Eleanor Powell: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts) [Hardcover]

Margie Schultz (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313281106 | ISBN-13: 978-0313281105 | Publication Date: August 30, 1994 | Edition: annotated edition

Eleanor Powell began her notable career at age 12, with an appearance at a supper show at an Atlantic City hotel. As a teenager, she moved to vaudeville and Broadway, where producers insisted that the classically trained dancer study tap. With minimal training, she became the queen of tap dancing in the 1930s and 1940s, with MGM casting her in some of the best-loved musicals of all time. This book details her life and career. A concise biography overviews the principal events in the life and work of Eleanor Powell. The chapters that follow are devoted to her work in particular media, such as film, radio, and television. Each chapter contains entries for her productions, which provide cast and credit information, plot synopses, criticism, and excerpts from reviews. Appendices provide additional information about her life, and an annotated bibliography summarizes the many writings by and about her.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This volume is exceptionally detailed and well researched. The author provides an excellent introductory biographical sketch and follows it with a chronology, an annotated list of plays and personal appearances, and extensive filmography, and lists of radio and television appearances. This bio-bibliography will be of interest to admirers of the work of Powell. It also provides students of film history with insights into the politics, financial manipulations, and personalities that existed in the golden age of Hollywood.”–ARBA 95

About the Author

MARGIE SCHULTZ is a free-lance writer and performing arts historian, whose books include Ann Sothern: A Bio-Bibliography (1990) and Irene Dunne: A Bio-Bibliography (1991), both published by Greenwood Press.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; annotated edition edition (August 30, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313281106
• ISBN-13: 978-0313281105
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #624,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Dance > Reference

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Eleanor Powell (a Bio without Life), July 29, 2002

By 

lyle b. thompson (MIAMI BEACH, FL USA) - See all my reviews

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

This type of book is more like a research paper than a biography of a major star, and one of the great dancers of the period. The Bio is a dry review of who she was and what movies she performed in, but lacks any of the material that makes her a living woman with feeling and talent. It would have been good for a graduate paper for an MA degree, but not much more. Any one can compile facts. The secret of a great biography is the making of the subject come to life. Even as a MA study, I would only give it a B-.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Eleanor Powell - Bio-Bibliography, June 13, 2008

By 

JudithIN (Indiana USA) - See all my reviews

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

The written content is very comprehensive but the presentation woefully lacking, especially in a volume offered at this price. There is a single photo, of terrible quality. The text looks as if it were typed on an old manual typewriter. The binding, a cheap-looking slick bright green (NOT what is pictured on the amazon website), would be more suitable for a kids' book from K-Mart. The publisher says the book is now printed only when a copy is ordered, and that they have no control over quality. If you are interested in an exhaustive review of the career of Eleanor Powell and don't care how the volume looks, you will probably be happy with this book.