“Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with
Golden Age Legends”
We have TEN Copies to Give Away!
“In-depth interviews – things that people really want to know — not gossip.”
-Jane Powell
Time for our next book giveaway! CMH is thrilled to be giving away TEN COPIES of the new book, “Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends” by David Fantle and Tom Johnson, courtesy of McFarland Books.
Lots of rare and candid interviews here — including Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, Mel Blanc, Jerry Lewis, Gregory Peck, James Cagney and so many more — over 60 interviews in all — a real page-turner for all of us classic movie fans…
In order to qualify to win one of these books via this contest giveaway, you must complete the below entry task by Saturday, July 7 at 9PM EST. However, the sooner you enter, the better chance you have of winning, because we will pick two winners on five different days within the contest period, via random drawings, as listed below… So if you don’t win the first week that you enter, you will still be eligible to win during the following weeks until the contest is over.
- June 9: Two Winners
- June 16: Two Winners
- June 23: Two Winners
- June 30: Two Winners
- July 7: Two Winners
We will announce each week’s winner on Twitter @ClassicMovieHub and/or right here on this Blog in the comment section below (depending on how you entered), the day after each winner is picked at 9PM EST — for example, we will announce our first week’s winner at 9PM EST on Sunday June 10.
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ENTRY TASK (2-parts) to be completed by Saturday, July 7 at 9PM EST — BUT remember, the sooner you enter, the more chances you have to win…
1) Answer the below question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog post
2) *Then TWEET (not DM) the following message (if you don’t have twitter, see below):
Just entered to win the “Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends” #BookGiveaway courtesy of @ClassicMovieHub @McFarlandCoPub and @fantle you can enter here: http://ow.ly/j3oA30kl2Ko
THE QUESTION:
Who would you have wanted to interview (or speak with) from among the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and why?
NOTE: if for any reason you encounter a problem commenting here on this blog, please feel free to tweet or DM us, or send an email to clas…@gmail.com and we will be happy to create the entry for you.
*If you do not have a Twitter account, you can still enter the contest by simply answering the above question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog — BUT PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU ADD THIS VERBIAGE TO YOUR ANSWER: I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
ALSO: Please allow us 48 hours to approve your comments. Sorry about that, but we are being overwhelmed with spam, and must sort through 100s of comments…
Click here for the full contest rules and more details.
Please note that continental United States and Canadian residents are eligible.
And — BlogHub members ARE eligible to win if they live within the areas noted above.
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About the book: “What audacity!” exclaimed actor Robert Wagner when he heard about the authors’ adolescent exploits in nabbing interviews with Hollywood celebrities. In 1978, Fantle and Johnson, St. Paul teenagers, boarded a plane to meet with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. They had written the stars requesting interviews–and to their amazement, both agreed. Over the years, more than 250 other stars also agreed–Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, James Cagney, Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, George Burns, Rod Steiger, Milton Berle, Frank Capra and Hoagy Carmichael, to name a few. Published for the first time and with exclusive photos, this selection of 75 interviews chronicles the authors’ 40-year quest for insights and anecdotes from iconic 20th century artists.
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If you don’t want to wait to win, you can purchase the book by clicking here:
Good Luck!
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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
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Ernest Borgnine, for the simple fact that he seemed to work with so many of the greats that I enjoy. (Not to mention he was darned good himself!) He’d have some WONDERFUL stories to tell, and I’d be mesmerized, of course. (BTW, I did have the pleasure of meeting him for a few seconds.)
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message. There are so many stars from the Golden Age that I would love to have interviewed — it’s so hard to choose. Hoagy Carmichael comes to mind, since his instrument is also my primary instrument. I’d like to know what inspired his creativity, how did he come up with a song that contains the entire chromatic scale (“Stardust”), etc.
Very nice choice. Stardust is such a beautiful song, melodically and lyrically… IMHO…
I would love to have had the chance to ask Marilyn Monroe some questions or even just sit and chat a few times. I think she was a very interesting person and intellectually deeper than she’s often given credit for. Thanks for the chance to win this cool book.
I would’ve liked to have interviewed Lucille Ball because I want to know how she survived being a contract player at RKO during the 1930s and 1940s while nobody was giving a chance to become a star and also I want to know how she and Desi helped Desilu become a multi-million dollar TV studio in the 1950s and 60s.
Great choice 🙂
I would have loved to interview Jean Arthur. Having just finished her biography, I still feel I know very little about her. She was extremely private and shy.
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
Jean Arthur is one of my favorites 🙂 Thanks so much for entering and Good Luck!
There are so many but Ill keep it to Carole Lombard, Hedy Lamarr, Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart.
I don’t think I can pick just one that I would want to interview. I just love hearing stories and seeing old interviews from all of them!
I think this book would be very fascinating!
Eleanor Parker! She was a very private person and I would love to have interviewed her!
Thelma Todd.
Before her early and mysterious death, She had been in many comedies with some of the greatest in the business. The Marx brothers, Laurel and Hardy, etc. She was in a few serious rolls but I always have wondered how famous she might’ve become or if in later life she’d have moved into television. She was an amazing comedian. Her work with Patsy Kelly and Zasu Pitts was very good as well. She was an owner in the Thelma Todd Café and starred in many precode movies as well.
A beautiful woman taken way too soon. I personally believe she was murdered but it’s possible it was an accident as well. But my interest in her is not just about her death but her career and where it might’ve gone.
She always reminded me a little bit of Carole Lombard who also was tragically lost too young. Both extremely talented women. Many people these days don’t even remember Thelma Todd or know who she was. And that’s a shame.
Wow, such an interesting choice!
My friends and I found Thelma Todd’s cafe in LA when we were there for the TCM Film Festival… some point soon, I will be posting pictures on the blog…
Thanks so much for entering and Good Luck 🙂
A star who never got the respect he deserved – Edmond O’Brien.
Look at his filmography and wonder why he isn’t a household name:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Killers
White Heat
D.O.A.
The Hitch-Hiker
1984
The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance
Birdman Of Alcatraz
Fantastic Voyage
The Wild Bunch
And
The Girl Can’t Help It, my favorite role of his
He could play anything in any genre, but far from a recognized star.
I don’t get it.
yep. what a great body of work!
James Stewart
Hedy Lamarr! Any woman brilliant enough to be self-taught at the level of inventing signal hopping for torpedoes and lay the groundwork for Bluetooth and still bring that much charisma to the screen. That’s reason enough. On top of that, it would be fascinating to hear about her journey across religious faiths and how that gave context to her other pursuits.
It’s so hard to decide…I am going to choose Ginger Rogers. I am reading her autobiography now, so it may clear up a lot of questions…but I’m sure I could think of some more! I read that Anne Frank had her photo hanging in the attic where she & her family were in hiding because Ginger was her favorite actress. I’d love to know how she felt when she found that out.
I would love to have interviewed Joan Crawford, my favorite leading lady of the classic era. I admire the way she struggled to from a hardscrabble beginning to a storied career.
Hi David, I can’t seem to find your tweet. Please confirm that you tweeted or just let me know if you don’t have a twitter account or if it is private. Thanks!
I’d love to have interviewed Judy Garland. I’d ask her plenty of questions regarding all of her movies especially The Wizard of Oz. It’s been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. After that, I’d politely ask if she could sing a song or two for me. She was one of the best in her line of work!!
It’s so hard to pick just one…..there were so many wonderful actors/actresses to choose from. Cary Grant on living up to the image of being “Cary Grant”, Carol Landis, who was very underrated and who took her life too soon. I could go on and on………
Hi, I can’t seem to find your tweet. Could you please confirm that you tweeted, or let me know if you don’t have a twitter account or if your account is private. Thanks so much 🙂
My choice would be Rita Hayworth. Her film work was ,of course, amazing but I’d love to talk with her about her personal life.
Her marrriage to Prince Aly and subsequent divorce is itself a story worthy of Hollywood. Her fortitude to raise her daughter as she saw fit , rejecting huge sums of money to do so ,is unique in a time when women were not afforded the freedoms we have today. I think a conversation with her to learn her view of the world as she experienced it would be beyond amazing.
R: I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message
Great choice! Thank you so much for entering and Good Luck 🙂
Humphrey Bogart. I’d love to ask him about his evolution from hard-boiled tough guy (Maltese Falcon, etc etc) to lovable drunk (African Queen).
You got that right. His depiction of characters as a private dick were riveting and so real. The contrast and fun in African Queen was brilliant. He is the one!
Lucille Ball. She made so many people laugh, I would ask her what made her happy. What movies did she watch when she was sad, who made her laugh the most?
I would love to have talked with Judy garland or Mickey Rooney. They were amazing at everything they did. I love watching their movies. They were fantastic together on screen!
I do not have a twitter account so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
They certainly were! Thanks so much for entering and Good Luck 🙂
I would have wanted to interview Alfred Hitchcock or Jack Warner. Both are terribly interesting figures in Hollywood history and had much to tell. I would like to have known their opinions and about their experiences upon meeting other famous Hollywood figures such as actors, stars and starlets, writers, composers, producers, etc.
Carole Lombard. Everything I’ve ever read about her made it seem as if she were one of the most down to earth women in Hollywood. I’d love to ask her what it was like being a woman in the industry at the time, about where she attained the self confidence she always exuded, and about her impeccable sense of comedic timing.
Gloria Swanson. I’m currently reading her autobiography, and I’d love to go on a shopping spree with her. I’d ask her (A) what she was thinking with a couple of those husbands; and (B) about her years at Paramount.
Charles Laughton always struck me as the most fascinating actor of that era. No matter the role he always lifted the film with his intensity.
Hi Steven, I can’t seem to find your tweet. Could you please confirm that you tweeted, or let me know if you don’t have a twitter account or if it’s private. Thanks!
Thanks for the twitter confirmation. Thanks for entering and Good Luck 🙂
I would choose Gary Cooper. I think he made some of the most interesting films and worked with some of the best directors like Frank Capra. I love Mr. Deeds goes to town and I would probably in particular ask about that character and film.
I would love to have interviewed Elisha Cook Jr. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the character actor (and actress) as they work their tails off to less fame and fortune. Cook Jr I’m sure would have some great stories.
Hi Sean, great choice — but I can’t seem to find your tweet. Could you please confirm that you tweeted, or let me know if you don’t have a twitter account or if it’s private. Thanks!
I would have loved to have interviewed James Stewart because he is the star of so many wonderful classic films!
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
Great choice. He would be at the top of my list as well… Thanks so much for entering and Good Luck 🙂
Groucho Marx. A very funny man and a great raconteur.
I would have loved to interview the brilliant and beautiful Hedy Lamarr!
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Jack Benny , because I would love to know about the heyday of vaudville and comedy coming to form as it is today .
Frank Capra. He knew everyone, he was a successful director, and he lived a fairly open life at a time when most of his colleagues were closeted. I think he wold have fascinating insights about Hollywood, the studio system, and his interactions with stars, studio heads and craftsmen.
I would love to interview Judy Garland. She starred in so many musicals and worked with so many talented actors, producers and was married to Vincent Minnelli.
I’d love to get her views and listen to some stories. I hear working with the munchkins was a great experience
It’s a tough decision, but I have to go with Bette Davis. I think she’d have a lot to say, and wouldn’t bite her tongue.