Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Embracing the life of another Hollywood diva is Caren Robert-Frenzel's Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective. This film memorabilia collector presents Hayworth's life beginning with her early years and thoroughly chronicles it until its sad ending. The book showcases nearly 300 images, revealing how Hayworth gained her fame as a pin-up portrait for soldiers and as a big screen star. Many of the photographs are rare, even showing her original Spanish-style hair and dress. 297 illus., 10 full-color.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Fifty years after her reign as "The Love Goddess" of the movies, the world is still captivated by Rita Hayworth. In this elegant volume, the glamorous star of Hollywood's Golden Age is revealed as never before-in nearly 300 stunning, rare photographs.

Remarkable publicity photos, film stills, rehearsal shots, candids taken with family and friends, and of course that famous World War II pinup trace Rita Hayworth's entire life. Spanning her rise from starlet to star, her marriages to famous men such as Orson Welles, Prince Aly Khan, and Dick Haymes, and her tragic death from Alzheimer's disease, here is an insightful and dazzling tribute-in words and pictures-to one of the great screen icons.
297 illustrations, 10 in full color, 240 pages, 9 x 113/4"

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810914344
• ISBN-13: 978-0810914346
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #537,965 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Va-Va-Va VOOM! Hubba-hubba! Wowzer-wowzer! Bong!, May 17, 2002

By	David Kusumoto (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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"Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective" features a zillion photographs, many never before published, of one of Hollywood's most enduring sexual icons.

The book was a labor of love for author, historian and collector Caren Roberts-Frenzel of Minneapolis, who reportedly kept pestering publishers for years to get their attention.

"But you're wrong, Rita has not been forgotten," was her mantra, as skeptical publishers elsewhere wondered aloud if a market remained for a book about one of the great beauties of the 1940s.

Caren's persistence finally paid off, resulting in one of the most luxurious "picture on every page" books ever produced, supplemented by breezy, well-written and information-packed text.

Unlike "been there, done that" books about Hayworth, this one specializes in numerous "candids," that is, unposed photos taken outside of the studio, at work, at play, on the set, whatever.

For once, here's a volume that doesn't feature the same darn publicity photos you've seen a million times for sale on the Internet or at flea markets.

The deal about Rita is man oh man, unlike sexy sirens named Grable or even Monroe, Hayworth's beauty is timeless and undated. Unless someone told you, you'd never know, for example, that her world famous pinup shot -- taken on the bed by Life Magazine photographer Bob Landry -- was shot more than 60 years ago!

The same holds true for the nearly 300 other photos that grace this book, some recaptured in all of their Technicolor glory.

Get "Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective," before it disappears! I understand only a few thousand were printed and yet the reviews in the papers and in places like People Magazine have been terrific.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rita Hayworth: A Photographic TREASURE!!!, September 26, 2002

By	Jennifer E. Williams (Fort Worth, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Rita Hayworth is one of the most beautiful and glamourous women ever to have lived. Though her life was marked by tragedy, particularly her Alzheimer's affliction and death at a relatively young age. This book, however, is mainly devoted to celebrating Rita's happier times. Her life is viewed chronologically in both popular and rare photographs. There are so many beautiful photos that it is difficult to take in all at once! My favorite pictures (and just a sampling of the pictures you will find in this book) are: Rita (when she was still Margarita) with her dark hair dancing in a beautiful ruffled dress (p.28), glamourous Rita smiling brightly while reclining on a couch (p.87), Rita clowning with Orson Welles (pg. 114), Rita getting her hair touched up (p. 119), Rita tickling her daughter Rebecca (p. 126), Rita walking solitarily on the beach (p. 140), Rita being welcomed home (p. 165), and Rita in 1981, in declining mental health, but still looking every inch a movie star. If you love Rita and her movies, do not hesitate to buy this book!!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kudos to Caren!, October 16, 2001

By	Sean Pearson (Upstate NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I often wonder what Hollywood would be like if Rita Hayworth were 21 years old and starting again today. Yes, she was remade from a shy dancer into a sophisticated sex symbol, but she really was a wonderful actress behind all the publicity. Her dancing was "best in class" and she was very funny, too. Caren captures all of this in her terrific first book, especially the rare glimpses of Rita at home without makeup and all the glamorous facades required by Columbia. She also did her homework, talking with Rita's daughters and many of the surviving actors who worked with Rita, and conducting clearly exhaustive research into all the forms of media where Rita was captured. As we've come to expect, Caren's words are just as scintillating as her selections of photos, leaving us with the inevitable question: "When's the next book coming out, Caren?" Because after a gem like this, you can't help but wonder what else she has in her files to tell us more about the greatest actress of the mid-20th century.

Thanks for giving us this great book, Caren.