Leading Ladies

LEADING LADIES: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era: Andrea Cornell Sarvady: Turner Classic Movies: Nonfiction: 231 pages.

Turner Classic Movies, the guru of classic films put together this entertaining book of women of classic Hollywood. You do not have to be a serious film history buff to enjoy this book; it is just fun to flip through. There are lots of pictures, short one page biographies, lists of the top five films you must see of each actress and fun random fact bits about each woman. I enjoyed learning that Claudette Colbert dreaded doing the film “It Happened One Night” and thought it was the worst film she ever done, though come to find out it not only won the Oscar for Best Picture but her only Oscar for Best Actress. My appreciation for Maureen O’Hara grew learning that when she was told by the Studio to get a nose job she refused by saying “My nose comes with me . . .if you don’t like it, I’ll go back where I came from.” I have read a lot of film history books, and I have to say this is one of my favorites, gets right to the facts of why these women were stars.

KK