Little Joe, Superstar: The Films of Joe Dallesandro [Paperback]

Michael Ferguson (Author), Joe Dallesandro (Foreword)

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Companion Press (Laguna Hills, CA); 2nd edition (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889138096
• ISBN-13: 978-1889138091
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,922,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All the wrong moves, September 16, 1999

By 

Guido Franco - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Joe, Superstar: The Films of Joe Dallesandro (Paperback)

This is a very good book, informative, honest, which immediately inspires sympathy both for the subject (Joe Dallesandro) and the author.

Although it deals in detail with the meaning of FLESH, TRASH and HEAT (Dallesandro's major films) it does not forget the "making of", the people who made the films, and the uproar they created worldwide.

"Little Joey Superstar" is of course a very sad story. Apparently Joe feels bitterness now about being refused (by Morrissey, Warhol or his people) a career in Hollywood, after this "Trilogy". Although Morrissey (as reported in this book) seems less than genuine by denying the facts, Joe should not feel frustrated. It was quite normal at that time, that Morrissey and others, who had launched Joe's "career", did not want to lose him. If Joe had wanted to make it by himself, he could have moved to California, and tried (quickly) his luck. Beautiful as he was, he would soon have found an agent, or an influent "sponsor" (woman or gay) to push him at the right places.

Instead (after these three successful films) he made apparently all the wrong moves. He first followed the Morrissey/Warhol party to Rome and "starred" in two so-called "Warhol movies" (Dracula and Frankenstein) which were embarrassing failures.

And then he tried to make a career for himself in the Italian cinema. He should have known that apart from first class directors (like Visconti, Fellini, Antonioni or Pasolini, to name just four or them) the Italian cinema was and remains hopeless, and their films, made for interior consumption, hardly cross the Alps, let alone the Atlantic.

Yes, Clint Eastwood, Klaus Kinsky, Charles Bronson, started a career in Rome. But they were not "teen actors". They were action movie heroes, of the macho or even sadistic types. The mistake "Little Joe" made was to try the same trick, and enter in the "action movies". He was not made for that, any more than (say) Charles Bronson or Lee Marvin could have played in "HEAT" and have a stint with Sylvia Miles in the staircase.

The sad truth seems to be that "Little Joe" (away from Morrissey and the Factory) had no mentor, nobody to advise him in the complicated and merciless world of the movies. He became a "star" by accident, he had no way of continuing it by his own will. As a matter of fact, even in Hollywood, very few child or teen actors ever make it further than their success years.

Cinema is a game of actors. What you sell is a face. Morrissey knew that very well, when he kept his camera focused on Dallesandro, Holly Woodlawn, Pat Ast or Andrea Feldman. He did not want to miss one moment, not one second of their looks. He knew his job. But he also knew when the game (the innocence) was over.

It would have been very difficult for anybody (especially without proper actor's training) to start a new career. Teen idols do not last long. James Dean killed himself in his Porsche, Brando became fat. Joe Dallesandro is still alive and well, and this book does the right thing by telling us how he became what he was, and survived.

The only drawback is that it has been published in a collection of "gay" books featuring (Quote) "over 100 nude photos, including full-frontal" (Unquote). I never saw Joe Dallesandro as a "gay icon", nor thought that his acting was intended for voyeuristic purposes, or even belonged to the gay world. I thought of it as quite natural, and that (although obviously provocative) it was intended to show people "the way they are". Presenting Joe Dallesandro in a gay and kinky context does not really help his recognition as the fine film actor, he was. But probably, the author of the book had no other solution.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Info packed, January 9, 2003

By 

"leznew5" (Mondovi) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Joe, Superstar: The Films of Joe Dallesandro (Paperback)

I can not believe the bad reviews - I feel they have a personal issue, not one with the book. No book has this complete of a listing of Joe films. The author has done a fantastic job of not just reviews the film, but giving a reason why they should be seen. Joe has had quite a life and this B movie stars book is a good read. But for a collector of movies and someone who is interested in film, this book is the bible for Joe.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the greatest!, August 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Joe, Superstar: The Films of Joe Dallesandro (Paperback)

This is the greatest book on Joe! Ferguson reveiws all his films (even the ones most of us haven't seen!) and adds tremendous information directly from Joe about his life and experiences. Nowhere else have I ever seen this! There are tons of great pictures, and this is the only place you can get them - many are from Joe's collection! Ferguson really knows Joe. I strongly recommend this book.