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Fallen Star: A Biography of Gail Russell
The unforgettable story of Gail Russell (1924-1961), Hollywood"s Forgotten Legend,
who rose from high school obscurity to become one of Paramount Studios major
stars during the 1940's. Her fabled discovery by Paramount Talent Head William
Meiklejohn in 1942 has become one of the most legendary tales in Hollywood
history. Here is the in depth story of the long forgotten Paramount star whose beauty
was rare, even by Hollywood standards. The shy actress with the lovely blue eyes,
and the luxurious, raven black hair whose face, when in repose, always had a haunting
sadness. Gail Russell's story is taken from old newspaper and magazine accounts
taken during her lifetime. Interviews with Gail Russell's mother, those people whom
worked with her during her movie career, and especially with those interviews with Gail
Russell personally. It is a unique and vivid tale of a young girl who possessed the beauty
of a movie star, but tragically, not the temperament.
The book also contains over 100 photos from Gail's life and movie career.
who rose from high school obscurity to become one of Paramount Studios major
stars during the 1940's. Her fabled discovery by Paramount Talent Head William
Meiklejohn in 1942 has become one of the most legendary tales in Hollywood
history. Here is the in depth story of the long forgotten Paramount star whose beauty
was rare, even by Hollywood standards. The shy actress with the lovely blue eyes,
and the luxurious, raven black hair whose face, when in repose, always had a haunting
sadness. Gail Russell's story is taken from old newspaper and magazine accounts
taken during her lifetime. Interviews with Gail Russell's mother, those people whom
worked with her during her movie career, and especially with those interviews with Gail
Russell personally. It is a unique and vivid tale of a young girl who possessed the beauty
of a movie star, but tragically, not the temperament.
The book also contains over 100 photos from Gail's life and movie career.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 25, 2016
The writer states that he has been a fan and ardent admirer of Gail Russell for over forty years ... and therein lies the problem. The writer does not have the level of objectivity needed to provide an unbiased evaluation of the life of the actress and her tragic downfall. It causes him to heap shame on one of her directors for making an unfeeling choice. It also causes him to include his own epitaph to the actress, a sonnet by John Keats that is an ode to a lost love.
So, why bother with such a slanted approach? Because the collected information about Gail Russell's life is sparse, indeed. Unless a film historian takes on the task, this is likely to be the most complete, informative book about her.
This is not necessarily an unfortunate thing. In addition to interviews, the writer has used news stories as a reference point for details. He doesn't just make them available unaltered, but does glean the solid information from the hype. Late in the book, he also includes the text of an interview of Gail Russell by Hedda Hopper that I found to be of particular interest.
Still, when the picture painted is not a flattering one, the writer doesn't dig too deeply or dwell on details. He also repeats information over and over again, as if he did not do an edit read-through before publication. Much of the repetition is about the young actress's physical beauty. An ardent admirer, indeed.
At the end, I was left with a cautionary tale more than I was with a sense that I knew the real Gail Russell. That isn't all bad, though, and I did learn quite a bit about Gail Russell that I had not known before.
So, why bother with such a slanted approach? Because the collected information about Gail Russell's life is sparse, indeed. Unless a film historian takes on the task, this is likely to be the most complete, informative book about her.
This is not necessarily an unfortunate thing. In addition to interviews, the writer has used news stories as a reference point for details. He doesn't just make them available unaltered, but does glean the solid information from the hype. Late in the book, he also includes the text of an interview of Gail Russell by Hedda Hopper that I found to be of particular interest.
Still, when the picture painted is not a flattering one, the writer doesn't dig too deeply or dwell on details. He also repeats information over and over again, as if he did not do an edit read-through before publication. Much of the repetition is about the young actress's physical beauty. An ardent admirer, indeed.
At the end, I was left with a cautionary tale more than I was with a sense that I knew the real Gail Russell. That isn't all bad, though, and I did learn quite a bit about Gail Russell that I had not known before.
April 28, 2017
Poorly written and filled with typos. Gail Russell deserves better than this.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews