Twisting in Air by Carol Bradley

 

First Line: Tall, ebony-haired Chuck Roberson had landed his dream job in Hollywood.

 

Westerns had long been a moviegoer favorite, and Hollywood cranked them out by the dozens. However, it wasn't until the 1940s that movie studios agreed to abide by the Hollywood Production Code's ban on cruelty to animals, which meant they had to stop using deadly tripwires, tilt chutes, and covered pits. Filmmakers still wanted to depict horses falling in battle so they had to start looking for "acting" horses who could fall to the ground on command.

 

A thoroughbred-quarter horse mix named Cocaine ("Coke") overcame a debilitating injury to become the fastest falling horse of all. Coke was one of only two dozen horses who mastered the athleticism required to fall safely at will. He doubled many times for John Wayne's horse, Dollor, and appeared in several Westerns directed by John Ford. 

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If you grew up watching Westerns in movie theaters or on television, like I did, you're bound to find Twisting in Air fascinating. Carol Bradley's book is an absorbing look at the early dark history of stunt horses in movies, to its heyday, and on to the present day. I've been a horse lover my entire life, and I'm glad I didn't watch those early Westerns before the Hollywood Production Code's ban on cruelty to animals. 

I learned so much about the training and development of falling horses, but-- as usual-- it was the relationship between rider and horse that was key. The relationship explored the most in Twisting in Air is between stunt rider Chuck Roberson and his horse Cocaine. Roberson was the inspiration for the TV series "The Fall Guy," and he doubled for John Wayne many times.

This book explores the entire history of stunt riders and horses, from the early days of the Wild West shows to now. Once the Hollywood Production Code and the Humane Society began to have an increased say in how animals were treated, I knew it was only a matter of time before uncaring, miserly film producers found a way around the rules. (Countries outside the U.S. didn't have those same laws.) What about movies being made today? Computer-generated imagery is a wonderful thing.

Twisting in Air was a valuable read for me because it filled in so many gaps in my knowledge of the movies and television shows I loved to watch in my youth (including the true meaning of animals' facial expressions). Stunt men like Chuck Roberson and horses like Cocaine worked hard to bring a safe kind of realism to Westerns. They really were teams that cared for one another, and I'm glad I now know more about them.

Twisting in Air: The Sensational Rise of a Hollywood Falling Horse by Carol Bradley

eISBN: 9781496240712

University of Nebraska-Bison Books © 2024

eBook, 224 pages

 

Non-Fiction

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

The Way We Were by Tom Santopietro

 

First Line: In the beginning, screenwriter Arthur Laurents agreed to write a movie for Barbra Streisand.

 

There's nothing more guaranteed to make a person feel old than learning that one of her all-time favorite films is coming up on its fiftieth anniversary. I had just started college when The Way We Were opened, and I made a beeline for the theater and what would turn out to be one of the most memorable movie experiences of my life.

There's a reason why the movie theater experience is hands-down better than watching a film on a big-screen television at home. Sitting in the packed, darkened theater on that long ago day, when Robert Redford said, "Katie, you expect so much!" and Streisand looked at him and replied, "Oh, but look what I've got!" every female in the audience (and probably many males) audibly sighed. I'll never forget that. 

 

So... I wanted to know more about this movie, and author Tom Santopietro certainly delivered the goods with his in-depth, meticulous research. The movie studio was strapped for cash and thought that a movie with a non-singing (and Communist!) Barbra Streisand was the kiss of death. How wrong could a bunch of "experts" be?

From writing the story and the unforgettable music to choosing actors and filming locations and beyond, I feel as though I learned everything there is to know about The Way We Were. Anyone who's interested in this classic romantic film or in film-making itself should read it, too.

The Way We Were: The Making of a Romantic Classic by Tom Santopietro

eISBN: 9781493071265

Applause © 2023

eBook, 336 pages

 

Non-Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Script for Scandal by Renee Patrick

First Line: I had narrowed my options down to the corned beef hash or the turkey sandwich.

Lillian Frost is astounded when her friend, costume designer Edith Head, hands her a script for a movie called Streetlight Story. Based on an actual bank robbery, the script says the mastermind of the robbery is none other than Lillian's boyfriend, LAPD detective Gene Morrow.

Now Gene is at the center of a scandal that mixes fact and fiction. Streetlight Story is becoming the hottest ticket in town, there's an unexplained death on the Paramount Studio lot, and the police have reopened the case that inspired this new script. Since Gene doesn't seem to be doing anything to clear his name, Lillian refuses to rest until she has answers. With Edith's help, will Lillian be able to uncover the truth?

I'm glad that mysteries set in the glamor days of Hollywood seem to be on the rise, and I'm particularly happy that there is a new Lillian Frost and Edith Head mystery by the writing team known as Renee Patrick. Script for Scandal is a rip-roaring banquet of a read that has a little something for everyone.

There's a real feel for Hollywood in the late 1930s, with one character working to infiltrate local Nazi groups-- which could be a very dangerous thing to do. Readers learn about the (mis)behavior of some of the movie stars of the day, and laughs are provided when Lillian's boss gets a part as an extra on a film and then begins to worry himself into a tizzy about it. This leads to "acting lessons" from both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, and I could actually hear both actresses' voices in my head as I read.

There's a nice twisty mystery to solve in which Virginia Hill and Bugsy Siegel play parts, and if you like clothes, you're going to like Script for Scandal. Lillian and Edith play well against each other. Lillian is the more intuitive, emotional "detective" while Edith's eye for detail and her tendency toward observation means that she picks up on things that everyone else misses.

Readers never know which stars they're going to run into in one of these books, and this is part of the series' charm. I really enjoy how the authors portray real historical figures. If you like excellent period detail, strong mysteries, and two strong, independent female leads, chances are excellent that you will enjoy this series. Hollywood is just the icing on the cake. Give it a try!
 

Script for Scandal by Renee Patrick

eISBN: 9781448303496

Severn House Publishers © 2019

eBook, 240 pages

Historical Mystery, #3 Lillian Frost & Edith Head mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley 

Lone Star by Ed Ifkovic

First Line: "No one flies to L.A. in July," I mumbled as the driver opened the door of the limo and helped me in.

Novelist Edna Ferber has come to Hollywood to see how director George Stevens and Warner Bros. Studio are treating her baby-- Texas oil epic Giant. The movie is in its last days of filming, and Ferber is looking forward to meeting the stars: Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean. She finds that James Dean has gotten himself in a bit of hot water. He's accused of fathering a child with a mentally unstable extra, and the studio is afraid that any negative publicity will harm the movie's release. But there's more trouble on the horizon than a bit of bad press. The extra is murdered, and now Dean faces a murder charge. It's up to Edna and her sidekick, veteran character actress Mercedes McCambridge, to clear the young star's name.

On the face of it, Lone Star is going to appeal most to those who are interested in 1950s Hollywood with its classic films and movie stars, its secrets and scandals. I grew up with two movie buffs, and I learned a lot through osmosis. I've also read Ferber's books and watched Giant and many, many other movies of the period. With all this having been said, I still think there's a lot in Lone Star that will appeal to readers who are arriving on the scene completely clueless.

Edna Ferber makes an interesting sleuth, not always sure of herself but quick-thinking, and watching her turn into The Grande Dame when she's not being given her proper due is a treat. Mercedes McCambridge is a wonderful choice to be Ferber's sidekick. She knows everyone and knows all the ins and outs of Hollywood, so she can open many of the doors that Ferber needs to walk through. She's also got the requisite inquiring mind and free spirit.

What is perhaps the most important relationship of all is the one between Ferber and young James Dean. Reading this book is bittersweet to anyone who knows Dean's story, but there is a great deal of enjoyment to be found in watching real friendship develop between these two very unlikely people. The grand lady of letters with her nice clothes, gloves, and her pearls, and the breezy, sloppy, and often charming idol of movie magazines. Superficially they have nothing in common, but scratch below the surface and there are plenty of similarities to be found.

The author knows his Hollywood history and uses it to good effect. The cast is strong and interesting, and the reader's attention remains fixed firmly on the book because the mystery is a puzzler, too. Now that I've met Miss Edna Ferber and have seen what she's capable of, I'm looking forward to reading more of her adventures.

Lone Star by Ed Ifkovic

eISBN: 9781615951024

Poisoned Pen Press © 2009

eBook, 236 pages

Historical Mystery, #1 Edna Ferber mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Barnes and Noble