Betty Grable: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts) [Hardcover]

Larry Billman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0313281564 | ISBN-13: 978-0313281563 | Edition: annotated edition

This reference work provides a comprehensive record of the life and career of Betty Grable. The book begins with a biography that presents and discusses the most significant events in Grable's life. The chronology that follows summarizes her career in capsule form. The succeeding chapters provide a detailed account of Grable's performances in various media, including films, television, radio, stage, nightclubs, videos, and records. The entries in these sections succinctly present the facts concerning each of Grable's performances and offer insightful commentary. The volume concludes with a list of Grable memorabilia, a section of miscellaneous information, and an annotated bibliography of books and articles containing extensive or unique material about Grable and her career.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

LARRY BILLMAN is a writer, director, and producer of live entertainment in international theme parks.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; annotated edition edition (September 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313281564
• ISBN-13: 978-0313281563
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,897,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete, October 11, 1999

By 

Paul Ward ([e-mail]) (Oregon, U.S. A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Betty Grable: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts) (Hardcover)

Don't let the price of this book scare you. It is worth every penny. If you love, like or just want to find out the facts of this star's life this is the book to own. I mean own because you will refer to it time and time again. I will admit when I first receiverd the book I was disappointed. For that price I thought it would be a big book full of color photographs. All one has to do is read that lovely dedication and you know you are in for a treat. The only thing Mr. Billman left out was how to request to have Betty Grable put on a U.S. Postage Stamp. I don't think he will mind if I give you that information. All you have to do is write your request and send it to: The Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 5670 Washington, DC 20260

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the fan, or researcher, September 19, 2010

By 

A. J. Sneed - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Betty Grable: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts) (Hardcover)

I happened to find this book in a library while I was looking for other references to Betty Grable. I had previously seen the book listed on Amazon, but had balked at the high price hoping it might get marked down by one of the resellers ( no luck so far).

This book is an extensively researched "bibliography" of the performance career of Betty Grable. I was actually amazed at such a comprehensive list of all of the output of Miss Grable's career: including film , radio, TV appearances, night club acts, summer theater, broadway shows, etc.,. The author was also able to catalogue the numerous references to Betty in books, magazines, newspapers, 20thCentury-Fox press releases, etc.,. I have always been a fan of Miss Grables, but I was quite surprised at the breadth of her career beyond the 1940-1955 film period.

The book comprises several sections with an initial short biography followed by chapters based on different media, ie a filmography section, a radio section, television, theater, references in print, etc. The autor contributes commentary to elucidate and reference much of the material. For example, much has been written about the famous pin-up photo that came out during WW2, and the author tries to summarize from different sources what is the most likely date and genesis of the photo( almost certainly was done as part of a publicity shoot for the film "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" in the autumn of 1943). The author also includes and provides perspective on the negative references to Grable( she was well-liked or respected in Hollywood by most in the industry except some of the costume designers).

Please be aware of the format of this book. It is exactly as the title states: it is in a bibliography format; this is not a standard biography; there are no color pictures from Grable's films.

Clearly a lot of effort, but also passion went into the production of this book.

If you are a fan and want to know everything Betty Grable ever did as a performer then this book is for you. Likewise, if you are researching Betty Grable, her films, or even the 1940's musical film genre, this book is indispensable.