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Rating: 
Summary: A bit sensationalistic, but good information.
Review: I think the author was a little over the top in sensationalizing these actresses as having been "driven to tragic deaths by the Hollywood star machine", but the content appeared to be well researched and informative despite this formula. For instance, some of the actresses profiled actually died of fatal illnesses like cancer, which I don't feel can be construed as having been influenced by Hollywood star making pressures. Unless, of course, the author's contention is that the stress, or perhaps cigarette smoking required by the script, resulted in a work-related illnesses? That aside, the information often resulted in learning "the end of the story" which was why I checked this book out of the library in the first place. Carole Landis was a distant cousin who died of suicide in 1948, close to twenty years before I was born. Her mother, Clara SENTEK Ridste was my paternal grandmother's first cousin. I stress the spelling because the only error I found in the section on Carole was her mother's maiden name listed as Stentek. Clara was close with her Minnesota relatives and visited upon occassion even after Carole's death. My own sister, Carole, was named after her. I'm sure no one will ever know exactly why Carole Landis chose to end her life, but this author did a good job of fleshing out a living portrait of her and the other "angels" as people with feelings, troubles, triumphs, and anxieties like the rest of us. I appreciated the three dimensional portraits of them all.
Rating: 
Summary: Great source of information
Review: I think the author was a little over the top in sensationalizing these actresses as having been "driven to tragic deaths by the Hollywood star machine", but the content appeared to be well researched and informative despite this formula. For instance, some of the actresses profiled actually died of fatal illnesses like cancer, which I don't feel can be construed as having been influenced by Hollywood star making pressures. Unless, of course, the author's contention is that the stress, or perhaps cigarette smoking required by the script, resulted in a work-related illnesses? That aside, the information often resulted in learning "the end of the story" which was why I checked this book out of the library in the first place. Carole Landis was a distant cousin who died of suicide in 1948, close to twenty years before I was born. Her mother, Clara SENTEK Ridste was my paternal grandmother's first cousin. I stress the spelling because the only error I found in the section on Carole was her mother's maiden name listed as Stentek. Clara was close with her Minnesota relatives and visited upon occassion even after Carole's death. My own sister, Carole, was named after her. I'm sure no one will ever know exactly why Carole Landis chose to end her life, but this author did a good job of fleshing out a living portrait of her and the other "angels" as people with feelings, troubles, triumphs, and anxieties like the rest of us. I appreciated the three dimensional portraits of them all.
Rating:
Summary: Great source of information
Review: The author did a great job in researching and putting together the tragic stories of overlooked Hollywood actresses. I'm glad that someone cared enough all these years later to put their stories in book form. Another thing I liked in the author's sympathetic tone and the way he showed respect towards all the ladies.I believe he really had empathy for them. I highly recommend this book.
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