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Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends
"What audacity!" exclaimed actor Robert Wagner when he heard about the authors' adolescent exploits in nabbing interviews with Hollywood celebrities. In 1978, Fantle and Johnson, St. Paul teenagers, boarded a plane to meet with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. They had written the stars requesting interviews--and to their amazement, both agreed.
Over the years, more than 250 other stars also agreed--Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, James Cagney, Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, George Burns, Rod Steiger, Milton Berle, Frank Capra and Hoagy Carmichael, to name a few. Published for the first time and with exclusive photos, this selection of 75 interviews chronicles the authors' 40-year quest for insights and anecdotes from iconic 20th century artists.
Over the years, more than 250 other stars also agreed--Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, James Cagney, Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, George Burns, Rod Steiger, Milton Berle, Frank Capra and Hoagy Carmichael, to name a few. Published for the first time and with exclusive photos, this selection of 75 interviews chronicles the authors' 40-year quest for insights and anecdotes from iconic 20th century artists.
- GenresNonfiction
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 10, 2018
A nice enjoyable read for movie buffs. There isn't anything salacious (well, except Yvette Mimieux streaking the authors), but fans of Hollywood's golden age will enjoy the chutzpah of Fantle and Johnson in making these interviews happen.
June 22, 2019
The authors interviewed 75 people associated with Hollywood's Golden Age, starting just after graduating high school. Some they interviewed twice, with as much as 20 years in between the two interviews. These are short (2-3 page), pithy interviews, with a lot of information you wouldn't get from a biography.
January 19, 2019
It was fun to read and recall so many celebrities from those eras. I just felt that they seemed to enjoy too much criticizing and making fun of some of the older interviewees who probably struggled with growing older.
June 24, 2026
Sadly, I put this book on my nightstand to-read pile right about the time it was announced that co-author David Fantle died at the too-soon age of 66. He was a regular, and enjoyable, participant in the Gilbert Gottfried podcast Facebook group, and his appearance on the pod is how I discovered this book.
I was one of those weird kids who read my dad's volumes of Richard Lamparski's Whatever Became Of? books--how many people do you know under the age of dead who know the story of long-forgotten actress/comedienne/singer Cass Daley, who died when she fell through a glass coffee table? Anyway, I kept thinking of those books as I read this; who is the audience for this book? Me, I suppose, and dead people, or the very old.
But the very old may not like it, as Fantle and Johnson can't seem to help but snark about many of their interview subjects. Kathryn Grayson is "a bit pulpy," DeForest Kelley is a souse, George Jessel has a trash can full of empty frozen dinner cartons. Now don't get me wrong, I want to hear some gossip about how the faded stars of yesteryear are living, but it still feels cruel to mock these old folks behind their backs.
In addition, this is poorly edited, with spelling, grammar, punctuation, and factual errors throughout. Since I owned the copy I read, I busted out my pen and made corrections as I saw them. It made for a fun exercise, I guess.
I was one of those weird kids who read my dad's volumes of Richard Lamparski's Whatever Became Of? books--how many people do you know under the age of dead who know the story of long-forgotten actress/comedienne/singer Cass Daley, who died when she fell through a glass coffee table? Anyway, I kept thinking of those books as I read this; who is the audience for this book? Me, I suppose, and dead people, or the very old.
But the very old may not like it, as Fantle and Johnson can't seem to help but snark about many of their interview subjects. Kathryn Grayson is "a bit pulpy," DeForest Kelley is a souse, George Jessel has a trash can full of empty frozen dinner cartons. Now don't get me wrong, I want to hear some gossip about how the faded stars of yesteryear are living, but it still feels cruel to mock these old folks behind their backs.
In addition, this is poorly edited, with spelling, grammar, punctuation, and factual errors throughout. Since I owned the copy I read, I busted out my pen and made corrections as I saw them. It made for a fun exercise, I guess.
January 2, 2020
I enjoyed the short interviews in this book. It included lots of names I recognized, and some that I didn't. It covers actors, directors, producers, composers, choreographers, and strangely a vintage toy manufacturer. I didn't get why the toy guy was included, since there was no actual interview with him, just information about him. It was fun to read how the journalists, as young college students, got the interviews with big stars. The interviews were rather candid and the journalists shared their opinions of how the interviews went. Sometimes they shared what was like a transcript of the interview, other times it was more of a narrative of their visit and discussion. It was one that had been on my to-buy list for awhile, so I'm happy to have read it. Each interview is about 2-3 pages, which makes this an easy book to pick up and put down at any time.
February 21, 2023
Some interesting Tidbits Here
This is an eclectic collection of articles about folks from Hollywood's heyday. All of them are short, and calling them "interviews" is a bit of a stretch. They are based on meetings the authors had with the subjects, and they do all have quotes from the person profiled, but only a few are in a strict interview format. So if you're looking for in-depth, career-spanning interviews with the people in the book, you'll be disappointed. That said, there are a few good insights, pieces of gossip, and fun memories offered by the actors, directors and songwriters profiled here. For any fan of old Hollywood, and especially the MGM musicals, this will be a fun read.
This is an eclectic collection of articles about folks from Hollywood's heyday. All of them are short, and calling them "interviews" is a bit of a stretch. They are based on meetings the authors had with the subjects, and they do all have quotes from the person profiled, but only a few are in a strict interview format. So if you're looking for in-depth, career-spanning interviews with the people in the book, you'll be disappointed. That said, there are a few good insights, pieces of gossip, and fun memories offered by the actors, directors and songwriters profiled here. For any fan of old Hollywood, and especially the MGM musicals, this will be a fun read.
November 12, 2018
Golden Age Greats
Loved this book—short pithy interviews with famous and not so famous actors, directors, writers, composers and choreographers from the golden age of Hollywood and the latter part of vaudeville. Ranging from Georgie Jessel to Robert Stack, the authors provide a fascinating oral history of a time quickly receding in the collective memory. If you have any interest in any of this stuff, read this book now. I mean who interviewed Jules White..?
Loved this book—short pithy interviews with famous and not so famous actors, directors, writers, composers and choreographers from the golden age of Hollywood and the latter part of vaudeville. Ranging from Georgie Jessel to Robert Stack, the authors provide a fascinating oral history of a time quickly receding in the collective memory. If you have any interest in any of this stuff, read this book now. I mean who interviewed Jules White..?
December 21, 2018
Fantle and Johnson have interviewed stars, producers and directors for the last 40 years. This book recalls the interviews of the famous including Charlton Heston, Fred Astaire, Robert Wagner, Esther Williams, Ernest Borgnine and Tippi Hendren to name a few. This was an interesting look back on Hollywood at its peak and its descent through the eyes of the major players themselves.
March 26, 2019
Loved this book. Through a series of interviews and bioographical sketches, the reader gets a birdseye view into the Golden Age of Hollywood. The interviewees are a cross-section of actors, directors, songwriters/composers, choreographers, comedians, and assorted other individuals connected with entertainment.
It a candid and fun; a must for anyone addicted to Hollywood lore.
It a candid and fun; a must for anyone addicted to Hollywood lore.
October 6, 2019
This was a great compilation of reviews with the knowns an unknowns of the movie industry. Not at all repetitious , but down to earth comments and conversations with people who made the movie industry function. I was delighted with some of the movie lines that distinguished people in their movies
January 14, 2019
What a wonderful read. Great stories from Hollywood at its best.
July 29, 2018
Worth the read
The interviews took me back to my childhood. although there were some I didn't recognize their names but when I read the chapter, I realized I knew of them.
What a fun time you must have had doo r the interviews.
The interviews took me back to my childhood. although there were some I didn't recognize their names but when I read the chapter, I realized I knew of them.
What a fun time you must have had doo r the interviews.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews