Children of Hollywood: Accounts of Growing Up as the Sons and Daughters of Stars [Paperback]

Michelle Vogel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2005 | ISBN-10: 0786420464 | ISBN-13: 978-0786420469

Living in the shadow of a famous parent can have powerful effects, from professional opportunities to pressure so great it leads to suicide. Some children of stars are proud of their roots while others live in secrecy. This is a rare look into the private lives of the children (and, in a few cases, grandchildren) of these classic Hollywood icons, revealing the stresses and inspirations of living with great performers who may or may not have been great parents. Some movie stars protected their offspring, but others used them as publicity props or even made them into rivals. Despite their unusual upbringing, some of the children succeeded in the movies or elsewhere, but many never lived up to the public expectations. Many lost their parents, whether to the extremes of the celebrity lifestyle, to divorce, or to their careers. From the beautiful bedtime stories Harpo Marx and his wife told their four adopted children to explain where they’d come from, to the studded belt Bing Crosby used to punish his sons for not obeying the strict family rules, this work tells the best and worst of growing up in a celebrity home.

Families covered include those of W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Eddie Cantor, Mario Lanza, Ruth Hussey, Jerry Lewis, Douglas Fairbanks and Boris Karloff. Research is drawn from interviews with celebrity offspring, who also provided never-before-published snapshots of Hollywood legends at home.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Film historian Michelle Vogel lives in Brooklyn, New York. She is also the author of Gene Tierney: A Biography (2005) and Marjorie Main: The Life and Films of Hollywood’s "Ma Kettle" (2005).

Product Details

• Paperback: 239 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (March 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786420464
• ISBN-13: 978-0786420469
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,164,652 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michelle Vogel is an Australian-born author and noted Hollywood historian. Her book topics cover the lives and careers of silent actors as well as iconic stars of the Golden Age. Check out her popular blog for updated information on anything new on old Hollywood as well as upcoming book releases and interesting interviews. Personally signed bookplates ($5 including shipping anywhere in the world) are now being offered via her blog. Get one for your Michelle Vogel book today!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read book for all fans of classic Hollywood., July 10, 2005

By 

Tony (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Children of Hollywood: Accounts of Growing Up as the Sons and Daughters of Stars (Paperback)

Below is a list of the people covered in this book. Many A-list stars are talked about by their children and grandchildren. It's a real eye opener and a book not to be missed by all lovers of classic Hollywood. The photographs are taken from the personal albums of the children mentioned below. A candid look at Hollywood in its heyday. Great book!!


Acknowledgments      vii
Preface      1
Introduction      5

1. Arthur Marx  - son of Groucho    23
2. Billy, Alex, Jimmy and Minnie Marx - children of Harpo      37
3. Maxine Marx - daughter of Chico      44
4. Joan Benny  - daughter of Jack Benny    50
5. Gary Lewis   - son of Jerry Lewis   60
6. Damon Lanza   - son of Mario Lanza   65
7. Romina Power   - daughter of Tyrone Power  71
8. Janet Cantor Gari and Brian Gari   - daughter and grandson of Eddie Cantor   78
9. Peter Ford  - son of Glenn Ford    88
10. Sir Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. - son of Doug Sr.     99
11. Harry Langdon, Jr.   - son of Harry Langdon   108
12. Leatrice Gilbert Fountain  - daughter of John Gilbert and Leatrice Joy     115
13. Chris Costello and Vickie Abbott Wheeler  - daughters of Abbott and Costello   
14. Ron Fields - grandson of W.C. Fields     148
15. Gary Crosby  - son of Bing Crosby    157
16. Sara Karloff    - daughter of Boris Karloff  172
17. Suzanne Lloyd  - granddaughter of Harold Lloyd    178
18. Eric Lamond  - grandson of Larry Fine of The Three Stooges    185
19. John Longenecker   - son of Ruth Hussey  194

Motherhood Missed      206
Bibliography      213
Index      215

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, July 4, 2005

By 

NY Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Children of Hollywood: Accounts of Growing Up as the Sons and Daughters of Stars (Paperback)

I picked up this book thinking it'd be an interesting read but I
underestimated how much I'd enjoy it. Each chapter is its own individual story so you can start anywhere and read it from back to front or from the middle to the beginning. Perfect to read on the beach or on a train, etc. The stories are all accounts of what it was like to grow up as the son or daughter of some of the biggest names in Hollywood. We all know the "Mommie Dearest" story and this is an entire book of tales from behind Hollywood's sometimes secretive doors, all told by the children of the stars. The book has many candid shots of the children with their famous parents, and a photo of the child as an adult, all grown up. The photos come directly from the family albums of the celebrity children. I particularly enjoyed the chapters featuring The Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges, Boris Karloff and Abbott and Costello.

A great read!

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book on Golden Age Stars and Kids!, May 17, 2005

By 

KDMask (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Children of Hollywood: Accounts of Growing Up as the Sons and Daughters of Stars (Paperback)

Great read. Read it all at once, or dip into it now and again. Ms Vogel gets inside "Old Hollywood" for a look at the children of stars that were involved in the Hollywood contract system. Photo shoots and "pretending" to be the perfect family was the norm back then. Quite different than today's stars who try to sheild their children from the spotlight. Hollywood and movie studios were more than happy to use the actor's family as almost a "prop" at times. I've read quite a few books in this subject but this one was very different in the subject studies. Good book to take to the beach when you just want a quick read on a chapter or two!