The Purple Diaries: Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s

by Joseph Egan

The "endlessly fascinating" true story of a custody battle that threatened to expose the seedy secrets of Hollywood's Golden Age--illustrated with photos (Entertainment Weekly).

Most famous for playing opposite Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon, Mary Astor was one of Hollywood's most beloved film stars. But her story wasn't a happy one. Widowed at twenty-four, she quickly entered a rocky marriage with Dr. Franklyn Thorpe in which both were unfaithful. When they finally divorced in 1936, Astor sued for custody of their baby daughter Marylyn, setting off one of Hollywood's most scandalous court cases.

In the ruthless court battle, Thorpe held a trump the diaries Astor had been keeping for years. In them, Astor detailed her own affairs--including with playwright George S. Kaufman--as well as the myriad dalliances of some of Hollywood's biggest names. Studio heads were desperate to keep such damning details from leaking. But speculation of the dairy's contents became a major news story, stealing the front page from The Spanish Civil War and Hitler's 1936 Olympic Games in newspapers all over America.

With unlimited access to the photographs and memorabilia of Mary Astor's estate, The Purples Diaries is an in-depth look at Hollywood's Golden Age as it has never been seen before.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Film, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Media Tie In

439 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 22, 2016

About the author

Joseph Egan is something of a renaissance figure. Soon after earning a degree in film and theatre, for a number of years he wrote for and edited a weekly entertainment newspaper. In addition, he is the editor of a privately printed anthology, has edited several college literary magazines, worked as a freelance editor, and prides himself on being a top-notch professional researcher. Mr. Egan has also worked in motion picture promotion, has had several film scripts optioned, and served as a judge at an international independent film festival where he had a conceptual work on display. As a conceptual artist, he has presented installations in New York City as well as in the Midwest.

Egan’s first commercially published book was The Purple diaries, the story of the Mary Astor Custody Trial. Definitive on its subject, several publications named The Purple Diaries one of the ten best film books of the year. After "The Purple Diaries—a very serious study of the private shenanigans of movie stars during Hollywood’s golden age—Egan wanted to write something humorous while still being serious and The Terrible Teens is the result. The Terrible Teens is funny, thoughtful and at times a poignant look at the trials and tribulations of raising a teen; specifically Mr. Egan’s youngest step-daughter. It is also a highly personal book that tells its story in a unique and innovative manner.

In addition Mr. Egan is an expert on a wide range of subjects, including the motion pictures Heaven’s Gate, The Magnificent Amberson, Citizen Kane and Gone With The Wind as well as producer David O. Selznick, New York’s Central Park, inventor Nikola Tesla, the German armaments industry during WWII and of course, Mary Astor. Mr. Egan and his wife live on the side of a mountain in Dutchess County, New York, where the events in The Terrible Teens took place. Now, with their children gone, Mr. Egan and his wife’s their daily visitors are restricted to white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, chipmunks, rabbits, skunks, raccoons, and a rather reclusive family of possums they manage to catch a glimpse of once or twice a year.

Reviews

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Purple Diaries is absolutely fantastic. From the moment I started it, I truly could not put it down. Admittedly, I am fascinated by this time period in Hollywood and have recently read a number of books about this era so the subject matter appeals to me very much. Before I read The Purple Diaries, I knew very little about Mary Astor and her long, varied life and careers. Joseph Egan conducted an incredible amount of research to write this book, and his attention to detail really adds a lot. There is so much drama that the story reads like a well-written soap opera that involves various famous actors, actresses and other Hollywood players from that era. Throughout the story, Egan includes a number of photos and newspaper articles which significantly contribute to the storyline. Without these additions, I would not have enjoyed the story quite as much – it truly makes the story come alive, and I loved pouring over the old photos.

The focus of The Purple Diaries is the custody dispute between Mary Astor and her second husband Franklin Thorpe over their young daughter Marylyn. The story is not a particularly happy one, but the independence and strength Mary Astor showed to pursue such an issue as a female in the 1930’s was nothing short of amazing. The fact that she was able to endure such controversy during that time period and continue with her career as an actress (she even goes on to win an Academy Award) is quite impressive. Egan interviewed and communicated with Marylyn Thorpe while writing the book and includes a chapter at the end that conveys Marylyn’s thoughts on her childhood and relationship with both her mother and her father. In addition to summarizing the rest of Mary Astor’s life, Egan also takes the time to quickly follow the timeline of several other of the major characters in the drama including Franklin Thorpe and his parents, George Kaufman, and Ruth Chatterton. I really appreciated knowing how their lives played out too.

I highly recommend The Purple Diaries; Joseph Egan spent a substantial amount of time and effort researching Mary Astor with a particular focus on the custody dispute, and it really paid off. Thanks to Diversion Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Beauregard Bottomley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew I was going to love this book the moment the author started talking about John Barrymore. At the core of the book it's really just about a child custody case and how it plays out in a courtroom between two loving parents who want custody at any cost, but it's the tertiary stories that pop up in the telling that add so much depth to the court room events.

The only subject I consider myself a real expert at is old movies. I just love learning that Fritz Lang the German Expressionist director who had not yet made an American movie is sitting behind Mary Astor in court proceedings over multiple days in order to provide support and observe the American justice system. If you know Fritz Lang movies, you will instantly realize how appropriate that is. Fritz Lang had not made his first American movie, "Fury", but as with that movie and everyone of his other movies the theme will involve justice and how it can get confounded with vengeance or revenge, an appropriate theme for the principals within the court case going on. Mary Astor's husband, Franklin Thorpe, is friends with Clark Gable. That implies loads of things about Franklin such as he will love hunting and so on.

A couple of things, to me some of the best prose in the book is when the author was obviously quoting from Mary Astor's autobiography written in 1959 (oh how I wish Audible would make that book available, but I live in a fantasy world but I can always hope!) or when they were quoting from Mary Astor's diaries. That woman was an intellectual of the first rank and it shows. The book also gives the listener an interesting peek into human psychology by offering perceptive psychoanalytical perspectives when needed.

It's pretty much impossible for me not to like a book that brings to life all the characters who I still love today such as Groucho Marx, Sylvia Sydney (the star of "Fury"), Frederich March and his wife, John Barrymore and various other and at times bit players from the 1930s both on screen and off screen.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Astor is just one of those iconic faces from the 1930s. Here she is in Dodsworth (on the right), one of her greatest films, made at the same time as the trial:



She had that sleek Art Deco look to her with touch of cerebral coldness covering an underlying instability, which always made her so interesting to watch. She had one of those Gish careers that stretched from silents to the 1960s. In another way she epitomizes her movie star stature--I can't think of any movie that she didn't improve in some way in her performances, even when stuck in the MGM Ultimate Mother stage. And really her depiction in Maltese Falcon I think is untouchable. The above photo is appropriate too because of it containing the great Miss Ruth Chatterton (part of her billing required the appellation of "Miss") . What a great woman--I've seen maybe a dozen of Chatterton's movies and read a few of her books (fiction actually) but I need to read a biography on her next. She popped up in the George Brent book, since she was one of his wives, brought together by their love of aviation.

Chatterton is important here as she famously stood next to Astor during the whole thing, while simultaneously making a movie together (with the notoriously difficult William Wyler). The Purple Diary Scandal is one of the biggest of the 30s, and one of the biggest celebrity scandals--but one with an oddly satisfying finish. Maybe because Thorpe was SUCH a jerk--stealing her diaries and releasing them to the press (actually didn't realize that what the press was publishing was mostly forgeries, especially the more scandalous parts)--obviously blackmailing her, and most likely already married and carrying on a secret relationship with his previous wife (and potentially other wives and at least three girlfriends). They had an open relationship for several years and when Mary was pretty much done with her controlling, abusive husband, he stole her diary and attacked back.

As Sam Goldwyn sagely pointed out, "She's a mother protecting her child. This is good"--even with the sensationalism whipped up, the public largely sided with Mary, cheering her in public, and it didn't hurt that the movie released soon after the trial contained one of her best performances and is a classic. An Oscar winning performance in another movie with her buddy Bette Davis followed and Maltese Falcon--if anything the trial showed Mary Astor's finer qualities, along with her buddy and costar Ruth Chatterton, who sat by her side every day in court (Ann Harding and Fritz Lang also get special mentions for being awesome). I guess it also says something about "One Take Mary" that Hollywood also rallied around her and maybe that she was one of the rare independent actors (like Grant, Russell, Dunne, etc.) and maybe that Chatterton didn't give a damn what people said, leaving Hollywood after two more pictures to fly planes. If anything, the scandal I think made people like her more, which if you contrast it with say Ingrid Bergman's divorce almost 2 decades later, the reaction, while equally hyped in press, was very different.

The book dwells pretty much SOLELY on the trial itself, so if you know very little about Astor's movies or don't want to read a big old book on old cinema, don't worry--it's mostly trial related, with a nice recap on how things turned out for everyone involved. Mary Astor talked about the 5 stages of an actor's life in her great biography: Who's Mary Astor? Get me Mary Astor! Get me a Mary Astor type. Get me a young Mary Astor. Who's Mary Astor? Even though the scandal was awful and wracking and thankfully there was a good judge with the interest of the child involved. It seems like Astor is back in the news lately--which another book on the Diaries out this year.

I'm glad--minus the scandal, Astor is a very interesting woman--a survivor of a gorgon-like stage parent thieves, to movie star workhorse, to her eventual genesis as writer/loner. Book uses a lot of primary sources and newspaper articles, a number of photos which is always nice, and lots of interviews with the now 81 year old daughter being battled over.

[Michael Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story behind a largely-forgotten scandal of the 30s--Mary Astor, involved in a child custody case with her ex-husband, had pages of her diary discussed in the courtroom, a diary that supposedly included sordid details of an affair she had with playwright George S. Kaufman in addition to explicit rankings of sexual encounters with other famous men. An interesting topic, but the way Egan handles it here, it would have been better as a long magazine article in Vanity Fair or the New Yorker. To pad out the page count, Egan includes pages and pages of court transcripts that could easily have been summarized instead of leaving the reader to plow through them at length. The first part, giving us the background, and the last part, telling what happened to the principal figures, are interesting and well written, but the long middle section, with the transcripts and much legal wrangling, is a chore to get through. The most interesting thing I learned is that the most sordid stuff in the press was actually from a forgery of the diaries.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Indifferently written drivel wherein the author doesn't try even to pretend to be impartial. Read A Life On Film or Mary Astor's Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936 or both instead.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew nothing about Mary Astor until I found this book, and it was extremely interesting and entertaining. The majority of the book is taken up by the custody trial between Astor and her estranged husband, but also information about her life and family. I actually have great admiration for Mary Astor now!

[Jarrett Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every cinephile knows who Mary Astor is. Though she wasn't one of Hollywood's biggest stars, she is most famous for two roles: the matriarch of the Smith family in Meet Me in St. Louis and the femme fatale in the greatest film noir ever made, The Maltese Falcon. The latter was unquestionably her greatest role, eclipsing even her Oscar-winning performance in The Great Lie, a far-fetched soap opera released the same year. Although The Purple Diaries consists largely of transcripts of the sensational custody trial between Astor and her brutish ex-husband Franklin Thorpe, film lovers will want to delve into this book to gain a larger view of Astor and the film world circa 1935. George S. Kaufman, Ruth Chatterton, John Barrymore and other luminaries figure into the scandal, but really this book shows the tension between the era's rigid moral codes and Hollywood's off-camera hedonism. It's a good romp.

More than that, this book reveals that Mary Astor was a talented writer. The diaries were a compendium of juicy showbiz exploits, but they were also the beginnings of what would eventually become a full-time career as a novelist and memoirist for Astor in her twilight years. The Purple Diaries proves that no matter the author or the quality of the text, everyone is interested in diaries. Trust me, people who have never read a book in their lives will sit down and read a diary from cover to cover just for the kick of invading someone's privacy. Diaries are powerful instruments, and a person doesn't have to be a skilled writer to maintain one.

Astor certainly isn't the only major star to keep a diary--I highly recommend Richard Burton's diaries, which span several decades and are both literary and engrossing--but apparently she recorded salacious details about big stars, which made her chronicles all the more valuable. I laud her for her candor and defend her right to her intellectual property. The fact that the court did not return her stolen diaries and destroyed them after her daughter reached maturity makes no sense to me. But this only proves that the diary, as a volatile text, can be an aid or a weapon, even after the author's death.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1936, actress Mary Astor was embroiled in a nasty, headline-grabbing custody battle with her second husband, Dr. Franklyn Thorpe, over their young daughter. Thorpe stole two 200-page ledgers that Astor used as diaries to detail her amorous adventures in Hollywood and the numerous affairs she, Thorpe and many Hollywood's luminaries were conducting. Leaking pages from these diaries to the press, Thorpe threatened to ruin Astor's career by exposing her ongoing affair with married playwright George S. Kaufman. Many film studios also feared that revealed intimate details could tarnish the images of her friends and costars, including MGM head Irving Thalberg and his wife, Norma Shearer. Joseph Egan's meticulously researched and compulsively readable THE PURPLE DIARIES re-creates the two-month court hearing and simultaneous media frenzy through diary excerpts, vintage reporting, court transcripts and new interviews.

Astor emerges as a complex and fascinating person. "Brought up to be hard on herself, she was equally hard on those around her," writes Egan. While neither warm nor nurturing, she was willing to risk her livelihood to prevent her daughter from being raised the way that had stunted her own childhood. Egan does an outstanding job of revealing the emotional background behind each player's actions, never creating villains in this drama.

THE PURPLE DIARIES is a fascinating piece of Hollywood detective work, a character study of a forward-thinking and sexually liberated woman and an examination of the tabloid press. Egan takes an 80-year-old scandal and brings it to life with compassion and psychological insight. Film buffs will find The Purple Diaries irresistible.

THE PURPLE DIARIES revisits Mary Astor's 1936 scandalous child custody case and her sexually explicit diaries that threatened to ruin her career.

[Ben Loory · Rating 3 out of 5]

main thing i learned from this book was that all these people seemed highly unpleasant, except maybe for samuel goldwyn (probably because he has only one line in the book). i learned a lot about all of them, but basically wish i hadn't

but this bit by Mary Astor (taken from a book she wrote) is great:

There are five stages in the life of an actor: Who's Mary Astor? Get me Mary Astor. Get me a Mary Astor type. Get me a young Mary Astor. Who's Mary Astor?

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
What a difference between Hollywood then and now? Things in Mary Astor's diary wouldn't even raise an eyebrow today!

[Tony Siciliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent biography of one of Hollywood's most accomplished actors. Much of the book focuses on Mary Astor's court battle with her former husband, Franklyn Thorpe, over custody of their young daughter, Marilyn, during the summer of 1936. However, her history before and after that battle is well-covered and helps explain Astor's personality. As with most people, Astor had some shortcomings, including a weakness for men. She kept rather explicit diaries about her many affairs. Thorpe stole them and threatened to use them against Astor, in an attempt to destroy her moral character and demonstrate her unfitness as a mother. While only a few excerpts from the diary were ever revealed in court, many of Astor's former paramours, as well as Astor's employer, Warner Brothers, trembled at the possibility of an enormous sex scandal. Thorpe was also a man of some considerable shortcomings. Attorneys for both Astor and Thorpe pressed every advantage and every suggestion of immoral behavior. The hapless judge in the trial, Goodwin Knight (later governor of California), did his best to manage the media circus that was created. In the end, he managed to broker a settlement that attempted to brush aside the scandal and innuendo, and focused on the welfare of Marilyn. This is the story of a woman's courage to escape from a domineering man who used their child to blackmail her. Astor knew she might lose her entire career, yet she was dogged in fighting to keep her child. She was blessed to have the support of family and, especially, fellow actor Ruth Chatterton. The release of her latest movie, "Dodsworth," occurred shortly after the trial ended. Audiences across the nation applauded and cheered for her. She had not only kept her child, she kept her career, and, in fact, was more highly esteemed than before the trial began. This was a very enjoyable read, only partially because of the scandal. The writer is engaging, clear, witty, and helps the reader manage all the characters involved.

[susan moore Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a story that was hard to put down, especially after the court case started. It was well written and fast paced, yet still detailed enough. It makes me curious, but we will never know, just what was in those pages....

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know if I should only give it 3 stars because it doesn't quite live up to its hype -- it's more about a custody case involving money and status than it is about anything salacious regarding Hollywood stars. The diaries themselves were eventually destroyed with very little of their content seeing the light of day. Ultimately I gave it 4 stars because it's short and didn't outstay its welcome, I learned a little about Astor's lover George S. Kaufman and Astor's "Dodsworth" costar Ruth Chatterton, and because of an interesting aspect regarding Astor as an actress. Astor was filming William Wyler's 1936 film "Dodsworth" at the time, and she used her character from that film, strong, stoic, principled, as a template for how she should act in the courtroom, where she was actually a nervous wreck inside. Chatterton had been through courtroom scandal before, and even though she had not known Astor prior to their film together, she stood by Mary's side throughout, even more than Astor's occasionally narcissistic mother, perhaps being Astor's only friend in Hollywood at that moment. (Chatterton was quite a maverick and also encouraged Astor to learn to fly planes like she did.) Although I went into the book wanting to hear the personal thoughts of a big star of the studio system, the book was actually quite thorough in its depiction of courtroom proceedings, and was respectful of the fact that there was a 4 year old girl whose life was at stake, but who was overshadowed by all the clamor. This was something the judge kept impressing as well. I still recommend it, but with adjusted expectations, and if you've just been through a big, contentious custody battle I would probably avoid it.

[Carri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, but I do wonder if it was overly sympathetic to Mary Astor. Everyone on Astor’s side was noble and determined. Everyone on Thorpe’s side was ridiculous, malicious and full of hubris. Now, maybe that’s how it really was. That you would even threaten what Thorpe ended up doing makes you a pretty big asshole. But, I have my doubts that this book was more than a specific version of the truth.

One last note...One Star to the editor. I found three typos while reading. And while I do occasionally spot errors in books, it’s not often & it’s not usually multiple. And I’m not talking, ‘Oh, I would put a comma there.’ Two sentences were missing words (something along the lines of, he appeared court instead of appeared in court...) and one sentence used the word quest instead of guest.

[Melisende · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary's diaries (in which she documented her inner most thoughts, her life and loves) were at the heart of the court case. The scandal of this divorce threatened to derail the movie making machine that was Hollywood.

I adored Mary in the movies "The Maltese Falcon" and in "Little Women" - a gutsy, determined woman, in whose corner you cannot but stand and cheer.

[Meg Ulmes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't waste your time here. I did only to discover that the most interesting part of the book was the afterward where the author tells what happened to the major characters after this "scandal." Boringly written in a professorial style that made it easier to get to sleep after I'd read a few pages. Good material wasted by this author. Just don't.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love old Hollywood, always have, so to find a newish book about one of tinsel towns forgotten leading ladies made me very happy.
Very readable, and well written.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impeccably researched and compellingly written. I was so into this that I finished it in less than 36 hours. I will definitely be reading Mary Astor's A Life on Film.

[Helen Robare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Sometimes with biographies, the author can get bogged down in details and the essence of the person being written about takes second or third place instead of in first place where she/he belongs. Not so in this book. I only knew Mary Astor through her films and had never read much about her but the woman I learned about in this book was fascinating. I did have trouble dealing with her husband, Thorpe, simply because of the day and age I live in. The idea of spanking a year and half to two year old child because she annoys you makes me cringe. In this day and age that would be child abuse plain and simple and there would be no question that the mother would get full custody of the child and the father would have severely limited visitation. But back in the 1930's, it was completely normal for parents to spank their children for any perceived infraction of the rules. That a woman, even if she was a film star, would stand up to a man like that even if it would ruin her career is amazing. If you are interested in the film stars and scandals of the 1930's this book would be a good place to start.

[Tom Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely written book about forgotten scandal

As scandals go, it wasn't long lived or remembered. Today, it wouldn't even be considered a scandal. But, back in the 1930s a married woman was easy prey to a jerk husband who used blackmail and violence to get his own way.

Mary Astor stood up to hers, and in the end probably gave many women the courage to do the same. This nice little book digs continue background and separated the BS from the truth concerning a custody battle Astor had with her jerk off husband. It was front page need for a few weeks because during the court case it was revealed that Astor kept a diary that named names and detailed her affairs with several notables of the time.

In the end it was all sound and fury ... But makes a good read for anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started listening to this book I had no idea who Mary Astor was. I’m not particularly an Old Hollywood fan as some are but I was curious. It wasn’t an autobiography but a biography about Mary and specifically the trial surrounding her custody case against her ex husband Franklin Thorpe for their young daughter. It was interesting and also a bit crazy that such a thing was blown completely out of proportion in the 1930’s. It wasn’t any different than some of the Hollywood cases that can be seen in modern times on Court Tv channels or plastered across social media. It was very entertaining. If you’re into Crime fiction or Court Drama, I’d say give this a try. Because even though it was a true story vs fiction, the author doesn’t disappoint in providing a spellbinding book.
I gave it 4 stars.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intricately and copiously detailed, this chronology of an infamous child custody trial between film star Mary Astor and her husband leaves nothing out. It reads like a sensational lurid TMZ type documentary. The author misses no detail of the trial, including wardrobes, supporters, the mood of the spectators. Helpful photos and screenshots of the huge font front page headlines. I was in mind of celebrity legal events of my own time - the trial of that football player, for one. He does go some way to justify his details, citing his close relationship with the (by that time elderly) child in question, and the book does have a preface by the child's adult grandson. Most entertaining were the George S. Kaufman quotes.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The trial in this book is excruciating. Mary’s husband, Dr. Thorpe is beyond belief. This man had to be sadistically insane. While trying to prove Mary Astor unworthy of raising their child after their divorce, and trying to punish Mary by taking the child from her just because he thought he could, HIS personal life is revealed. I need to finish this book because there has to be more than just this trial to offer, but I’m struggling. You will want to rip your hair out.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a little frustrating for me. I read an entire book on Mary Astor, and I still know just as little about her as I did before. The book focuses only on the events pertinent to the custody battle for Astor's daughter. And while engaging, it was not quite relevant - kinda like reading tabloid news from 90 years ago with little human interest.

[Francesca Penchant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the thorough research and classic-film details of this meticulously crafted biography about Mary Astor's "mother-love sacrifice:" her embarking on a custody battle with her ex-husband, who threatened to expose her diary. Here's a quote from the book that explains the import of Astor's diary extracts that were published in the 1930s: "Although the writing ... was ... 'an over-emotional account of a romantic interlude,' never had so frank a document concerning a Hollywood personality's amorous adventures been made public. Astor spoke offhandedly about open marriages and extramarital affairs, presenting a woman who lived far outside the social norms of American morality. Thus, those diary extracts made for extremely steamy reading." Egan is evenhanded and understanding throughout. And at the end of the book, after Astor had been through many, many difficulties and her film career was played out, I was stunned to learn that she was only 46 years old. An extraordinary woman.

[Margaret Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

biggest hollywood scandal of 30s. well written and thought out. a few minor disappointments.

[SusanS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at what constituted a scandal in the 1930's. My how times have changed. A glimpse behind the curtain to the reality of a Hollywood life. Not all fun and games!

The part I remember the most is after Astor moved to The Motion Picture Country House -a retirement home for actors. She preferred to eat alone to avoid "organ recitals" - residents discussing malfunctioning kidneys, bladders,and every other organ in their body!

[Lyn Pessemier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as fascinating as I had expected, but a nice change of pace. Quick read.

[Amber Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

possibly the longest, most needlessly drawn out book I've ever read

[Kay Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up because I enjoy early Hollywood tales, not because I know much about Mary Astor (I think I've only seen her in The Maltese Falcon), and I didn't know much about her diaries or her custody battle. Not much from the notorious "Purple Diaries" is reprinted in this book, and most of what was printed at the time was forged, but the story is interesting and kept me reading. It's fascinating to see how the testimony at the custody hearing became wilder and wilder, and rose to the level of a national newspaper obsession for a few weeks in 1936. The writing is repetitious at times, and the proofreading mediocre, but I found it entertaining.