HOLLYWOOD LIFE: The Glamorous Homes of Vintage Hollywood

Rating:
Summary: Hollywood Life - pretty cover, a few pretty pics, but.....
Review: Saw this book on Amazon - and just had to have it. If you're interested in architecture, interior design - and homes of Hollywood's rich and famous - this book will leave you wanting..

I was expecting, based on the book publisher's reviews, a book that was dedicated to the homes/lifestyles of those rich/famous of Hollywood - probably more mid-century. The mid-century was accurate, but the photographs, interiors and exteriors weren't compelling and the book leaves you wanting to see more - and makes you wonder - where's the content that you were told would be here.

It does have some intriguing interiors - those of George Cukor for example, but a lot of photos are of b-grade homes and actors/actresses - who really cares what Tina Louise's staircase looked like (that's the only pic we see of her home). Too much reliance on what I assume is a limited library of choices the authors/editors had access.

Where are the photographs of many of the style setters of the 40s, 50s and 60s? We have Rock Hudson, Will Rogers, Tina Louise, Cecil B. DeMille - but what about Joan Crawford (well known for her quite fabulous homes!), Bette Davis, Liz Taylor, Lucille Ball, Janet Leigh - and many of the other stars, the studio heads, etc.

The book is a good start, but you feel that you've got just Chapters 1,2 and 3 - and you're missing 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. In addition, the commentary that runs with the book, while a tad interesting isn't all that great either - I'm sure there are better stories that could have been told.

In addition, there's no text that really goes along with the photographs. So we see Tina Louise coming down a fully carpeted staircase, but nothing else. I assume it's her home, but that's all that is shown.. And if that's it.. it's not that all that.

I wouldn't recommend this for someone seeking to gain insight into the homes of the Hollywood stars - it's a secondary book for those that already have the core books out there.

Rating:
Summary: Sneak peek into Hollywood life of yester-year
Review: This book features the photography of LIFE photographer Eliot Elisofon who photographed many of the great Hollywood homes during the 60s and 70s. Included in the book are exterior and interior views of the following homes:

Edie Goetz
George Hamilton
Will Rodgers
Mary Pickford
Ira Gershwin
Harold Lloyd
Rock Hudson
Kirk Douglas
George Cukor
Edith Head
Natalie Wood
Henry Fonda
Delmer Daves
Elke Sommer
Cecil B. DeMille
William S. Hart
Bobby Darin
Jean Negulesco
Tina Louise
Pamela Mason
Eddie Albert
Rita and Taft Schrieber
Charlton Heston
Jennifer Jones & David O. Selznick
Barbara Rush
Steve McQueen
Eva Marie Saint
Tony Curtis
Gypsy Rose Lee
James Coburn
John Barrymore

The photos are interesting and many will come as a surprise as to how many stars had really bad taste. There are a few photos that seem out of place (Tina Louise coming down a staircase in a short fur coat, Charlton Heston fully nude (except for a small towel) lounging in his sauna) and I'm not sure why they were included in the book as they don't really show anything about their homes. Most interesting are the three essays - the foreward by Gavin Lambert discusses who lived where and what circles they socialized with. An interview with interior designer Leonard Stanley (who worked with Tony Duquette) and Brooke Hayward features several humorous anecdotes about the big Hollywood parties, particularly those by David Selznick and Jennifer Jones. The final essay is by Elin and Jill Elisofon, daughters of Eliot Elisofon, and covers his life and personality.

The book cover is a beautiful rich brown velvet and the photographs are excellent but for the price, I was a little disappointed - I expected more homes to be included and more stars. The essays are very entertaining (although brief) but the book is sprinkled with glaring typos.

Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: What a beautiful book! I am not big on the "celebrities as gods" mentality - however the sad truth is, they got the cash in this very mixed-up society - so they get the glam homes! This book is magnificant! The photos are beautiful and I would LOVE to sit down with the folks that wrote/commented in this book over a cup of coffee. The stories would be priceless! If you couldn't be there then...be there now! Through this treasure! :-)
I am open for invitations to tea!

Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: What a beautiful book! I am not big on the "celebrities as gods" mentality - however the sad truth is, they got the cash in this very mixed-up society - so they get the glam homes! This book is magnificant! The photos are beautiful and I would LOVE to sit down with the folks that wrote/commented in this book over a cup of coffee. The stories would be priceless! If you couldn't be there then...be there now! Through this treasure! :-)
I am open for invitations to tea!