The Importance of Being Barbra

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Author :
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 142990853X
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

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Book Synopsis The Importance of Being Barbra by : Tom Santopietro

Download or read book The Importance of Being Barbra written by Tom Santopietro and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2007-04-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Controversial, a global icon, a diva among divas---Barbra Streisand, the last genuinely unique show business personality of the twentieth century is the most honored entertainer in the world today. But along with the Tony, two Oscars, six Emmys, eight Grammys, ten Golden Globes, fifty gold albums, and wild acclaim have come wildly diverse reactions to a personality as outsized as her talent. In the words of Streisand herself, "I'm a liberal, opinionated Jewish feminist---I push a lot of buttons." In Tom Santopietro's witty yet analytical look at this one-of-a-kind career, the myths and personal foibles are stripped away, and the focus lands squarely on the work. From the early recordings to the groundbreaking television specials, from the Hollywood blockbusters to the history-making comeback concerts, Streisand's career is placed within an oftentimes uniquely American social context but always allowed to speak for itself. In a brisk, funny, and always compelling style, The Importance of Being Barbra reveals all the milestones in a new and sometimes startling light, ranging from the brilliance of Funny Girl and The Broadway Album to the misbegotten yet curiously popular A Star Is Born. Treating Barbra Streisand like the serious artist she is---and has always claimed to be---The Importance of Being Barbra delves into the key reasons for her all-encompassing success: the overwhelming ambition, the notorious perfectionism, the fervent gay following, the dramatic pull of a voice and style that mysteriously connect with the lovelorn all around the world. A full-scale examination of the acting, singing, and directing that have ranged from the dazzling to the occasionally inexplicable---it's all here for anyone who has ever wondered at the phenomenon that is Barbra Streisand.

Hello, Gorgeous

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Author :
Publisher : HMH
ISBN 13 : 0547905866
Total Pages : 605 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (479 download)

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Book Synopsis Hello, Gorgeous by : William J. Mann

Download or read book Hello, Gorgeous written by William J. Mann and published by HMH. This book was released on 2012-10-09 with total page 605 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Masterful . . . Many books have been written about Streisand but few, if any, put readers as close to the subject as Mann does” (Miami Herald). A legendary singer, songwriter, actress, and filmmaker with multiple Academy, Emmy, Grammy, Tony, and even two Peabody awards to her name, Barbara Streisand is a talent like no other. In Hello, Gorgeous, celebrity biographer William J. Mann profiles the Brooklyn-born talent, focusing on her early years, honing her persona at Greenwich Village nightclubs like the Blue Angel and the Bon Soir. Streisand lost her father at an early age and had a rocky relationship with her mother, but her natural abilities and supernatural chutzpah soon earned her the role of a lifetime: a starring role as Fanny Brice in the Broadway musical, Funny Girl. In lush detail, Mann chronicles Streisand’s dizzying ascent from an unknown dreamer into one of the world’s most beloved superstars. “Mann’s meticulous research and insightful analysis go deeper than any previous biography: shedding light on the formative years that shaped Streisand’s persona, debunking some myths . . . and providing a cultural snapshot of the wild and free-spirited era in which Streisand blossomed.” —USA Today

What Would Barbra Do?

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Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0061254614
Total Pages : 292 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (612 download)

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Book Synopsis What Would Barbra Do? by : Emma Brockes

Download or read book What Would Barbra Do? written by Emma Brockes and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2007-05 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emma Brockes didn't always love musicals. In fact, she hated them. One of her earliest (and most painful) memories is of her mother singing "The Hills Are Alive" while young Emma crossed the street to go to her babysitting gig. According to her mother, the music would keep muggers at bay. According to Emma, it warded off friends, a social life, and any chance of being normal. As she grew older, however, these same songs continued to resonate in her head, first like a broken record and then as a fond reminder of her mother's love. Some people would slice off their arm with a plastic knife before they'd sit through Fiddler on the Roof or The Sound of Music. But musicals are everywhere, and it's about time someone asked why. From An American in Paris to Oklahoma!, Brockes explores the history, art, and politics of musicals, and how they have become an indelible part of our popular culture. Smartly written and incredibly witty, this is a book for people who understand that there are few situations in which the question "What would Barbra do?" doesn't have relevance, in a world much better lived to a soundtrack of show tunes. At the heart of What Would Barbra Do? is a touching story about a daughter, a mother, and how musicals kept them together. Part memoir, part musical history tour, it will keep you laughing and singing all at once.

Barbra Streisand

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Author :
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300220715
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Barbra Streisand by : Neal Gabler

Download or read book Barbra Streisand written by Neal Gabler and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2016-04-26 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Barbra Streisand has been called the “most successful...talented performer of her generation” by Vanity Fair, and her voice, said pianist Glenn Gould, is “one of the natural wonders of the age.” Streisand scaled the heights of entertainment—from a popular vocalist to a first-rank Broadway star in Funny Girl to an Oscar-winning actress to a producer and director. But she has also become a cultural icon who has transcended show business. To achieve her success, Brooklyn-born Streisand had to overcome tremendous odds, not the least of which was her Jewishness. Dismissed, insulted, even reviled when she embarked on a show business career for acting too Jewish and looking too Jewish, she brilliantly converted her Jewishness into a metaphor for outsiderness that would eventually make her the avenger for anyone who felt marginalized and powerless. Neal Gabler examines Streisand’s life and career through this prism of otherness—a Jew in a gentile world, a self-proclaimed homely girl in a world of glamour, a kooky girl in a world of convention—and shows how central it was to Streisand’s triumph as one of the voices of her age.

Streisand

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Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 163076129X
Total Pages : 490 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (37 download)

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Book Synopsis Streisand by : Anne Edwards

Download or read book Streisand written by Anne Edwards and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-02-15 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Streisand: A Biography is much more than the story of the world's greatest living performer, how she got there, and why she remains at the top after three decades, it is also, in Anne Edward's sure hands, a compelling chronicle of a woman's fight to validate her appearance, her talent, and her right to love and be loved. Time and time again Streisand has demonstrated the ability to reinvent herself to keep pace with the continuing changes in musical taste. This updated edition of Edwards's pioneering biography chronicles her public life as a political activist as well as her private life as Mrs. James Brolin.

The Godfather Effect

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Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1493068865
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (93 download)

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Book Synopsis The Godfather Effect by : Tom Santopietro

Download or read book The Godfather Effect written by Tom Santopietro and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-03-01 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifty years and one billion dollars in gross box-office receipts after the initial release of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola's masterful trilogy continues to fascinate viewers old and new. The Godfather Effect skillfully analyzes the reasons behind this ongoing global phenomenon. Packed with behind-the-scenes anecdotes from all three Godfather films, Tom Santopietro explores the historical origins of the Mob and why they thrived in America, how Italian-Americans are portrayed in the media, and how a saga of murderous gangsters captivated audiences around the globe. Laced with stories about Brando, Pacino, and Sinatra, and interwoven with a funny and poignant memoir about the author's own experiences growing up with an Italian name in an Anglo world of private schools and country clubs, The Godfather Effect is a book for film lovers, observers of American life, and Italians of all nationalities.

Tree of Strangers

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Publisher : Massey University Press
ISBN 13 : 0995137897
Total Pages : 199 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (951 download)

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Book Synopsis Tree of Strangers by : Barbara Sumner

Download or read book Tree of Strangers written by Barbara Sumner and published by Massey University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-10 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: '"I live at the end of a gravel road at the top of a valley consumed by bush. My husband is here, and my three girls. But the bush swallows them up like the road.' I wrote those words at the kitchen table in 1983. A letter to the mother I'd never met. But how do you convey your life in a few sentences when almost every memory is missing?" Barbara Sumner grew up in a family filled with secrets and lies. At twenty-three she decided she had to find her mother. Remarkable, moving, beautifully written, Tree of Strangers is a ripping account of a search for identity in a country governed by adoption laws that deny the rights of the adopted person.

Learning How to Learn

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Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 052550446X
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (255 download)

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Book Synopsis Learning How to Learn by : Barbara Oakley, PhD

Download or read book Learning How to Learn written by Barbara Oakley, PhD and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-08-07 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A surprisingly simple way for students to master any subject--based on one of the world's most popular online courses and the bestselling book A Mind for Numbers A Mind for Numbers and its wildly popular online companion course "Learning How to Learn" have empowered more than two million learners of all ages from around the world to master subjects that they once struggled with. Fans often wish they'd discovered these learning strategies earlier and ask how they can help their kids master these skills as well. Now in this new book for kids and teens, the authors reveal how to make the most of time spent studying. We all have the tools to learn what might not seem to come naturally to us at first--the secret is to understand how the brain works so we can unlock its power. This book explains: Why sometimes letting your mind wander is an important part of the learning process How to avoid "rut think" in order to think outside the box Why having a poor memory can be a good thing The value of metaphors in developing understanding A simple, yet powerful, way to stop procrastinating Filled with illustrations, application questions, and exercises, this book makes learning easy and fun.

My Passion for Design

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Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101665165
Total Pages : 303 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis My Passion for Design by : Barbra Streisand

Download or read book My Passion for Design written by Barbra Streisand and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2010-11-16 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For nearly six decades Barbra Streisand has been one of the singular figures in American entertainment. From the cabaret to the Broadway stage, from television and film stardom to her acclaimed work as a director, from the recording studio to the concert hall, she has demonstrated that the extraordinary voice that launched her career was only one of her remarkable gifts. Now, in her first book, Barbra Streisand reveals another aspect of her talent: the taste and style that have inspired her beautiful homes and collections. My Passion for Design is her account of the creation and consturction of her newest home—the dream refuge she has longed for since the days when she shared a small Brooklyn apartment with her mother, brother, and grandparents, and a culmination and reflection of her love of American architecture and design from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Whether she is seeking an elusive shade of blue for the paneling in a Federal lounge, tracking down a contemporary woodworker who was able to recreate the exquisite Greene & Greene style, or choosing the roses to harmonize with both the interior and exterior of a given room, Barbra's perseverance and attention to detail are remarkable—and remarkably engaging. She is a wonderfully witty storyteller as well as a knowledgeable and charming guide. My Passion for Design contains not only Barbra's own photographs of the rooms she has decorated, the furniture and art she has collected, and the ravishing gardens she has planted on her land on the California coast, but memories of her childhood, and insights into the development of her own sense of style. The millions of fans who have cherished her voice as a singer will find that she has an equally inimitable and compelling voice as a writer. Here is a rare and intimate private tour of the world of one of our most beloved stars, which will be welcomed by her fans and all lovers of the great achievements of American design.

Making the Body Beautiful

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Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691240213
Total Pages : 419 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)

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Book Synopsis Making the Body Beautiful by : Sander L. Gilman

Download or read book Making the Body Beautiful written by Sander L. Gilman and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nose reconstructions have been common in India for centuries. South Korea, Brazil, and Israel have become international centers for procedures ranging from eyelid restructuring to buttock lifts and tummy tucks. Argentina has the highest rate of silicone implants in the world. Around the globe, aesthetic surgery has become a cultural and medical fixture. Sander Gilman seeks to explain why by presenting the first systematic world history and cultural theory of aesthetic surgery. Touching on subjects as diverse as getting a "nose job" as a sweet-sixteen birthday present and the removal of male breasts in seventh-century Alexandria, Gilman argues that aesthetic surgery has such universal appeal because it helps people to "pass," to be seen as a member of a group with which they want to or need to identify. Gilman begins by addressing basic questions about the history of aesthetic surgery. What surgical procedures have been performed? Which are considered aesthetic and why? Who are the patients? What is the place of aesthetic surgery in modern culture? He then turns his attention to that focus of countless human anxieties: the nose. Gilman discusses how people have reshaped their noses to repair the ravages of war and disease (principally syphilis), to match prevailing ideas of beauty, and to avoid association with negative images of the "Jew," the "Irish," the "Oriental," or the "Black." He examines how we have used aesthetic surgery on almost every conceivable part of the body to try to pass as younger, stronger, thinner, and more erotic. Gilman also explores some of the extremes of surgery as personal transformation, discussing transgender surgery, adult circumcision and foreskin restoration, the enhancement of dueling scars, and even a performance artist who had herself altered to resemble the Mona Lisa. The book draws on an extraordinary range of sources. Gilman is as comfortable discussing Nietzsche, Yeats, and Darwin as he is grisly medical details, Michael Jackson, and Barbra Streisand's decision to keep her own nose. The book contains dozens of arresting images of people before, during, and after surgery. This is a profound, provocative, and engaging study of how humans have sought to change their lives by transforming their bodies.

The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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Publisher : Omnibus Press
ISBN 13 : 0857125958
Total Pages : 4183 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (571 download)

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Book Synopsis The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by : Colin Larkin

Download or read book The Encyclopedia of Popular Music written by Colin Larkin and published by Omnibus Press. This book was released on 2011-05-27 with total page 4183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text presents a comprehensive and up-to-date reference work on popular music, from the early 20th century to the present day.

Sinatra in Hollywood

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Author :
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 142996474X
Total Pages : 823 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

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Book Synopsis Sinatra in Hollywood by : Tom Santopietro

Download or read book Sinatra in Hollywood written by Tom Santopietro and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2009-11-10 with total page 823 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hollywood legend, Academy Award-winning actor, and recipient of the Golden Globe Award for lifetime achievement in film, Frank Sinatra carved out one of the biggest careers in the history of Hollywood, yet paradoxically his screen legacy has been overshadowed by his extraordinary achievements as a singer and recording artist. Until now. With the publication of Sinatra in Hollywood, an analytical yet deeply personal look at the screen legend of Frank Sinatra, Sinatra's standing as a significant, indeed legendary, screen actor has now been placed in full perspective. Examining each of Sinatra's seventy film appearances in depth, Tom Santopietro traces the arc of his astonishing six-decade run as a film actor, from his rise to stardom in "boy next door" musical films like Anchors Aweigh and On the Town, through his fall from grace with legendary flops like The Kissing Bandit, to the near-mythic comeback with his Oscar-winning performance in From Here to Eternity. Laced throughout with Sinatra's own observations on his film work, Sinatra in Hollywood deals head-on with his tumultuous marriages to Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow and directly addresses the rumors of Mob involvement in Sinatra's Hollywood career. Ranging from the specifics of his controversial acting nickname of One Take Charlie to the iconic Rat Pack film Ocean's Eleven, from the groundbreaking performance in The Manchurian Candidate to the moving and elegiac late-career roles as tough yet vulnerable detectives, the myths and personal foibles are stripped away, placing the focus squarely on the work. Oftentimes brilliant, occasionally off-kilter, but always compelling, Frank Sinatra, the film icon who registered as nothing less than emblematic of "The American Century," here receives his full due as the serious artist he was, the actor about whom director Billy Wilder emphatically stated, "Frank Sinatra is beyond talent."

Learning to Walk in the Dark

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Author :
Publisher : Canterbury Press
ISBN 13 : 1848256175
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (482 download)

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Book Synopsis Learning to Walk in the Dark by : Barbara Brown Taylor

Download or read book Learning to Walk in the Dark written by Barbara Brown Taylor and published by Canterbury Press. This book was released on 2014-06-30 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this long awaited follow-up to the best-selling An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor explores ‘the treasures of darkness’ that the Bible speaks about. What can we learn about the ways of God when we cannot see the way ahead, are lost, alone, frightened, not in control or when the world around us seems to have descended into darkness?

The Way We Were

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Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1493071262
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (93 download)

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Book Synopsis The Way We Were by : Tom Santopietro

Download or read book The Way We Were written by Tom Santopietro and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2023-01-15 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Way We Were: a nostalgia drenched, bittersweet romance starring superstars Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford at the peaks of their careers, and a story for everyone who was ever loved with passion, if not wisely. A smash hit around the world whose power echoes to this day—yet a film whose success was so far from assured that one studio executive was heard to exclaim: “Barbra Streisand doesn’t sing and she plays a communist—are you trying to kill me?!” But succeed the film did, propelled by a smash-hit title song and career defining performances from Streisand and Redford. Now, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the film's release, this behind-the-scenes account from best-selling author Tom Santopietro features new insights from Barbra Streisand, James Woods, Lois Chiles, and Alan Bergman, providing the definitive inside story behind the challenges, disputes, and creative passions of those who fought to make this landmark film." Charting the path from screenwriter Arthur Laurents’s initial inspiration to the fervent talk of a possible sequel, Santopietro mingles reverence and wry humor to decode the mysterious chemistry between Streisand and Redford that created a romance for the ages. Filled with humorous location anecdotes and fascinating first-hand accounts by actors, film historians, and members of the creative team, The Way We Were: The Making of a Romantic Classic is a witty, thoughtful, and loving book for everyone who cherishes this American classic.

Letters to My Daughters

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Author :
Publisher : Baker Books
ISBN 13 : 1441229892
Total Pages : 278 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (412 download)

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Book Synopsis Letters to My Daughters by : Barbara Rainey

Download or read book Letters to My Daughters written by Barbara Rainey and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2016-02-09 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Barbara Rainey Offers Sage Advice on the Art of Being a Wife Radio personality and bestselling author Barbara Rainey knows firsthand the challenges newly married couples face. Dismayed by Hollywood depictions of marriage and the seemingly easy solution of divorce, she sees a desperate need for a voice of experience, a mentor who has been there and understands--and can encourage, coach, and care. As her daughters began their married lives, Barbara wanted to share with them, and now you, some of the lessons learned throughout her own marriage as well as those gleaned from years of ministry to couples. In these heartfelt, insightful letters, she answers the tough questions and addresses the realities of marriage. Through personal stories--including her own mistakes--and practical advice, Barbara provides the tools and direction to help you become a godly wife and determine your part in achieving a better marriage.

The Sound of Music Story

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Author :
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
ISBN 13 : 1466870591
Total Pages : 407 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (668 download)

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Book Synopsis The Sound of Music Story by : Tom Santopietro

Download or read book The Sound of Music Story written by Tom Santopietro and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2015-02-17 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On March 2, 1965, "The Sound of Music" was released in the United States and the love affair between moviegoers and the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was on. Rarely has a film captured the love and imagination of the moviegoing public in the way that "The Sound of Music" did as it blended history, music, Austrian location filming, heartfelt emotion and the yodeling of Julie Andrews into a monster hit. Now, Tom Santopietro has written the ultimate "Sound of Music" fan book with all the inside dope from behind the scenes stories of the filming in Austria and Hollywood to new interviews with Johannes von Trapp and others. Santopietro looks back at the real life story of Maria von Trapp, goes on to chronicle the sensational success of the Broadway musical, and recounts the story of the near cancellation of the film when the "Cleopatra" bankrupted 20th Century Fox. We all know that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer played Maria and Captain Von Trapp, but who else had been considered? Tom Santopietro knows and will tell all while providing a historian's critical analysis of the careers of director Robert Wise and screenwriter Ernest Lehman, a look at the critical controversy which greeted the movie, the film's relationship to the turbulent 1960s and the super stardom which engulfed Julie Andrews. Tom Santopietro's "The Story of 'The Sound of Music'" is book for everyone who cherishes this American classic.

Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Popular Culture

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 031305505X
Total Pages : 326 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Popular Culture by : Luca Prono

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Popular Culture written by Luca Prono and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2007-12-30 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the 20th century through today, gay and lesbian artists, writers, political activists, and sports figures contributed their talents to all areas of popular culture. Authors such as E. Lynn Harris and Patricia Highsmith write bestselling novels. Rupert Everett follows in the footsteps of Rock Hudson and others who starred in multimillion dollar films. George Michael and k.d.lang have been the creative forces behind dozens of hit songs, and the TV programs of Ellen DeGeneres, Rosie O'Donnell, and the cast of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy are enjoyed in gay and straight households alike. The Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Popular Culture identifies the people, films, TV shows, literature, and sports figures that have made significant contributions to both gay and lesbian popular culture, and American popular culture.