Joined in 2023 
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This book about the earlier stars and studios was originally published, long ago, in French in Paris.
The "Intolerance" set sat weedy and decaying for years over the growing new Babylon, an eyesore and reminder of the quickly forgotten past in a place where you're only as good as your next picture. Ulysses and 100 Years of Solitude were killing me, so I just needed some well-written trash; something that I could actually FINISH. Describes a book or dust jacket that has the complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc.
Somewhat quaint what was considered scandalous in 1984 but ultimately unsubstantiated gossip is just not my thing.
He had one too many drinks at the party and while driving at Pacific Coast Highway near Santa Monica Canyon, he lost control and careened off into the oncoming traffic which resulted in three deaths. I really appreciated, for example, the extended coverage of the seedy life of that Kennedy clan patriarch and wannabe film producer, the sinister Joseph Kennedy. Undesirable romances were discouraged, gay life style was unacceptable, and abortions arranged in Tijuana. Tra pura exploitationg e glitter, tra boa di struzzo e bagni nello champagne, tra "Cronaca vera" e splatter-pulp.I got on to this book after hearing about the first one in an interview by NPR about a band that is using it as inspiration for an album. It seemed to be somewhat of a voyeuristic look into the dreams and ambitions of vibrant people who fall into these seedy alley nightmares of Hollywood Babylon. Alexander Pantages came from Athens, Greece and made fortune during Klondike gold strike and owned vaudeville houses and about 60 theaters.
Murders and scandals were covered up by studio heads and corrupt LA cops who destroyed evidence and let suspects leave the country. Joe also had eyes for beautiful females in Hollywood that led to a sensual relationship with actress Gloria Swanson. The pictures promise SO much in 'Hollywood Babylon II' - a promise I had clung to since the 80s - but the text doesn't quite deliver. The challenging job was to make sure that studio stars conformed to a strict image of morality is highest.
The most tantalising snapshots, with their accompanying barbed captions, suggest gob-smacking tales of disillusion and tragedy. It’s a dark, often unpleasant journey to be sure, but that doesn’t preclude some bitter laughs of schadenfreude along the way. Still a tight, solid copy of this scarcest edition of the Kenneth Anger classic that sort of started the no-holds barred history of Hollywood scandal! J'ai eu l'impression que Kenneth Anger raclait les fonds de tiroir pour trouver de nouvelles anecdotes.
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