Irene Dunne: First Lady of Hollywood (Filmmakers Series) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is the first full-length biography of Irene Dunne, one of the most versatile actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age. A recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors award in 1985, Dunne's acting highlights include five Best Actress Oscar nominations, occurring in almost as many different genres: the Western Cimarron (1931), two screwball comedies: Theodora Goes Wild (1936) and The Awful Truth (1937), the romantic comedy Love Affair (1939), and the populist I Remember Mama (1948).

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.; 2nd edition (June 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810858649
• ISBN-13: 978-0810858640
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #365,989 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Tepid Dunne Biography, Not Worth the Price!, October 17, 2004

By	a viewer "a viewer" (antioch, tn United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irene Dunne: First Lady of Hollywood (Scarecrow Filmmakers Series) (Hardcover)

For the exhorbitant price of $45.00 and higher, I expected a nice coffee-table style book chronicling Dunne's career and her life as well, loaded with pictures. This is not what I received.

What I received was a 178 page synopsis style of Dunne's non-scandalous life (rare for a Hollywood star...she was married to the same man for 45 years!! Amen to that...refreshing...) devoted to her family, a jewel to work with, and never gave a bad performance. Along with Barbara Stanwyck she was the best actress never to have received an academy award (she was nominated five times).

However, the author skims over Dunne's life, briefly analyzes the periods of her career and says almost nothing of Dunne's later years!! There Are a few pictures in the middle insert...but none of Dunne as a child or as a mature woman.

Irene Dunne was a classy lady who deserves better than what she gets here...a tepid, rushed biography (which doesn't even include a dust jacket) finely printed on glossy paper with the high price that is just not worth it. I'm sorry I bought it as I really learned nothing new about Dunne that I didn't already know. This book is acceptable at perhaps $7.95. $45.00??? Ridiculous! Trust me!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Thesis not a Biography, September 10, 2005

By	Douglas M - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Irene Dunne: First Lady of Hollywood (Scarecrow Filmmakers Series) (Hardcover)

If you want a university style thesis on Irene Dunne, then you will be happy with this highly priced book. It is analytical as you might expect from an academic but the author has failed to make a story out of it. This makes for a very tedious read. Refer to the biography of Alice Faye to see how well it can be done.

Margie Shultz, in her bio-bibliography of Dunne, does a much better job. The biography of Irene Dunne is yet to be written.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Well Dunne" of a Book!, February 20, 2005

By	"Theodora Lynn" "I.D. Fan" (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irene Dunne: First Lady of Hollywood (Scarecrow Filmmakers Series) (Hardcover)

I think this book is excellent for students and people who are discovering the world of classic Hollywood. It goes into detail without getting "too personal". Please realize that this book is intended for educational purposes (although it is entertaining at points about her life).

If anyone wants to know more about Irene Dunne personally, then you should start collecting old movie magazines from the 1930s to the present. Otherwise, I would recommend this piece of well-written art, to anyone who is willing to learn about a great actress and a great human-being! Thanks for your tribute to Irene, Prof. Gehring. Since she didn't write a book herself, there are lots of us fans who really appreciate your hard work (not to mention how envious we are that you got to talk to her). We commend you!