Frankly, My Dear: Quips And Quotes from Hollywood

by Shelley Klein (Editor)

It’s a collection of the funniest, most acerbic, most insulting lines ever uttered by the wits of the film industry—as well as by equally witty outsiders whose opinions of Hollywood are usually less than flattering. Clint Eastwood once described the movie capital “If I lived there, I’d move.” But many quotations say less about Hollywood than about the people who happened to be passing through. For instance, a brief conversation between Clark Gable and Nobel-prize-winning novelist William Faulkner went as “Do you write, Mr. Faulkner?” “Yes, Mr. Gable. What do you do?” And Bette Davis, in one of her bitchier moments is known to have “I always admire Katharine Hepburn’s cheekbones. More than her films.” With sound bites overheard from the earliest Hollywood celebrities, and extending to Woody Allen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many others on today’s scene, Frankly, My Dear documents filmdom’s declarations of envy, greed, talent, pomposity—and most of all, humor. Or as George Burns once said, “The most important thing in acting is sincerity. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” Includes 12 pages of black-and-white photos from famous films that include Gone With the Wind, The Godfather, On the Waterfront, The Wizard of Oz, The Terminator, A Few Good Men, and others.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published August 11, 2005

Reviews

[Alison Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun! a good dipper.

[Patricia Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little beach read

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a stocking stuffer, and it turned out to be more razor sharp than I thought it would be (which is a good thing!). The quotes are drawn from a variety of sources (actors, producers, moguls, directors, screenwriters, etc.), as well as some other anecdotes and tidbits thrown in for some variety. There's nothing funnier than classic Hollywood stars trashing each other while using bawdy language, and I found myself laughing out loud throughout the book.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Clark Gable the King of Hollywood? One less inch and he would have been the Queen of Hollywood." Carole Lombard
"Kathleen Turner's okay in stills. when she talks and moves about, she reminds me of someone who works in a supermarket." Ann Sothern

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was expecting.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and insightful read on Hollywood, especially if you're from the area and know the references!