Children of Hollywood
Accounts of Growing Up as the Sons and Daughters of Stars
$29.95
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About the Book
Living in the shadow of a famous parent can have powerful effects, from professional opportunities to pressure so great it leads to suicide. Some children of stars are proud of their roots while others live in secrecy. This is a rare look into the private lives of the children (and, in a few cases, grandchildren) of these classic Hollywood icons, revealing the stresses and inspirations of living with great performers who may or may not have been great parents. Some movie stars protected their offspring, but others used them as publicity props or even made them into rivals. Despite their unusual upbringing, some of the children succeeded in the movies or elsewhere, but many never lived up to the public expectations. Many lost their parents, whether to the extremes of the celebrity lifestyle, to divorce, or to their careers. From the beautiful bedtime stories Harpo Marx and his wife told their four adopted children to explain where they’d come from, to the studded belt Bing Crosby used to punish his sons for not obeying the strict family rules, this work tells the best and worst of growing up in a celebrity home.
Families covered include those of W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Eddie Cantor, Mario Lanza, Ruth Hussey, Jerry Lewis, Douglas Fairbanks and Boris Karloff. Research is drawn from interviews with celebrity offspring, who also provided never-before-published snapshots of Hollywood legends at home.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
Michelle Vogel
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 239
Bibliographic Info: 73 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2005
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2046-9
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Preface 1
Introduction 5
1. Arthur Marx 23
2. Billy, Alex, Jimmy and Minnie Marx 37
3. Maxine Marx 44
4. Joan Benny 50
5. Gary Lewis 60
6. Damon Lanza 65
7. Romina Power 71
8. Janet Cantor Gari and Brian Gari 78
9. Peter Ford 88
10. Sir Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. 99
11. Harry Langdon, Jr. 108
12. Leatrice Gilbert Fountain 115
13. Chris Costello and Vickie Abbott Wheeler 131
14. Ron Fields 148
15. Gary Crosby 157
16. Sara Karloff 172
17. Suzanne Lloyd 178
18. Eric Lamond 185
19. John Longenecker 194
Motherhood Missed 206
Bibliography 213
Index 215
Book Reviews & Awards
“wonderful”—Canyon News.
