Customer Reviews

Hollywood Gets Married

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sandy Schreier's "Hollywood Gets Married" is a delectable bon-bon of a book, and great reading for anyone who is either starstruck or interested in movie costume design. She admits in her foreword to being subject to those twin little girls dreams of a) being a movie star and b) being a bride, and her infectious enthusiasm for both subjects comes across brilliantly here.

Schreier offers us a delightful overview of Hollywood weddings here, with everything from silent films to modern-day set pieces to real-life Hollywood brides in both their Hollywood and their personal incarnations as brides. As you might expect, there are some omissions here (what, no Liza Minnelli? No Cher? No Lucille Ball? No Jane Fonda?), but for the most part, Schreier does a super job of hitting high points of Hollywood wedding lore including, of course, the much-married Elizabeth Taylor (who graces the front cover of the book and gets her own special section inside).

Aside from the terrific photographs--many of which I'd never seen, and I own entirely too many movie-oriented books--the eye candy is more than matched by the many anecdotes, like:

1) Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's bridal gown designer was African-American;
2) "Bride of Frankenstein" actress Elsa Lanchester's bridal hairdo in the film was inspired by ancient profiles of Egyptian queen Nefertiti;
3) Olivia de Havilland kept her Dior costumes from the 1962 bridal picture "Light in the Piazza" and when she sold them later at auction, the successful bidder was the House of Dior, buying them for their collection;
4) Marilyn Monroe's gown from her first marriage (at age sixteen in 1942) was later worn, sans sleeves, by Monroe's niece on her first date.

This is a wonderful book and reading it is a completely pleasant way to spend an hour or two.

Hollywood Gets Married put a huge smile on my face! It's so exciting reading through all the funny antetodes and trust me, the Hollywood pictures are GREAT. I had read Hollywood Dressed & Undressed - Schreier's previous book - which I loved by the way, but this one I think is even better!

If you're a fan of Hollywood then you need to be a fan of Schreier's - buy the book.

This book happened to be published at a time when several of my friends were getting married and it makes an excellent bridal shower gift for the friend who loves old movies. This book is similar in set up to Schreier's other great book "Hollywood Dressed & Undressed" in that there are photos of movies with a bit of text and director and costuming credits. It is a simple set up, but it lets you view the fabulous wedding scenes in films through the years, such as "Haystacks and Steeples" (1916) or "Show People" (1928) up to newer films like "Where The Heart Is" (2000) or "Runaway Bride" (1999). Scattered throughout are photos of real celebrity weddings such as that of Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg (1927) or Shirley Temple and John Agar (1945). Great book by this great fashion historian who owns the largest private collection of 20th century couture!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories and studying the pictures. Hollywood Gets Married focuses on a very important aspect of the movies and movie stars-weddings and all the trappings that go with getting married and unmarried. You can enjoy the beautiful pictures of brides, but all along you know that the real stories are what happens to the people, both as film characters and in real life.
If you are a film buff, get this book. Its focus on Hollywood weddings is lively and informative. If you love movies, you will love the book.

What a wonderful book! I just loved all the pictures and the fabulous stories. And this is not a book about weddings, but about Hollywood...such fun! It is the perfect gift for anyone who likes to be entertained.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought this but it was well worth the money. The book is organized nicely, has a good variety and is just enjoyable overall. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in movie weddings or just to add to a coffee table collection or their wedding book collection.

Fans of Sandy Schreier's excellent "Hollywood Dressed and Undressed" will be delighted with her most recent book, as will people who are interested in wedding fashion and movie costumes. Following the format of her previous book, Schreier concentrates on finding and providing outstanding photographs of Hollywood wedding dresses and marriage scenes, whether classic or modern, comedic or dramatic, elegant or even slightly frumpish, and also includes photos and anecdotes about real-life weddings involving Hollywood celebrities. High-quality, oversized paperback format provides a good stage for the pictures, many full-page and in both black and white and color. Heartily recommended.