Spotlights & Shadows: The Albert Salmi Story

by Sandra Grabman

Voted "Book of the Year 2004" by Classic Images magazine! You know the face. You know the credit Lost in Space, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Kung Fu, The Twilight Zone and hundreds more... But who was Albert Salmi? Born of Finnish parents in the Finnish section of Brooklyn, Albert Salmi had a childhood he would recall fondly, even though it was plagued by the hardships of the Great Depression. In an attempt to earn money as a teenager, he broke the law; and the very wise judge gave him a sentence that turned his life around. Salmi set his sights for an acting career and, thanks to the GI Bill, got the best training possible. The result was that for forty years he appeared on the Broadway stage (Bus Stop, etc.), national television (Alfred Hitchcock Presents, I Spy, That Girl, Dallas, etc., etc.), and in countless films (The Unforgiven, Caddyshack, etc.). Sandra Grabman's biography is a frank and loving tribute, combined with many memories from Salmi's family, friends, and co-stars, and includes never-before-published memoirs from the man himself. From humble beginnings -- to a highly successful acting career -- to a tragic death that shocked the world -- Albert Salmi's story is unlike any other you'll ever read. This 2nd edition has 2 extra chapters and much more information.

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

I formerly authored biographies of Albert Salmi, Peggy Ann Garner, and Pat Buttram, while also collaborating with retired actor Wright King on "No Retakes!" about the era of live television and with radio-man Joel Blumberg on "Lloyd Nolan: An Actor's Life With Meaning." Once my publisher hired me as his secretary, I wrote one more book, Petrocelli: San Remo Justice (aka An Episode Guide and Much More), then retired from writing to concentrate on processing book orders and handling the company's phone calls.

Reviews

[Allizabeth Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well researched and written biography, Spotlights & Shadows told the surprising true story of the life of Albert Salmi, a Finnish-American actor, and his struggles both in his career and in his personal life. I had never known much about his story until I received this book from LT Member Giveaways, and as very interested to find out about his childhood, rise to fame, and the eventual illness that led to his death. I believe Sandra Grabman did an excellent job researching and linking Salmi's autobiographical passages together, although I would have liked to read more about his film career. I would recommend this to anyone interested.

[Claudia Mosey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free book from Goodreads or Librarything. I liked it fine,I am not much into reading hollywood stars/biographies.I remember Albert Salmi in the 60,70 & 80's,not a big star,but he was usually one you would remember. So,I got to find out about his childhood(Finnish parents,Great depression,living in Brooklyn and the GI bill, training for acting.)His marriages,children from these marriages,and his last marriage and all the drama from it. The end talks about his suicide and death of his wife,(which I did not know about).It was an okay book.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this actor in many film and TV productions but never knew his name. Now I can put a name to that familiar face - Albert Salmi. This biography was an interesting read and a pretty good reference book. I'll be referring back to it in the future.

[Ben Ohmart · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best bios out there on a tragic film star.