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Hollywood Heyday
75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends
by David Fantle and Tom Johnson
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Book Presentation:
“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.
About the authors:
David Fantle has been interviewing, writing and speaking about Hollywood’s Golden Age stars for 40 years. His work has appeared in media outlets worldwide. He is an adjunct professor of film and pop culture at Marquette University and lives in Milwaukee.
Tom Johnson was a senior editor at Netflix and has written movie reviews and features for E! Online, Moviefone and People magazine, among other publications. He lives in Los Angeles.
Press Reviews:
• Winner, New England Book Festival Award
• Winner, New York City Big Book Award
• "Fans of the glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood are in for a delicious treat with the release of the new book/memoir Hollywood Heyday…The story behind the making of this dishy delight is almost as fascinating as the intimate conversations with the legendary stars themselves."—PROVOKR
• "This book is an entertaining collection of vignettes, a mixture of stories from the stars and the authors’ own observations"—The News & Observer (Raleigh, North California)
• "If you love old Hollywood, chances are your favorite person is in here."—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• "Will change the way you look at some of Hollywood’s classic movies and television shows"—ABC7
• "The book was forty years in the making: worth every minute to bring it to fruition…. Start at the beginning and work through, pick and choose at random; either way, you’ll become immersed in this Milky Way of Hollywood luminaries."—Lavender
• "How [Fantle and Johnson] landed these interviews is just as fascinating as what their subjects had to say about their careers as movie stars…deeply fascinating…the list of celebrities who are featured in the book is quite impressive…a riveting collection"—Montreal Times
• "This is a fine example of the kind of book I love to have on the bedside table, for bedtime. Also, for morning and for insomnia. These profiles are so well done that it’s hard not to go on to just one more and be late for work. Be a good friend. Get two copies."—Dick Cavett
• "Guys, your book will be with me: in the car, in the bathroom, in the tote to the dentist, to the doctor, to the rehab, to the movies—anywhere that I might want a wonderful ‘lift’ to my day. It’s full of fascinating reminiscences. Thank you!"—Angie Dickinson
• "Hollywood Heyday took me back to many a year. Dave and Tom are very good writers."—Eva Marie Saint
• "These are in-depth interviews and not the usual. They’re things that people will really want to know about, not gossip."—Jane Powell
• "In a book that includes Bob Hope, George Burns, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, among others, Don (Rickles) is where he belongs."—Bob Newhart
See the publisher website: McFarland & Co
> From the same authors:
C'Mon, Get Happy (2023)
The Making of Summer Stock
by David Fantle and Tom Johnson
Subject: One Film > Summer Stock
The Christopher Lee Filmography (2009)
All Theatrical Releases, 1948–2003
by Tom Johnson and Mark A. Miller
Subject: Actor > Christopher Lee
Peter Cushing (2009)
The Gentle Man of Horror and His 91 Films
by Deborah Del Vecchio and Tom Johnson
Subject: Actor > Peter Cushing
> On a related topic:
Conversations with Classic Film Stars (2016)
Interviews from Hollywood's Golden Era
by James Bawden and Ron Miller
Movies Were Always Magical (2003)
Interviews with 19 Actors, Directors, and Producers from the Hollywood of the 1930s through the 1950s
You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet (2017)
Interviews With Stars from Hollywood's Golden Era
by James Bawden and Ron Miller
Subject: Actor
Just Making Movies (2005)
Company Directors on the Studio System
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