Showing results by publisher "BearManor Media" in Biographies & Memoirs

Arguably the greatest comedy duo in show business history, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy delighted filmgoers and theatregoers for over 30 years. The public not only found Laurel's serene simpleton and Hardy's pompous buffoon hilarious, but they also thought of them as friends. Laurel and Hardy may have been nitwits, but they were loveable nitwits.

Raised Eyebrows is the bittersweet story of the last years in the life of Groucho Marx, told by a young Marx Brothers fan who was fortunate enough to work for Groucho as his personal secretary and archivist, right inside Marx's Beverly Hills home. In addition to getting to know his hero, the author was able to spend quality time with Zeppo, Gummo, Mae West, George Burns, Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, SJ Perelman, Steve Allen, and scores of other luminaries of stage, screen, TV, and literature.

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story is the only family-authorized biography of the late Hollywood actress whose promising film career in the 1950s was quickly overtaken by a disastrous and scandal-ridden personal life that left her career in ashes. Barbara Payton’s story has long been considered one of the saddest and most potent cautionary tales the town has ever known.

Dottie Ponedel knows how to amuse with rouge. Her autobiography, the story of a pioneering woman makeup 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.

You know the films. You know the characters. You may even know the man behind the glasses. But do you really know the events and happenings that most changed Harold Lloyd? That define him? The turning points in his life and career? From birth to death, Harold Lloyd grew and evolved because of the things that were happening around him, and he was always aware of the importance of these events.

Many of the details in this audiobook you may have read elsewhere. On the other hand, many more are untold stories. If it were not for Francis Stacey, Eric Stacey's widow, this book would not have been made. For it was Fran who wanted, encouraged, and supported the story about a special man in a magical time. Eric Stacey from Ramsgate (Kent) England, an assistant director, who was often relegated to the sidelines as a traffic cop, and his ultimate work seen in Gone with the Wind.

Autobiography of the King of Porn In the world of adult cinema, one name stands out above all others: John Holmes. For nearly 20 years, from 1967 to 1987, Holmes reigned as the undisputed king of X-rated films, having appeared in a record 2,200 plus productions, from the landmark Johnny Wadd movies (one of which became the first adult motion picture to gross over $1 million) to the legendary Insatiable with Marilyn Chambers.

In 1937, it seemed as if Cary Grant had it all: the fame and fortune of being a leading man for one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, with a life of luxury that was a world away from the hardship and misery he knew growing up in Bristol, England. But all that glitters is not gold. Grant felt that he had no say in the development of his own career, and he was seeing signs that the studio was losing interest in him…other than to just be a handsome face. He yearned for better roles to prove himself as an actor. And so, he did the inconceivable.

After a surprise phone call from Children’s Television Workshop, Daoud Kuttab took the chance of a lifetime to create a Palestinian co-production of Sesame Street. But the challenges of producing a world-famous children’s program quickly escalated beyond just teaching Elmo to speak Arabic. From finding actors and puppeteers in a country starved of training to dealing with a community that considered the production too provocative, the early days were less than easy.

Screenwriter Jeb Rosebrook presents a captivating behind-the-scenes memoir of the making of Junior Bonner, a 1972 Western classic starring Steve McQueen and directed by Sam Peckinpah.

The autobiography of master impressionist Joe Alaskey takes listeners on a fun-filled behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and how he became Mel Blanc’s replacement as the voices of Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and many of the Warner Bros. cartoon characters. Joe Bevilacqua performs as Alaskey and even demonstrates some of the voices along the way, including a sketch that pits Daffy Duck against Colombo, and Archie and Edith Bunker as Romeo and Juliet. Bevilacqua was trained with Mel Blanc and Daws Butler (Yogi Bear).

The latest in a series of books by researchers extraordinaire Gary D. Rhodes and Bill Kaffenberger, Bela Lugosi in Person brims with new facts and figures documenting the actor's scores of live public performances from 1931 to 1945, the era of his greatest fame. Three-act plays, vaudeville sketches, variety shows, and personal appearances are all chronicled at length, bringing new perspective to Lugosi's life and career.

"Gary Rhodes and Bill Kaffenberger have added the final chapter to Bela Lugosi's career, combining fascinating unknown details of his film and stage activities with post-WWII film history. Superbly researched and written as an engrossing story of an actor's struggle against professional decline. A must-read!" (Robert Cremer, author of Lugosi: The Man Behind the Cape)

Lovers of old-time radio hold a special place in their heart for Agnes Moorehead. She was one of the busiest and most definitive actresses of that medium. The bottom line is that Agnes Moorehead is one of the few actresses who succeeded in every realm of show business: stage, radio, film, and television. This impressive biography proves to listeners and scholars alike that she was much more than the witch of Endor! This is the second edition of the best-selling book, with new material!

Mel Blanc needs no introduction to cartoon and radio fans. He was The Master of the funny voice. For the first time ever, here is the ultimate biography, encompassing Noel Blanc's unpublished biography, with an introduction by Bugs Bunny. Read by the great Fred Frees, son of voice actor Paul Frees.

Despite the tragic brevity of his career and life, Andy Gibb still has a strong fan base around the world, but his story has never been told—until now. Arrow Through the Heart: The Biography of Andy Gibb draws upon extensive research, rare archival interviews with Andy Gibb and members of his family, and interviews conducted by the author with nearly fifty of Andy’s friends and associates to examine the life and career of this beloved pop idol.

For over 40 years Cracked was the best-selling humor magazine in the world...if you don't count Mad! A remarkable and amusing retrospective by author Mark Arnold, recounting the secret origins of the magazine, covering its history with former and future Mad and Marvel Comics contributors John Severin, Jack Davis, Don Martin, Bill Elder, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Al Jaffee, along with Cracked veterans Bill Ward, Don Orehek, George Gladir.

In their star-studded memoir, Hollywood Lights, Nashville Nights, coauthors Victoria Hallman and Diana Goodman are the first of the iconic Hee Haw Honeys to write about their lives as the glamour gals of TV's longest-running syndicated variety show.

With his chiseled features, effortless screen presence, otherworldly vitality, and striking blue eyes, Jan-Michael Vincent seemed destined for superstardom. However, the real Jan-Michael Vincent was a reluctant sex symbol plagued by doubt and low self-confidence, a perpetual misfit doomed to alcoholism. Jan-Michael Vincent: Edge of Greatness covers Vincent’s entire life and details the difference between Jan Vincent, a shy, small-town boy, and Jan-Michael Vincent, Hollywood’s golden boy.

Heavyweight (in every sense of the word) actor William Conrad made his name in radio drama as Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke and then powered his way into television with Cannon, Nero Wolfe, and Jake and the Fat Man. A producer and director as well as one of the most successful voice actors in history, Conrad rude success with aplomb. This audiobook relates his early years, life, family, and friendships interwoven with his credits.