About Face: The Life and Times of Dottie Ponedel, Make-up Artist to the Stars

by Dorothy Ponedel, Meredith Ponedel, Danny Miller

Dottie Ponedel knows how to amuse with rouge. Her autobiography, the story of a pioneering woman make-up artist, whose career spanned the entire length of Hollywood’s Golden Era from silent movies to the great films of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, puts a new foundation on the stars. Sinners and saints without greasepaint make for memorable close-ups. Enjoy Dottie’s confidential revelations about Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Joan Blondell, Paulette Goddard, Barbara Stanwyck, and others. “No stranger is going to pat this puss,” Mae West once declared. Mae, and Dottie’s other clients, often demanded her services, but tomcats and contracts seldom blended. Dottie constantly fought all-male make-up departments at the studios to get the recognition she deserved. Amazing challenges facing a woman at the top of her craft play poignantly against her straight-talking, heartwarming, hilarious encounters with famous faces. Dottie Ponedel. The designer with eye liner.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Biography Memoir, Memoir, History, Biography, Audiobook

159 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2018

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hardly like anything I expected. I expected a lot more talk, you know, About Face and makeup. This would be more aptly titled, "Fun Memories of Judy Garland and Dottie Ponedel."

I don't believe the authors intended to rewrite history—I appreciate a niece's desire to share her aunt's stories—but there are a lot of odd, irrelevant inaccuracies. Dottie is biased and protective, claiming every bad word spoken about Judy Garland is false. That didn't really bother me, as it's clear this is the story of an elderly relative; as years go by, the details get fuzzy, and the relevance of the different elements in a story change.

As long as you're fine glossing over the incongruities, Dottie's memories are a warm, exciting, and unpretentious look into studio life behind the scenes. Dottie and Judy's cheerful vanity and wild romps are as entertaining as endearing. More books have been written about Judy Garland than any other star besides Marilyn Monroe, and it's nice to read such a unique (if overly-rosy) account of her life. These are stories you can't find on the Internet (which makes it hard to fact-check), but adds to the fun for me.

[Nancy Loe · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is so .... monumentally bad that I spent a fraction of time speculating on who put Dorothy Ponedel up to it.

Silent film technique? It's all Ponedel! Legendary dance steps? Dottie invented them, with no training! Legendary directors of Judy Garland? They had no idea and looked to Dottie to ok takes! Makeup? Those Westmore guys learned it all from Ponedel!

After reading this, I don't know what Ponedel's talents were. She (or her ghost writer) so overstep at every opportunity that I was left with no other option that to think she was yet again another opportunist exploiting Garland and the studio system.

Skip this, even on sale, unless you like a sour taste in your mouth.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Dot’s friendship with Judy Garland. It is special to see how tight their friendship was and all the crazy things they did together. Also, how unconditional the love was between them despite their differences. It also reminded me how short life is and how we need to cherish every moment. Beautifully written.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Not quite what I had in mind. I was hoping for more makeup talk. The author really just seemed like she wanted to put out her version of who Judy Garland was, which is fine, but she seemed to contradict herself. It is a cute little glimpse into Old Hollywood.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorothy Ponedel was a make up artists to the stars. She applied make up on some of the most famous actresses. She also became good friends with many of them. She mentions actresses like Marlene Deitrich. Joan Blondell, Carole Lombard. But the person she writes about the most is her close friendship with Judy Garland. Dottie and Judy Garland were very close to each other a friendship that lasted from the early 1940s up until Garland's death. The writer wanted to set the record straight on Garland because of all the rumors that followed the actress for decades. although Judy Garland was far from perfect Poneldel adored her friend and wanted to write a fair book about her friend. I found this to be a good read.

[Andie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hollywood memoirs can be really interesting,, especially those that deal with the very early days of the studios. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those memoirs. A total waste of a Sunday afternoon.

[Gwin DeMatteo · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a lifelong Judy fanatic, I have read every biography and memoir written, including Sid’s (her longest-running husband) and Lorna’s (her daughter). I was very excited to read this book, knowing already how important Dottie Ponedel was to Judy and how much Judy depended on her. What should have been a fantastic and deep experience turned out to be a major disappointment! First, the writing is, frankly, atrocious-like something a junior high schooler would scribble in a school paper. Her dialogue is simply agonizing. Second, Ponedel makes Judy sound absolutely boring, which I find very difficult to believe given what nearly everyone else has said about her. Ponedel seems to think very highly of herself, though, there is much self-congratulatory exposition and references to “our show, our performance, got our music together, we did a wonderful show” and the like, as if Ponedel was up there on the stage with her crush. Third-there are so many historical inaccuracies in this tome, it’s credibility is questionable. An example-Ponedel claims to have spent time with the Minnellis while Judy was shooting “Annie Get Your Gun” and Judy was supposedly seeing Sid Luft during ths time. She also says Judy was let go from MGM at this point. Except Judy’s final film role was in “Royal Wedding” AFTER “Annie” in which she was replaced and THEN left MGM to go to NY. THAT is when she met Sid. Also, Ponedel claims that they went to Judy’s Palladium concert in 1950 right after “Annie” but that is impossible since the Palladium concerts took place April-May 1951. And despite Ponedel’s claim that they all stayed in a hotel in Edinburgh that looked on the “castle on the hill where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded”, the fact is that Mary was executed at Fotheringhay in England-nowhere near Edinburgh. Just some of the many things I found wrong with this book. Extremely disapppointed. Read this account with a shaker of salt.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things you learn...

I'm sure it's hard to imagine someone being that close to a beloved actor or actress. We forget how many people behind the scenes are doing things for the stars that we would normally do for ourself.
Interesting perspective on Judy Garland's life. Maybe she wasn't as bad as some people portray her.
This was a well written book . Keeps you very interested...😉

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

All about Judy.

80% of the book is about Judy Garland. Sort of boring unless you like Judy. I was disappointed in this book.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is clearly a labor of love of a niece wanting to get her aunt's stories out there. There's a framing bit by the niece, but the bulk of this short book is Dorothy talking about her years working with Judy Garland. She makes the claim that all the bad stories about Judy are lies which comes off as rather naive (does anyone believe a studio doctor's "glucose" shots really only had glucose in them?). There is an exchange between Dorothy and her niece at the end of the book that makes me think Dorothy knew Judy wasn't the completely wonderful person she depicts in her memoir. I can't really fault her for wanting to show the good side of a friend who had a troubled life. I wish there had been more about Dorothy herself, though.
The enthusiasm of the audiobook narrator helps sells the fun Dorothy and Judy had.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first, I enjoyed the premise of an old lady telling story about her glory days in Hollywood and her famous friends. However, it quickly turned into a bizarre story where anything anyone every did that was amazing was Dottie's idea, and that she was so multi-talented without any training - she could just do anything! Unfortunately, whether or not these statements hold any veracity, the hyperbole made it very unbelievable and a little annoying.

[Gary R Borman · Rating 5 out of 5]

All nighter

This brilliant book about the life and lives of the great women of Hollywood. Dottie Ponedel tells her story through her niece weaving a spell of enlightenment. For once Judy Garland is brought to life as a star who was more than the public knew. Once you start this book you will not put it down until you have read the last words

[Katherine Thornton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing! I don’t know how close she and Judy Garland were, but her belief that Judy didn’t have a problem with drugs is unrealistic! She might not have shot up or sniffed cocaine, but she had a severe addiction to pills. This is something everyone who knew her acknowledges including her daughter, Liza.

[Shelly Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me cringe. It reminded me of suck ups. Those people in life that attach themselves to the cool people and then brag about their experiences. She likely lied about Judy stating she did not use drugs. The AUDIOBOOK is even worse because the reader's voice and intonation made it sound even more suck upish (my made up word). I had to stop reading.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from Dottie's perspective so not polished, just from the heart. Yes, majority covered her friendship with Judy and I'd like to think her recollection was the true Garland although Dottie makes it clear that alcohol was always an issue in Judy's life. Enjoyed the story and her daily relationships with the stars who were committed to her until the end of her life.

[Luzmaria · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is about Judy Garland, not about Dottie.

While I love Judy Garland, I cannot express how disappointed I was at the missed opportunity to get to know Dottie Ponedel. I wanted to read about Dottie's challenges and victories working as a makeup artist during Hollywood's Golden Era.

[Chuck Cardoos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun read.

Fun, easy read. Much about the authors to.ed with Judy Garland so if you are a fan you will love the book.

[Autumn Rybin]

I really enjoyed this! I wasn’t expecting it, but it was mostly about Judy Garland. She shares such a beautiful side of Judy and I was mesmerized.

[Dusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick enjoyable read! Love the storytelling and it's very toughing.

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice to know the real story behind some of the beloved stars in Hollywood!!

[Emma Dargue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just ok. Repetitive and quite bitty in the stories told within this book made this quite a tedious listen.

[Denise Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close look into Judy's world. Felt like I was there with her a lot of times. Unique book and quick read if you love Judy and old Hollywood.

[Elizabeth Mickelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book of this book, read by Kathy Garver, former teenage star of the TV show, "Family Affair". Dottie Ponedel's niece wrote this book based on her aunt's memories of working in Hollywood as a beloved make-up artist. She lived with her aunt and witnessed her many friendships with Hollywood stars. Dottie certainly did have an important role in Hollywood (her skills contributed to the glamour of Hollywood), and she really did have friendships with these Hollywood stars (she is mentioned in biographies of Judy Garland). Her aunt does acknowledge that Judy Garland took prescription drugs. I enjoyed hearing about old Hollywood and its stars from the perspective of a make-up artist. (Something I never tire of hearing or reading about is how beautiful Los Angeles was in the 1920s-1940s). While there are other books about Hollywood I prefer -- and I do have to concur with an Amazon book reviewer, that it is a bit shallow -- this book is important, in its own way.

[Amber Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Kinda jumps around, but I loved her stories of stars, such as Judy Garland, who she knew and hung out with and was friends with.