Blonde Heat: The Sizzling Screen Career of Marilyn Monroe [Hardcover]

Richard Buskin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

Published to coincide with the celebration of Marilyn Monroe’s 75th birthday in 2001, Blonde Heat combines new research, exclusive interviews, rare movie stills, and dozens of behind-the-screen photos to present a revealing look at the enduring star who exemplifies Hollywood sex appeal and glamour.

This mesmerizing biography exposes the untold details behind Marilyn’s screen tests; her television broadcasts; the scenes cut from her films; and the story behind her last, unfinished movie. Readers will uncover never-before-revealed information about Marilyn’s 30 motion pictures, her 1946 Fox screen test and opportunities as an extra, her television ads, and even her part in the televised birthday party for President Kennedy.

Blonde Heat features over 40 firsthand recollections with the friends and colleagues who knew Marilyn best—including such notable screen legends as Ginger Rogers, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and director Billy Wilder—as well as her own costumer, drama coach, make-up artist, and stand-in. Featured as well are exclusive interviews with those who have never before spoken publicly about Marilyn Monroe until now, such as actress Jean Peters, former wife of Howard Hughes. The result is the definitive, no-holds-barred look at the professional life of this legendary but troubled star.

Features exclusive interviews with such stars as:
Billy Wilder
Eli Wallach
Ginger Rogers
Jack Lemmon
Jean Peters
Tony Curtis

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

ublished the same year as Marilyn Monroe's 75th birthday, Richard Buskin's Blonde Heat: The Sizzling Screen Career of Marilyn Monroe provides full coverage of Monroe on the silver screen, including plot summary, behind-the-scenes facts and opinions, reviews, public reaction, photographs and cast lists for each of her films. Along with an introduction by the late Jack Lemmon, the book includes interviews with Ginger Rogers, Jean Peters, Billy Wilder and others, and covers not just films and screen tests, but television appearances on shows and in ads. 50 color and 50 b&w illus.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Richard Buskin, the author of 11 books, has been a full-time freelance journalist for popular music, film, television, and cultural affairs for over 15 years. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Billboard Books; 1St Edition edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823084140
• ISBN-13: 978-0823084142
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #312,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( M ) > Monroe, Marilyn

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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 Learning about Marilyn the Actress, January 30, 2002

By 

Elizabeth Rosenthal - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blonde Heat: The Sizzling Screen Career of Marilyn Monroe (Hardcover)

"Blonde Heat" is enjoyable as a thorough appreciation of Marilyn Monroe's film career, an overview of the waning days of the Old Hollywood from the vantage point of Twentieth Century-Fox and a fun look at pop culture, 40s- and 50s-style.
Of course, what's most important is the book's star, Marilyn, and Richard Buskin's research and interviews reveal the part of her legacy that's rarely, if ever, discussed-- her acting. The reader learns the origins of her unusual mannerisms and how and why her acting skills evolved. The book also traces her increasing assertiveness over the direction of her ultimately too-short film career.
You don't have to have seen many of Marilyn's films to find this book entertaining. In fact, "Blonde Heat" should make you want to go out and rent all of her movies, even the ones that she had bit parts in!
Bravo, Richard, for a job well done!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blonde Heat - The Sizzling Career of Marilyn Monroe, October 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Blonde Heat: The Sizzling Screen Career of Marilyn Monroe (Hardcover)

As cited by the previous reviewer, this book outlines and critques' Miss Monroe's career through her films. It is a well written book, and also provides the reader with numbered rating scale (stars) from 1 - 5; the number "5" being the highest of course. I have a large Monroe Library and this particular book is written and presented to the reader in a very unique fashion. Beautifully illustrated on every film that Monroe starred in from her minor roles through her most memorable ("Diamonds" "How to Marry A Millionaire" - "Seven Year Itch" - "Bus Stop" - "Prince & The Showgirl" - " Let's Make Love" - "The Misfits" to her last unfinished film, "Something's Gotta Give"). The reader will enjoy reading and perusing through this book. I'm very glad I bought this one!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book, October 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Blonde Heat: The Sizzling Screen Career of Marilyn Monroe (Hardcover)

Elsewhere on Amazon I have reviewed another book by Richard Buskin. To be honest, it was probably one of those books that a starving author has to take on from time to time. Miraculously, and probably to his publisher's absolute delight, he also happened to make a great job out of it, writing with real commitment. Then I discovered (through Amazon) that Richard Buskin had written a book on Marilyn Monroe. I'm interested in Hollywood as an entity as well following as the movies (I like reading about the way that the studios operated in earlier decades) and as I was interested in seeing what else Buskin had done I decided to buy. Well, this one is in a different league to the previous book. This, clearly, is a subject the author has really wanted to write about. It simply comes across. Not that Buskin is without a judicious critical eye - he seems like a fan but he has not lost his critical faculty. When something was good he says it, and vice versa. The result is what simply has to be the definitive book on Monroe's film career. To my mind, Monroe fans should get this book even if they don't buy all the others. She was many things to many people, but she was a film actress first and she made some great movies. Also, it's witty, well researched, incisive, profusely illustrated with some great Monroe pics, and it draws upon many interviews done exclusively by the author, including Jack Lemmon, Ginger Rogers, Tony Curtis and Billy Wilder. Terrific.