residents from the worlds of cinema, music, and letters since, but where ‘Life at the Marmont’, the earlier effort, was a more straightforward history based mostly on interviews with guests and many long time staff of the hotel, this book is more of a multimedia collage aimed at conveying the atmosphere, mood, and attitude--in short, the culture--of the Chateau Marmont through numerous essays, pictures, and quotes. There is a multitude of pictures of celebrities, most of which were taken at the hotel, and the authors of many of the chapters have some personal connection with the hotel as well. One standout piece is by Jill Selsman and describes what it was like for her to grow up in the hotel and be a kid there in a short, impressionistic memoir. Jay McInerney also has a vivid piece about staying there on his first trip to Hollywood just as his career as a novelist was beginning to take off, describing what is surely a representative experience of many as it was here that numerous Hollywood personalities got their start in Los Angeles, including the likes of Orson Welles and Billy Wilder. The rest of the book runs the gamut from a short capsule history of Hollywood to an academic take on the town from urban theorist Mike Davis to architectural criticism of the hotel building, with lots of bite-sized content which is well-chosen and presented in a nicely designed format. Unlike ‘Life at the Marmont’ this book is less focused on the Chateau Marmont itself and includes content on the wider world of Hollywood and the Sunset Strip, the entertainment district full of clubs and restaurants. There’s also literary selections like the short story ‘Golden Land’ by William Faulkner, an astonishing and brilliant Hollywood story which dovetails thematically with the rest of the book. The Chateau Marmont has a rich history of associations with many artists of diverse backgrounds and this seems to rub off on its owners as well. André Balazs has edited an excellent compendium of art, fashion, and memoir which is a worthy tribute to, and expression of, the mythology and lore of the Chateau Marmont.