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Lana: the Lady, the Legend, the Truth
At what age does a lady become a legend? Lana Turner asked herself this question after decades of success, scandal, romance, marriage and motherhood, and not a little heartbreak. Long after the span of her extraordinary career, an adoring public remains fascinated by a woman who was arguably the epitome of a Hollywood movie star. Immensely talented and equally beautiful, Lana lived the glamorous life to the hilt, rising to the heights of fame and experiencing everything that came with it, both good and bad. Lana’s early story is virtually that of Cinderella’ a girl discovered at a soda shop aged fifteen and then made a star overnight. From blonde bombshell to box-office queen of the ’40s, Lana led a whirlwind life ultimately marked by eight marriages and a murder trial that made her and her daughter infamous. The death of Johnny Stompato in 1958 was one of the most notorious scandals in Hollywood history, and the true facts of the case are still hotly disputed. Lana’s remarkable memoir was originally published in 1982. This new edition features an introduction by Turner Classic Movies host and author Alicia Malone.
252 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1982
57 people are currently reading
940 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 29, 2012
It's near impossible not to enjoy Lana Turner's version of herself here for the sheer, pathological optimism of her approach to life. It leaps out from every page and makes her very endearing. Each foolhardy venture, misplacing of trust, 'misinterpreted' tantrum, and most recurring of all, shambles of a marriage(s), receives the cheery Turner gloss of hindsight, aided no doubt at the time of writing by the holy sheen that came with belatedly finding Jesus. That was the only bit that depressed me. Ditch the Lord, Lana, you're already a Goddess! Mercifully, that reveal was shoved to the epilogue and all the best episodes were done and dusted. I thoroughly enjoyed this 'tell-all' for its glammy nostalgia and weird deju vu. By marriage Number 3 the husbands were interchangeable and could easily have been the same man. The last three seemed to slip by, barely disturbing the bedsheets. Actually, that's not wholly true. Husband Number 6 disturbed the bedsheets quite memorably; the episode with Lana's maid presenting the soiled evidence of his 'partying' is one I shall treasure. The Johnny Stompanato chapters are harrowing, as they should be, although other books I've read about the affair are rather more harrowing still, perhaps unsurprisingly. Lana strikes the reader as being a very positive lady, and that awful event, plus the lead up to it, must have been difficult to recount, even after a gap of decades. 'Tell all' deserves to be placed in inverted commas, of course, because Lana would never have been fool enough to tell ALL. Anything excessively sordid has been wisely jettisoned, with most of the omissions concerning Cheryl, I suspect. There's quite few question marks there, especially when she's despatched to barbed wired fenced boarding schools and New Hampshire nut-houses. I don't blame Lana one iota for this. If you want the less palatable truth, head elsewhere. This is a rompy, saucy yarn that paints the lady's life in colours perfectly matching her carefully crafted on-screen and off-screen image - which were one and the same, of course. I, for one, appreciate that image. It's how movie stars should be. And Lana, above all else, was a dyed-in-the-wool movie star. More please.
January 27, 2010
I completely and totally enjoyed reading this book. Although Lana certainly doesn't tell all, there are several things that she doesn't hold back on. For example: she (perhaps understandably) leaves out how Lex Barker abused her daughter, but you do get the whole ugly, terrifying truth about her relationship with John Stompanato. If you have an interest in old Hollywood, it's a great read. I didn't want to put it down and was actually a little disappointed when I finished the book.
June 12, 2022
What a great read this was! Lana really went into details about some very difficult events in her life, in particular the night her daughter killed John Stompanato. She married so many times that I lost count! I loved her sense of humor that she showed throughout the book. Now I'm going to go home and watch more Lana Turner movies.
June 2, 2025
Rating 4.25 stars.
The story of Lana Turner and Cheryl Crane was told on a podcast I listen to about the murder of Johnny Stompanato. I immediately purchase the memoirs of Lana and Cheryl. Turner’s read as I expected. She shared the truth of her life, career, marriages, mistakes, and flaws. She gave enough specifics to make it interesting. I read it and have questions (or suspicions). Parts of the story defy belief. I plan to read Cheryl’s next and reserve the right to update this review. Mostly I found the people unlikeable (except Cheryl who was a minor character in this telling) yet was unable to put the book aside and move on. The collaborator helped the book to stay on track and be readable.
The story of Lana Turner and Cheryl Crane was told on a podcast I listen to about the murder of Johnny Stompanato. I immediately purchase the memoirs of Lana and Cheryl. Turner’s read as I expected. She shared the truth of her life, career, marriages, mistakes, and flaws. She gave enough specifics to make it interesting. I read it and have questions (or suspicions). Parts of the story defy belief. I plan to read Cheryl’s next and reserve the right to update this review. Mostly I found the people unlikeable (except Cheryl who was a minor character in this telling) yet was unable to put the book aside and move on. The collaborator helped the book to stay on track and be readable.
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March 30, 2023Lana Turner, known as the "sweater girl," holds no punches when telling her life story. She has been married a total of 8 times to 7 different men and this memoir covers all of the failed marriages. She is raw and honest about her mistakes--maybe not her bad behavior--when it comes to what led to her divorces. Her life lived is fascinating; there even is a mafia romance that ended in the gangsta getting killed by Turner's only daughter. For this book to be only 252 pages, there is so much you learn about the actress' personal and professional life. She is not the best at introspection but I enjoyed hearing the story from the woman, herself.
July 24, 2025
This book was well written. I didn't enjoy the diary of men that she engaged with.
October 1, 2013
Wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I also wasn't sure how to rate this book when I finished it. On the one hand it was packed with easy to digest information on Lana Turner's life which warrants 5 stars but on the other hand had too much on her sorted romantic entanglements with little mention of details onset unless it involved romance which I felt should maybe 2-3 stars.
Having more interest in film and Lana Turner's films themselves and film career rather than Lana Turner as a Hollywood starlet I longed for more details on her work. I also longed for more film details because the era in which Lana Turner did most of her film work was one with many titles I haven't seen or don't remember because I saw them so long ago. I was somewhat lost when Turner mentioned certain film titles and/or Directors who's work I wasn't familiar with. Turner also mentioned other stars briefly like her working with John Wayne and Ray Milland and others. I hoped to hear more on them and others. I also wanted to know more about the work itself and her approach to it. Turner talks about long hours on the set and how she finally got to act in later films rather than just appear as another pretty face. These details with regard to her work just wetted my appetite for more.
Lana Turner's autobiography was finished just before her death. During the course of the book it's evident Turner led a charmed life of opportunity with the perks of showbiz royalty on one hand and on the other hand she had a dramatic dark personal life with more twists and turns than most daytime drama scripts. At times Turner's approach to the material appeared to be from the perspective of someone from another time, another era. A young ghost writer might have been helpful to modernize her approach to the material. All in all Lana is a good read and gives interesting insight into the mind of the life of Lana Turner as a starlet during the days of the studio system, from her point of view. It also should be essential reading for young women as an example of the struggles of women to achieve equality in life and the double standard they had to live with in the process.
Having more interest in film and Lana Turner's films themselves and film career rather than Lana Turner as a Hollywood starlet I longed for more details on her work. I also longed for more film details because the era in which Lana Turner did most of her film work was one with many titles I haven't seen or don't remember because I saw them so long ago. I was somewhat lost when Turner mentioned certain film titles and/or Directors who's work I wasn't familiar with. Turner also mentioned other stars briefly like her working with John Wayne and Ray Milland and others. I hoped to hear more on them and others. I also wanted to know more about the work itself and her approach to it. Turner talks about long hours on the set and how she finally got to act in later films rather than just appear as another pretty face. These details with regard to her work just wetted my appetite for more.
Lana Turner's autobiography was finished just before her death. During the course of the book it's evident Turner led a charmed life of opportunity with the perks of showbiz royalty on one hand and on the other hand she had a dramatic dark personal life with more twists and turns than most daytime drama scripts. At times Turner's approach to the material appeared to be from the perspective of someone from another time, another era. A young ghost writer might have been helpful to modernize her approach to the material. All in all Lana is a good read and gives interesting insight into the mind of the life of Lana Turner as a starlet during the days of the studio system, from her point of view. It also should be essential reading for young women as an example of the struggles of women to achieve equality in life and the double standard they had to live with in the process.
August 23, 2014
Enjoyable bio. Not a huge fan of Turner's, but she was stunning. It's easy to see why they called her the Sweater Girl. She was gorgeous.
As for her life, I'm not impressed. She comes off as shallow & a bit well, dumb blonde. Sorry. Married all those times for the fun of it & didn't realize she was dating a mobster? Seriously?? Not impressive at all. And then giving all her money to the men in her life....seriously?
But her's was an interesting life. All the ups & downs. She still comes out a winner because she did fight for herself. Even if she made bad choices in men, she still comes out smelling like a rose.
As for her life, I'm not impressed. She comes off as shallow & a bit well, dumb blonde. Sorry. Married all those times for the fun of it & didn't realize she was dating a mobster? Seriously?? Not impressive at all. And then giving all her money to the men in her life....seriously?
But her's was an interesting life. All the ups & downs. She still comes out a winner because she did fight for herself. Even if she made bad choices in men, she still comes out smelling like a rose.
April 29, 2009
I was never the hugest fan of her, but I quite enjoyed reading most of this book - perhaps for mentions of other people more than her.
March 8, 2010
I found the "shaved eyebrows" story interesting and then heard Shirley McClaine use a line to reference it in the move "Postcards from The Edge". Interesting Bio.
February 29, 2016
Lana comes across as very likeable and level-headed despite being a Hollywood movie star. I thoroughly enjoyed this account of her life. My copy of the book had a few typos in though.
April 2, 2022
I have read Old Hollywood biographies since I turned 16 when I bought Pizza Hut and Montgomery Clift by Patricia Bosworth. I try to read autobiographies and memoirs or people so close to said figure that it counts as 1st person pov. I even read biographies outside the Old Hollywood era venturing to historical figures and it's probably what got me so into nonfiction but biographies remain my biggest reading pleasure. But as im saying, what I love so much of biographies is what it reveals about people. Every single person is so different, so individual and capable of so much but mostly its the Rashomon effect. Theres Ava Gardner in My Confessions, even with her brash personality, she wanted to keep distance from who she really was in the book hence why its mostly the writers account into her meetings and quotes rather than just ignoring it. She maintained she wanted the truth to suit what she wanted, even if it's an ugly truth. Marlene Dietrich's daughter and her survival of being molested by her girlfriend caused a clear unhealed resentment and judgement of her mother's lifestyle instead of getting help. Glenn Ford's son meanwhile grew up in his white knuckled marriage to his mother, who's Christian upbringing and purity ego boiled to repressed tension that nobody in the marriage, offspring or spouse, should go through so you see he resents his dad cheating, he resents even later Glenn Ford as an elderly man who becomes mentally and financially abused by his young wives and his feelings from the past didn't let him heal to help and to see and to write the book later in a clear view. Is there a real truth in a life? This book proves that. This is the most honest Autobiography i have read. The truth of life as is reality is you wake up and live and survive and suffer and thrive and go to bed and do it all over again until you die. Tis life. Lana's truth reflects survival and adversity in the real world. Her working class perspective survives her fame and fortune, her perspective as a single mother survives several marriages, including a highly abusive and dangerous relationship that ended in his death by her daughter. You may even think by the middle of this book that what is there in life to live for? What is life and love with so much greed and selfish men and scams and violence? How can you go on? Well you do as before. You keep living anyway. Lana's writing feels as true as if I read my own single mother's perspective. She is as she always was. A hardworking mother who lived for her daughter and her own mom by her side. So strange to read a book of the LANA TURNER yet this book is so unglamorous. It's rough and unexpected and would make you want to kill Tyrone Power and its crazy and its emotional. Its a book on life, on a single life, on single truth that doesn't destroy Lana Turner's image nor even boast and buffer her image with a fluffy makeup brush and spritz with perfume! Its a single woman's experiences of the rough and gargantuan yet astounding power of life itself. And thats the real truth.
January 19, 2021
This was a lovely read. Being an Old Hollywood buff, it's about time that I delve into the story of Lana Turner--one of the great blonde beauties of the Golden Age (although Lana never saw herself as a "sex symbol"). If you want a truly intimate look into Lana's life, well, it won't get better than this. Feels like she's speaking directly to you. There's a softness to Lana's delivery (in sharp contrast with Ava Gardner's caustic, raucous, mighty vulgar tone in Peter Evans' "Secret Conversations") that provides for a straightforward, honest portrayal of her (mostly tragic) life without ever erring into a territory of self-pity. She's truly a strong woman and I found this line to be especially poignant: "You can push me to the wall but you can't push me *through* it." A must-read for Old Hollywood fans!
BTW, I think I'll be incorporating more white into my wardrobe as Miss Lana was known for her stunning white outfits!
BTW, I think I'll be incorporating more white into my wardrobe as Miss Lana was known for her stunning white outfits!
November 23, 2008
Lana Turner's autobiography is quite a juicy read, and for anyone interested in the old Hollywood days, it's irresistible. That the author may have avoided some truths, or not told everything, is obvious, and all the events are seen through her eyes decades after they happened - which means there is a bias. So what? Turner was such a public figure, and had such a tumultuous life both on and off screen, that all accounts are different, yet they may all be true. Or not. All the same, Turner's book does bring back old Hollywood in a very convincing way, and there are enough anecdotes, and gossip, and revelations (like the one about the abortion that almost killed her) to make you at least get a glimpse of what her life may have been.
March 7, 2013
Who knew that Lana Turner, the woman Pauline Kael called a Brand X commodity, could be so likeable? The fun bits are less in the lurid Hollywood details than in Turner's unselfconscious asides, like how she visualized her puppy being run over to cry on cue, or first husband, Arty Shaw's faux intellectualism. "He went on about Nietzsche and Schopenhauer (I tried to read them later, but didn't get far)."
Yes, there is a religious conversion on the last two pages, but one gets the feeling that Turner would discard the Good News at the first sign of trouble, much like she did her 7 husbands. Very fun read.
Yes, there is a religious conversion on the last two pages, but one gets the feeling that Turner would discard the Good News at the first sign of trouble, much like she did her 7 husbands. Very fun read.
December 1, 2013
Let me start off by saying I knew nothing about Lana Turner prior to reading this book. Ive taken a big interest in silver screen stars, and my mother bought me this book along with a few others. It took awhile to get into, but once I did, I really did. I loved her personality in the book, it shone through so very vividly. I loved the book itself, once I finally got into it, of course. I was at page 80 and in 2 days finished it all, and it was just lovely. I recommend it highly.
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October 18, 2013
Interesting Hollywood story and an OK read. I expected many more stories to fall in the "juicy" category, but Lana is much more likable than spicy. Almost too naive and trusting a portrait at times to be believable.
September 6, 2008
Another old Hollywood autobiography. I know it's trashy, but I.Can't.Stop. Plus, Lana Turner? My hell, she was SOOO beautiful.
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February 11, 2012I really enjoyed this book. Lana Turner held nothing back from the reader even though it was not flattering or made her look bad. She had quite a life and I am not sorry I read this.
July 8, 2012
I really enjoyed treading this bio. It really gave me an insiders view to the hollywood star making machine.
November 27, 2013
Wow. She lived a fascinating life, but had horrible luck with men. Oh, & the "discovery" at Schwabs she debunks EARLY on in the book :) Just in case you wanted to know, LOL.
August 22, 2017
Lana is one of my favorite old hollywood stars (sometimes I wish I even look like her!) so I thought why not and picked up this autobio. I love Lana and reading this made me know a lot about her. I didn't see her in a different light after reading this, which is good! Her struggles she went through with her failed romances. Her relationship with her mother and daughter and how she tried to build a strong family bond with them I respected Lana for that. She was a strong person and no way selfish (well maybe a bit at the studios but she was no diva!!)
-She was branded a sex symbol of the 40s and 50s but she never liked sex. She preferred cuddling and hugging over sex.
-She never had an affair with Frank Sinatra she mentions that several times! They were just great friends. Also she was close friends with Ava Gardner before Ava married Frank (though Lana lost contact with her after Ava moved to Europe), so it wouldn't be pretty having your best friend marrying your former "lover". And knowing Ava...
-Her life was at stake while having her "romance" with Johnny Steele (I'm too lazy to write his Italian name lol). I didn't felt sorry for his death for what Cheryl did. Lana said she doesn't feel regret but at the same time she didn't want it to happen this way. She said if Johnny was alive her or Cheryl would've been dead. He was a creep, a stalker and a psychopath. She feared the public knowing about their "romance" (which was why she couldn't tell the police or any close friends and crew she worked with because of the future headlines of her being with a mobster).
I'm also shocked she didn't talked about the fact there was a movie made of her scandal and it starred one of her closest friends, Susan Hayward. In the movie a 13 yr old girl kills her mother's lover because of jealousy not self defense so I thought maybe this is what really happened with Cheryl and Lana but she doesn't mentioned it. Maybe Cheryl mentions it in her book...?
-She also gives us some perspectives on several actors and so on. Like Ezio Pinza was a disgusting man to work with, John Garfield was a wonderful actor whom she liked working with (there are rumors saying she hated him but thats a rumor!)
From her childhood to her retirement it was a splendid journey getting to know about one of my favorite old hollywood actresses.
-She was branded a sex symbol of the 40s and 50s but she never liked sex. She preferred cuddling and hugging over sex.
-She never had an affair with Frank Sinatra she mentions that several times! They were just great friends. Also she was close friends with Ava Gardner before Ava married Frank (though Lana lost contact with her after Ava moved to Europe), so it wouldn't be pretty having your best friend marrying your former "lover". And knowing Ava...
-Her life was at stake while having her "romance" with Johnny Steele (I'm too lazy to write his Italian name lol). I didn't felt sorry for his death for what Cheryl did. Lana said she doesn't feel regret but at the same time she didn't want it to happen this way. She said if Johnny was alive her or Cheryl would've been dead. He was a creep, a stalker and a psychopath. She feared the public knowing about their "romance" (which was why she couldn't tell the police or any close friends and crew she worked with because of the future headlines of her being with a mobster).
I'm also shocked she didn't talked about the fact there was a movie made of her scandal and it starred one of her closest friends, Susan Hayward. In the movie a 13 yr old girl kills her mother's lover because of jealousy not self defense so I thought maybe this is what really happened with Cheryl and Lana but she doesn't mentioned it. Maybe Cheryl mentions it in her book...?
-She also gives us some perspectives on several actors and so on. Like Ezio Pinza was a disgusting man to work with, John Garfield was a wonderful actor whom she liked working with (there are rumors saying she hated him but thats a rumor!)
From her childhood to her retirement it was a splendid journey getting to know about one of my favorite old hollywood actresses.
June 6, 2024
This read is a good example of me falling into an informational rabbit hole: one minute I’m reading about the origin of Lana Del Rey’s name, the next minute I’m reading about a starlet who I never even was cognizant of and whose time was well before my own. That being said, there was a lot of information and insight (even in a clearly guarded capacity) presented in this memoir. Lana certainly lived an extravagant, salacious, and at times scandalous life, and I can see the nostalgic and romantic appeal her image and persona had on a young women like Lizzy Grant. Outside of simply learning who Lana Turner was and what she was about, this memoir affords glimpses into and reinforces many of the darker sides of Hollywood, film, and excess. To all of those who still may be shocked that current Hollywood and the elite found within it are infested with scandal, abuse, and depravity, all one needs to do is read memoirs like this one to see that Hollywood has always been grimy, dark, and the realities are shadow images of the sunshine sold on the big screen. Lana was thrown into the meat grinder of an industry at a very young age, and in many ways her flaws, constantly looking for romance and love in the wrong places, and placing trust in people shouldn’t have are reflections of an arrested development that comes with adulterating one’s world too soon. I’m glad Lana was able to find some solace toward the end of her career and life, but she certainly paid a price in the process. Regardless of how much she did or didn’t hold back, there was authenticity and voice that made this uneven read at times engaging and enjoyable. It wasn’t the page turner that was hoping for, but it was authentic enough to make it a worthwhile information finding endeavor. In the land of Gods and Monsters authenticity is not their strong suit, so finding that here was refreshing, and while I don’t see myself reading anything else on Lana Turner any time soon, I am now going to check out some of her films and see the persona that masked the woman that I just read 300 pages about.
September 4, 2024
This year I have been reading and watching more of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and Lana Turner was one of the most sought after actresses. The book covers her career, along with her personal life of her seven marriages, her debunking some of the myths about her and stars like Tyrone Power, Frank Sinatra, and others. Her daughter was in the press due to stabbing a man Lana was involved with who was associated with a major crime family, who abused and threatened her and her family.
A theme of the book which gives it a wonderful feel is how even though she had many marriages, it was at a time where Hollywood and the press would have frowned on stars not marrying if they were having a baby or living together, which in today's Hollywood, nothing would be thought of it. (She brings up the scandal with involved Ingrid Bergman) Lana shares the differences from the writing of the book to her star days, including her loneliness which led to a suicide attempt to various miscarriages along with her failed relationships. The reader can get inside of the person behind the camera and see that not always is what it seems in the spotlight.
This was a great read especially getting the book at a book sale last year for a wonderful price.
A theme of the book which gives it a wonderful feel is how even though she had many marriages, it was at a time where Hollywood and the press would have frowned on stars not marrying if they were having a baby or living together, which in today's Hollywood, nothing would be thought of it. (She brings up the scandal with involved Ingrid Bergman) Lana shares the differences from the writing of the book to her star days, including her loneliness which led to a suicide attempt to various miscarriages along with her failed relationships. The reader can get inside of the person behind the camera and see that not always is what it seems in the spotlight.
This was a great read especially getting the book at a book sale last year for a wonderful price.
February 27, 2024
Star-struck Young People, Be Careful What You Wish For
Having grown up in Southern California, I’ve always been mystified by celebrity, but never wanted to possess it. After all, I grew up reading about the soft underbelly of celebrity every day in my daily newspaper - hounding by press and fans alike, no privacy anytime or anywhere, demanding studios and agents, everyone wanting a piece of of your hard-earned pie.
Yet scores streamed then and now to Hollywood in hopes of finding it. Maybe they should read this book by Golden-age movie star Lana Turner. For whether she meant it to be or not, this book is a cautionary tale. After reading it, the question looms: would she have had a happier, if less lucrative, life by staying Julia Jean Turner from Wallace, Idaho?
This book isn’t of earth-shaking importance, but if you like the movies and think about worshipping the excitement of celebrity, this is an easy and thought-provoking read.
Having grown up in Southern California, I’ve always been mystified by celebrity, but never wanted to possess it. After all, I grew up reading about the soft underbelly of celebrity every day in my daily newspaper - hounding by press and fans alike, no privacy anytime or anywhere, demanding studios and agents, everyone wanting a piece of of your hard-earned pie.
Yet scores streamed then and now to Hollywood in hopes of finding it. Maybe they should read this book by Golden-age movie star Lana Turner. For whether she meant it to be or not, this book is a cautionary tale. After reading it, the question looms: would she have had a happier, if less lucrative, life by staying Julia Jean Turner from Wallace, Idaho?
This book isn’t of earth-shaking importance, but if you like the movies and think about worshipping the excitement of celebrity, this is an easy and thought-provoking read.
January 20, 2020
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and didn't include too much name dropping, which can often happen in autobiographies. Lana details events from her life in a clear way and doesn't seem to be looking for pity. She takes responsibility for her mistakes and all of her marriages (even though she still seems a little crazy to have gotten married so many times to the wrong kind of man).
Despite her insistence that she wrote the book to be completely open and honest about her life, I do question her authenticity on some topics. For example, Ava Gardner stated many times in her book and interviews that Lana "got to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra first", but Lana makes a point a couple of times in her book to say that she was only friends with Mickey and Frank. Who was telling the truth? I guess we'll never know.
Despite her insistence that she wrote the book to be completely open and honest about her life, I do question her authenticity on some topics. For example, Ava Gardner stated many times in her book and interviews that Lana "got to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra first", but Lana makes a point a couple of times in her book to say that she was only friends with Mickey and Frank. Who was telling the truth? I guess we'll never know.
August 26, 2018
Lana Turner led an interesting life. If you read her autobiography, perhaps she will convince you that she was simply an innocent, naïve person who just happened to find herself in a lot of predicaments with men. The lady never took a breather. Wow! Much of the book seems to be her trying to justify her romantic decisions, which she really does not need to do. She did not owe anyone that. So that is kind of sad that she felt that way. Also sad is the terror she endured from Johnny Stompanato. Truly terrifying. Ms. Turner is very careful how she presents herself...she does leave out terrible details about Lex Barker...maybe she did not know? I enjoy autobiographies of real Hollywood stars and am glad to add this to my collection.
June 6, 2024
If you loved “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugho,” then you should read this nonfiction version! She went through the husbands just as quickly and each one comes with a fascinating story- oddly enough- it’s only a boyfriend that ends up murdered in her house in a crime that has people divided down the middle on who did the stabbing.
I had already read Lana’s daughter’s book, “Detour,” so I knew her side of the murder, but I had not been able to get my hands on a copy of Lana’s book without paying a mint, so I was thrilled to find it in an antique mall for 3 bucks!!
Her life is absolutely amazing and this book is filled with candid stories about all of her time in Hollywood.
Highly recommend- 5 out of 5 stars.
I had already read Lana’s daughter’s book, “Detour,” so I knew her side of the murder, but I had not been able to get my hands on a copy of Lana’s book without paying a mint, so I was thrilled to find it in an antique mall for 3 bucks!!
Her life is absolutely amazing and this book is filled with candid stories about all of her time in Hollywood.
Highly recommend- 5 out of 5 stars.
June 20, 2025
I’m not sure what it is that intrigues me so much about Lana Turner, possibly the mafioso murder that took place in her bedroom, but she really was an icon. I am also curious about the fact that so few people have any idea who she was in 2025. She, arguably, gave Marilyn Monroe inspiration and tips on becoming a blond bombshell, Turner was the first.
I appreciated Turner’s candid revelations about her life. I often come away feeling that the authors of autobiographies I read are nice people. I won't say she wasn’t nice, but she was very much a diva. It’s hard to read about her dismal marriages and the treatment most of her husbands gave her. Even back then women loved bad boys, evidently. No mention of the purported, extended sexual abuse of her daughter by one of them.
I appreciated Turner’s candid revelations about her life. I often come away feeling that the authors of autobiographies I read are nice people. I won't say she wasn’t nice, but she was very much a diva. It’s hard to read about her dismal marriages and the treatment most of her husbands gave her. Even back then women loved bad boys, evidently. No mention of the purported, extended sexual abuse of her daughter by one of them.
October 5, 2021
Such a rewarding read, the life of Ms. Turner as given from her own memories. She, thankfully, steers away from vulgarities and, in my own opinion, she sounds to have been a sincere person with values, at least toward the end of her life. Turner speaks of God, but/and hopefully her experience included finding Christ as Savior and Lord. She died some years back.
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