Hollywood Divas : The Good, The Bad, and The Fabulous (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this hybrid reference book and scandal sheet, film writer Parish (Hollywood Bad Boys) casts a wide net to recount a century's worth of major female stars from Theda Bara to Britney Spears. Charting how the word "diva" has taken on a more elastic meaning over the century, he notes that while decades ago, a diva once meant a female who was a "goddess in her sphere of activity," primarily in the arts, it has come to carry negative connotations: difficult, self-indulgent, wild. These characteristics are the focus for the dozens of dishy portraits here. Some choices are obvious: self-destructive Judy Garland, willful Katharine Hepburn, haughty Diana Ross. But there are also surprises. Some are welcome, like past femmes fatale, Kay Francis or Lupe Velez; others may raise eyebrows because they don't seem old enough to be divas (e.g., Spears), don't have the star wattage (e.g., Brett Butler) or don't seem tempestuous enough (e.g., Jean Arthur). The biggest problem throughout is that little here is new. Maybe not everyone remembers that in the late 1940s, Maria Montez was pushed out of prominence by Yvonne De Carlo, or that Demi Moore was once Hollywood's highest-paid actress. But the big stuff is familiar: Ava Gardner fans already know the Sinatra stories, and Jennifer Lopez fans by now know the size of her ambition. In all, these are breezy portraits that may refresh readers' memories, but may not make them contemplate, as Parish hopes, "the price of fame."
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

A tantalizing peek behind Hollywood's most hard-tohandle leading ladies

From the birth of the silver screen, "It Girls" laid down a sequined trail of self-indulgence and scandalous bad behavior. The stars in this exclusive sorority are both loved and loathed by the press, the fans, and even by each other. Bette Davis once said of Joan Crawford, "I wouldn't sit on her toilet!" Crawford and Davis raised the bar for the women who followed them into Diva-dom. Hollywood Divas traces that glittering path­­from legendary icons to today's most high-maintenance celebrities of film and TV.

Includes such stars as:

• Gloria Swanson
• Joan Crawford
• Judy Garland
• Marilyn Monroe
• Cher
• Madonna
• Julia Roberts
• Jennifer Lopez
• Britney Spears

Bestselling showbiz author James Robert Parish delivers an eye-popping behind-thescenes peek into the wild private lives of 70 rampaging bad girls of Hollywood.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071408193
• ISBN-13: 978-0071408196
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #950,810 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hollywood "Confidential", December 6, 2002

By	watchit (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

The term "high maintenance" used to be a liability for movie stars; now it's a prerequisite. At least, that's one of the two attributes of Diva-hood in motion pictures, the other being talent. As chronicled by James Robert Parish in his latest book, "Hollywood Divas: The Good, the Bad, and the Fabulous," such women have always been the mainstay of movies, they were just known by their own above-the-title names: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, and Elizabeth Taylor, right up through Cher, Whitney Houston, Sharon Stone and Drew Barrymore. Here is a clever sorority roster of nearly a century's worth of unforgettable screen women from Theda Bara to Jennifer Lopez. What they have in common is that they can dominate a scene simply by entering it (that and make their male co-stars go crazy for them). Parish -- the dean of American film historians with over 40 books to his credit -- has the knack of writing in a tone that is both confident and confidential without sounding pandering, like a friend at a party who happens to know the inside story. We learn, for example, that Miriam Hopkins -- who almost played Scarlett O'Hara -- was smart enough to negotiate her own contracts but too volatile to keep them. We shudder at Demi Moore's contract demands yet admire her for her devotion to her child (if not her husband). And we read how Cybill Shepherd trumped the trash-mongers by the "simple" act of having character. But that's not to say there isn't enough scandal in these pages to grease the gossip gears: unwanted pregnancies, substance abuse, divorces, loonies and lovers abound. Yet it's not embarrassing to read about them. Each essay -- there are 70 plus an introduction -- is well-focused and individual, yet finds the quintessence in each great lady of the screen. An index and huge bibliography wrap up the package.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Changing Divadom!, January 6, 2003

By	Larry Billman (Brea, California United States) - See all my reviews

The master of film books has done it again! Combining the glamorous, eccentric Divadom of Hollywood's Golden Age with the eccentricities of today's female stars is a fascinating trip. Parish knows well that the movie fan base is growing younger and includes profiles on all of today's controversial female celebrities along with the classic ladies of the silver screen. He also gives the reader a fascinating overview of how tempermental and demanding star behavior gives celebrities fodder to be included in today's "Inquirer/E!TV" mindset media coverage. The profiles are concise, fun and well-researched. I only wish I really cared about the ladies of today the way I do about the female stars of the 30s-50s. They just don't make 'em like they used to! But, If it is a book by Parish, get it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's Done It Again!, April 2, 2003

By	Karin J. Fowler (Sacramento, California) - See all my reviews

As an author of over 80 books to his credit, James Robert Parish has again proved that he can write about stars who have been much publicized and make them seem "new" again. The photos accentuate the articles very well. His style is never verbose - you're hooked on every word, because he writes as if he's talking to you about the lives of these interesting and noteworthy women. This book is a great addition to my library, which includes many of his other fine works.