Peekaboo: The Story of Veronica Lake (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Jeff Len, Veronica Lake, Teet Carle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Poignant and harrowing...the self-destructive side of human nature and how it decimated the life of a talented actress." (Tribune Syndicate -- Tribune Syndicate

Product Description

“Noir’s first bombshell”
—Entertainment Weekly

One of Hollywood’s sultriest sirens of the 1940s, Veronica Lake steamed up movie screens with her fragile beauty and exotic hairstyle. A heartthrob of millions during her heyday, she was the hottest ticket around starring in 27 motion pictures, including such film classics as This Gun for Hire with Alan Ladd and the Preston Sturges comedy, Sullivan’s Travels. Offscreen Lake’s life was a disaster—a controlling mother, three failed marriages, extramarital affairs, a secret abortion and downward spiral due to alcoholism and mental illness—ending up broke, destitute and forgotten. Fully authorized, Peekaboo tells why.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (August 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595192394
• ISBN-13: 978-0595192397
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #150,269 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Hurtful rubbish ... the lady deserves better, August 29, 2005

By	Monty Scott (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

I have the original hardcover edition of this book published in 1983 and it is one of the worst biographies I have ever read. It was virtually co-authored by Veronica's grasping stage-mother who used her as a meal ticket and who also sued her for support once the money dried up. Miss Lake's real problem was alcohol and this book's dubious (and central) theme that she was a paranoid schizophrenic does not seem based on medical fact. The authors provide no proof of this 'diagnosis' -- only hearsay -- with Veronica's redoubtable mother as the only reference. The real truth about this beautiful, tragic actress who was more sinned against than sinning remains to be told, and sadly, may never be. Miss Lake's own autobiography "Veronica", while glossing over a lot, gives a much better sense of her as a person -- flawed, alcoholic, but seeking only love and peace of mind in a much less enlightened world than today.

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An erroneous "look" for Veronica Lake, May 16, 2004

By A Customer

Jeff Lenburg, the author of this horrific tome, dedicates his book to: Constance "Veronica" Marios, Veronica's absolutely terrible mother (her comments and interviews make up a great deal of the "misinformation" about Ms. Lake. In the first place, Veronica Lake could NOT possibly have been a "paranoid schizophrenic" as the author (and mother) claim: no one with that level of mental illness could possibly remember lines; perform in any way before a camera; much less create an "image" which her studio bosses at Paramount Studios embraced. In additon, someone with illness of this type (during the time frame when Ms. Lake was alive), would have been subjected to shock therapy (the strong psychiatric drugs were not developed until much later (early 1950's); if Veronica had any kind of mental illness, it is much more likely that she was possibly a manic-depressive (many people with THIS diagnois have in the past, prior to the drug, lithium, utilized alchol to keep them "level" between the highs and lows of their condition. This author takes the position that Veronica drank simply for the sake of drinking--if she had been a paranoid schizophrenic, she would probably put herself into a catonic state and never could have performed in any movie, or done any of the later work which she continually attempted after leaving her movie career. Instead of reading THIS book, try to find the autobiography of "Veronica" written by Veronica Lake with Donald Bain, published in 1977 by The Citadel Press. A reading of this book supports the many inaccurate "statements" put into "Peekaboo" that obviously the author and her estranged mother (her mother not only sued Veronica during one of her most financially difficult situations in Hollywood, this "stage mother" did not even attend her only daughter's funeral -- apparently no one did, except her son Michael. If any more pertinent information relating to Veronica could have been given in "Peekaboo" it should have been supplied by her surviving children (although Veronica did not have the usual maternal relationships with them, as her "career" and unfortunate choice of husband(s) (as the old standard goes, "she looked for love in all of the wrong places")-- but the reader is advised to by-pass this book completely, and try to find a copy (libraries use inter-loan procedures, or one can purchase a "used and out-of print" copy of the much more "accurate" autobiography. As I have read both books, I can promise anyone who has seen any of Ms. Lake's movies, and seen the levels of her performances, the information contained in "Peekaboo" is extermely inaccurate at best. Ms. Lake's story is extremely sad at best; as another reviewer remarked: where were the residuals (apparently, Veronica did not have adequate managerial or financial advisors); however, one would think that she would have been given SOME type of support from the Hollywood System (unfortunately, she did not have a support-system network in Hollywood during the time she worked there, except some minor acting characters -- but it is important to note, the she attempted to keep on working in television(as an actress; a hostess for classic films); tried her hand at the stage (most of these ventures were of the summer-stock variety, but at least she persisted -- and these activities took place during the various stages of her alcoholism. Hers is a cautionary tale, and best told through her autobiography (the earlier book referred above) than to this shoddy and erroneous depiction of Ms. Lake written by Jeff Lenburg--in fact, it is the MOST hateful "biography" I have ever had the displeasure to read about any Hollywood "star. By all means, AVOID this book by Jeff Lenburg at ALL costs, and search for the earlier out-of-print "autobiography" instead.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth it, but flawed, April 28, 2003

By A Customer

Veronica Lake must have started out as a child who was distrustful, insecure, and not comfortable with others. At the urgings of her mother, she went to Hollywood. She became the IT girl of the film noir period based upon her photogenic fragile beauty, an accident with her hair that gave her a special look, and her acting ability. She then became an alcoholic. She had several bad marriages, a nervous breakdown, and she proved herself to be a very poor parent. At the height of her popularity, the Hollywood system was paying her $150 per week. Then she made $5000 per week for several more years until her popularity faded, and she was dropped by the studio. One of her husbands spent most of the money, and she died penniless of hepatitis at a relatively early age.

Her mother reported that Veronica had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia as a child. Unfortunately, the author continuously blames every problem or failure on this supposed illness. For example, an actor has to lift Veronica up in front of the camera. Perhaps as a prank, she has forty pounds of ballast sewn into her dress to make herself heavier. The author interprets this as a vengeful trick that a paranoid, schizophrenic Veronica used in order to get even with the other actor. In the book, there is hardly an action that is not seen as a result of the supposed illness. Published after Veronica's death, the book relies heavily on interviews with the mother. The mother was very controlling, and had previously sued Veronica for support payments.

In spite of the above comments, you can get an excellent sense of Veronica Lake as a person. This is the main purpose of a biography, and it accomplishes that well. The only other book published exclusively on Veronica Lake is the autobiography "Veronica" which is no longer in print. As such, this is a valuable and useful book for anyone interested in Veronica Lake. She is best known for "Sullivan's Travels", several Alan Ladd pictures including "This Gun For Hire", and for "I Married A Witch". The title of the book refers to her hairstyle in which her hair hung down over one eye.