Biographies A to C

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed and Other Things I've Learned
Alan Alda
A star on Broadway, an Oscar nominee for The Aviator, and, for eleven years, the inimitable Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H -- during which time he became the only person ever to win Emmys for acting, writing, and directing -- Alan Alda has now written a memoir as elegant, funny, and affecting as his greatest performances. Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is the touching story of Alda's professional and personal development, but surprisingly it is the story of a life more filled with turbulence and laughter than any he has ever played on stage or screen. Readers will be moved by this candid autobiography. Softcover 224 pp. $18.95.

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years
Julie Andrews
In Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie Andrews takes her readers on a warm, moving and often humorous journey from a difficult upbringing in war-torn Britain to tthe moment in 1962, when Walt Disney himself saw her on Broadway and cast her as the world's most famous nanny. Softcover, 338 pp. $19.99.

Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography
Richard Stirling
This is book is a completely new biography of Julie Andrews as artist, wife and mother in over thirty-five years - combining the author's interviews with the star and his wide-ranging research. It is a portrait of an enchanting icon of stage and screen, who was made a Dame in the Millenium Honours list. Softcover, 376 pp. $29.95.

Astaire and Rogers
Edward Gallafent
From Flying Down to Rio to The Barkleys of Broadway, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made ten films together, dancing their way into Hollywood history and the hearts of the American moviegoing public. This is the first book to pay tribute to the genuine cinematic contribution of these magnificent performers. Illustrated throughout with black & white photographs. Softcover, 256 pp. $26.95.

Becoming Jane Austen
Jon Spence
Jon Spence's brilliant biography of Jane Austen is an intimate portrait of the much loved novelist. Spence paints a vivid picture of Jane's world; her situation and circumstances, their benefits and drawbacks, and the people who influenced her -- family and friends, rejected suitors, tiresome acquaintances and unruly nephews. Becoming Jane Austen shows how her personal experiences resonated throughout her great body of work. Softcover, 294 pp. $18.95.

Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry
Holly George-Warren
The only performer to earn five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - for radio, recording, motion pictures, television, and live performance - Gene Autry was the singing cowboy king of American entertainment. Now, in Public Cowboy No. 1, Holly George-Warren offers the first serious biography of this singular individual, in a fascinating narrative that traces Autry's climb from small town farm boy to multimillionaire. Hardcover, 406 pp. $34.95.

By Myself and Then Some
Lauren Bacall
To celebrate the silver anniversary of its original publication, Lauren Bacall has brought her engaging memoir up to date, chronicling the events of the past twenty-five years, including her recent films and Broadway runs, and her fond memories of many close lifelong friendships. By Myself and Then Some reveals the legend in her own beautiful frank words. Softcover, 506 pp. $20.50.

Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar
Susmita Dasgupta
In an industry where fashions change every Friday, Amitabh Bachchan has been synonymous with cinematic entertainment for over thirty years. In a warm and insightful analysis, the author traces the world-view and philosophy that have shaped the films of Bachchan. In the process, she not only chronicles the star's journey from a flop actor to a national icon but also brings to life a period in the history of Indian cinema which altered forever the economics of film-making in the country. Softcover, 187 pp. $15.00.

Tallulah! The Life and Times of a Leading Lady
Joel Lobenthal
Tallulah! is the definitive biography of Tallulah Bankhead, a woman even more complex, more nuanced, and more shocking than her notorious mythology suggests. Author Joel Lobenthal has captured the private essence of this most public of broadway stars. Here are also the close and perseonal details of her family life and doomed romances painted against the backdrop of nearly fifty years of Broadway history. Softcover, 573 pp. $19.25.

Warren Beatty: A Private Man
Suzanne Finstad
Stunningly researched, engrossing, and exquisitely detailed, Warren Beatty: A Private Man gives us a new understanding of the enigmatic, fiercely intelligent star who embodies the American dream. Weaving together hundreds of candid interviews, photographs from private albums, personal letters and diaries, lauded biographer Suzanne Finstad unveils the real Beatty and constructs the definitive myth-shattering account of his evolution from Hollywood's enfant terrible to film legend. Softcover, 587 pp. $21.00.

Belushi
Judith Belushi Pisano & Tanner Colby
On the day he turned thirty, John Belushi starred in America's number-one movie (Animal House), starred in the number-one late-night show (SNL) and had recorded a number-one album (Briefcase Full of Blues). This biography shows how this Albanian immigrant's son captured the nation's imagination during his high-priced, high-speed, short-lived career. Filled with never-before-seen photos and provocative, intensely personal testimonials by just about every major comedic figure of the last half century this remarkable and raucous story of a larger-than-life figure provides an eye-opening glimpse into the life of a pop culture legend. Hardcover, 288 pp. $42.00.

Ingrid
Charlotte Chandler
In 1949 Ingrid Bergman, though married and a mother, fell in love with director Roberto Rossellini and conceived a child with him. Her fans were shocked and she was ostracized in Hollywood. In this book, Charlotte Chandler describes what happened, from Bergman's point of view. She interviewed Bergman herself, Roberto Rossellini, Isabella Rossellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorcese, Cary Grant and many others. Softcover, 333 pp. $16.95.

Ever, Dirk
John Coldstream
Collected here, Dirk Bogarde's copious letters represent an alternative autobiography, covering three decades. On display are the qualities familiar to those who knew the private Bogarde: acute observation, a laser-like intelligence, an easily-provoked waspishness, an aversion to the politically correct, a directness which could wound and offend, a robust compassion for the needy, a relish for the striking metaphor, and a catastrophic disdain for correct spelling and puncuation. To read these letters is to hear him talk; and a conversation with Dirk was never dull. Hardcover, 531 pp. $39.95.

Dirk Bogarde: The Authorised Biography
John Coldstream
As an actor Dirk Bogarde was a Rank contract artist and matinee idol who became a giant of the intellectual cinema, working on films such as The Servant, Death in Venice, and Providence. Fiercely protective of his privacy, and that of his partner of forty years, he left England in the 1960s to live abroad, where he carved a second career for himself as a bestselling author. Although Bogarde destroyed most of his papers, John Coldstream had unique access to his personal archives and to friends and family. The result is a fascinating biography of a complex and enigmatic personality.. Softcover, 783 pp. $19.95.

On The Couch
Lorraine Braco
In this engaging memoir, Lorraine Bracco opens up about her career, her marriages, her determination to be a good mother, and her refusal to be marginalized as an actress and a woman in a society obsessed with youth and beauty. On the Couch delivers with all the force of this amazing woman's marvelous personality. Hardcover, 292 pp. $34.00.

Kenneth Branagh
Mark White
From humble beginnings, Kenneth Branagh drove himself to dizzy heights of accomplishment. With a West End hit at twenty-one, a lead with the Royal Shakespeare Company by twenty-three and his own theatre company by twenty-six, no actor of his generation achieved so much so rapidly. And yet no actor has received such relentless criticism. Based on extensive research in previously untapped archival materials and on numerous interviews, Mark White traces the vicissitudes of Branagh's career, examining his meteoric rise and the accompanying backlash. Softcover, 323 pp. $19.00.

Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando
Stefan Kanfer
For everything we know about Marlon Brando as a man as well as an actor and artist, he remains a fascination. With the surest of hands, Stefan Kanfer gives us the first truly comprehensive examination, not only of a life and a career, but of how the two came together to create the icon we know as Brando. Hardcover, 350 pp. $32.00.

Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever
Peter Cowie
Louise Brooks has become one of the most spectacular icons of early cinema. Her classically drawn features and distinctive 'helmet' haircut bring together a look as fresh, potent, and modern as when Brooks made her film debut in 1925. This beautifully illustrated book explores the life of one of the silver screen's most enduring and provocative stars . Hardcover, 256 pp. $72.00.

It's Good To Be The King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks
James Robert Parish
It's Good to Be the King traces the life and career of little Melvin Kaminsky. It examines the roots of Brooks's need to entertain and how he developed his unique blend of slapstick, satire, and just plain silliness into a winning and flexible comedy style that would stand the test of time. Hardcover, 325 pp. $30.99.

The Trials Of Lenny Bruce
The Fall and Rise of an American Icon
Ronald K.L. Collins & David M. Skover
This ground-breaking biography, told through text and an accompanying audio CD, allows readers to listen to, laugh with and understand the man whose words had the power to provoke laughter and debate -- as well as shock, outrage and arrests. This authoritative biography of Lenny Bruce paints a vivid, shocking, and hilarious portrait of a man too honest for his time. Softcover, 562 pp. $46.95.

Monster Kid Memories
Bob Burns & Tom Weaver
Bob Burns has been a collector, actor, makeup artist and science fiction activist since he was a boy in the 1940s. In Monster Kid Memories, you'll read all about Bob and his friendships with legendary SF producer/director George Pal; Glenn Strange, the last of Universal's classice Frankenstein Monsters; William Castle, king of the "gimmick" horror movies; makeup legend Jack Pierce; the men who made the Saturday matinee serials; Hollywood's greatest "Ape Man" Charlie Gemora, and many more! Softcover, 228 pp. $19.99.

Lessons in Becoming Myself
Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn describes the personal missteps, toxic relationships, and private demons she has battled, and now confronting them prompted her to find a different life path. Raised a Catholic, she has traveled the world exploring a wide range of spiritual experiences. From the Swiss Alps to Cambodia, from the Himalayas to the streets of New York, she has sought--and found--answers to life's most puzzling questions. Lessons in Becoming Myself is the extraordinary story of the quest for the examined life. Softcover, $18.00.

Richard Burton: Prince of Players
Michael Munn
Here is the full story of Richard Burton's life and remarkable career, revealed by a writer who knew him from 1968 up to the time they were together on Burton's last film in 1984. Hardcover, 260 pp. $39.95.

Pictures In My Head
Gabriel Byrne
The autobiography of the star of such films as Miller's Crossing, The Usual Suspects, and In the Name of the Father. Softcover, $20.00.

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Michael Caine: A Class Act
Christopher Bray
Born into south London poverty during the Depression-hit thirties, Michael Caine expended his youthful energies fighting in Korea during the fifties. Subsequently he began his long, slow climb up the greasy pole of the acting trade. Success would finally come his way after a string of starring roles in hit films. Today he is regarded as one of the finest actor's of his generation and indeed the biggest movie star Britain has ever produced. Here is his story, as it unfolds alongside the story of Britain in the twentieth century. Softcover, 358 pp. $21.00.

If Chins Could Kill:
Confessions of a B Movie Actor
Bruce Campbell
The star of The Evil Dead and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.; on TV, the recurring regular in Hercules, Xena and the star of Jack of All Trades tells all in this no-holds-barred, tell-all Hollywood autobiography. Well, sort of... Oh, buy the book. It's well written and funny. And as Campbell says: If the book sucks, at least there are gobs of pictures, and they're not crammed in the middle like all those other actor books. Softcover, 304 pp. $19.95.

Floor Sample: A Creative Memoir
Julia Cameron
In Floor Sample, the author of the international bestseller The Artist's Way weaves an honest and moving portrayal of her life. From her early career as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine and her marriage to Martin Scorsese, to her tortured experiences with alcohol and Hollywood, in this passionate memoir she reflects on the experiences in her life that have fed her own art as well as her ability to help others realize their creative dreams. Softcover, 405 pp. $18.50.

Art Carney: A Biography
Michael Seth Starr
Art Carney was a beloved star of television's golden age. This in-depth biography tells his whole story for the first time. It follows him from his early days as a song and dance man and radio personality to his legendary partnership with Jackie Gleason on The Honeymooners, and beyond. A fascinating exploration of a complex man and a brilliant comedian. Softcover, $23.95. 

Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema
Jeffrey Vance
In the history of cinema, Charlie Chaplin has few peers. He was the first global film star, a comic genius (in front of and behind the camera), and his characterization of the tramp is a veritable icon of silent cinema. His films as well as his rags-to-riches life story are thoroughly explored in these richly illustrated pages. Chaplin fans will not want to be without this extraordinary book. Hardcover, 400 pp. $75.00.

Calcium Made Interesting
Graham Chapman & Jim Yoakum
This unique anthology shows there was far more to Graham then a belief in the absurd. Calcium Made Interesting includes previously unpublished essays and teleplays, unperformed sketches, transcripts of Graham's lecture tours, letters to his bank manager, serious articles petitioning for gay rights, and reflections on his fellow Pythons. Softcover, 332 pp. $17.99.

George Clooney: The Last Great Movie Star
Kimberly Potts
In this long awaited and only up-to-date biography of one of Hollywood's most colorful leading men, pop culture expert Kimberly Potts traces Clooney's life from smalltown boy to big-screen idol. Potts also recounts how Clooney has gained success and acclaim with his shrewd strategy of alternating blockbuster movie roles with les lucrative "passion" projects -- such as Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck -- that reflect his personal ethics. Including essential Clooney photographs, a filmography, timeline and a list of his favorite 100 films, this is the book no Clooney fan will want to be without. Softcover, 256 pp. $22.95.

Sacha Baron Cohen: From Cambridge to Kazakhstan
Kathleen Tracy
In Sacha Baron Cohen, biographer Kathleen Tracy traces Cohen's roots as a soft-spoken son of an English clothier and follows his trail to Cambridge, where he ditched the idea of pursuing a Ph.D. for an infinitely trickier comedy career. As we wait to see just what Cohen will come up with next, Tracy gets the man behind the characters--and details the outrageous moves Cohen has made in character as the boorish English hip-hop journalism Ali G, the tender and tactless Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev, and more. Softcover, 278 pp. $16.25.

Being a Scot
Sean Connery
Being a Scot is a vivid and hilghly personal portrait of Scotland and its achievements, which is self-revelatory whilst full of Sir Sean Connery's desire to shine light upon Scottish success and heroic failure. Hardcover, 314 pp. $45.95.


Sean Connery
Michael Feeney Callan
From his formative years in Scotland, through his tenure as James Bond, and right up to his most recent accolades (he was knighted in 2000), Sean Connery's life and career are thoroughly explored herein. No Bond fan or student of cinema will want to be without this revised and updated version of the first book-length study of one of film's most celebrated actors. Hardcover, 296 pp., $41.95.

Something Like Fire: Peter Cook Remembered
Lin Cook
Edited by Peter Cook's widow, this is the intimate and entertaining portrait of one of comedy's greatest geniuses. Each of the 30 chapters features a touching memoir by a different person, all of whom knew Cook best. Contributors include Clive Anderson, Alan Bennett, John Cleese, Stephen Fry, William Goldman, Barry Humphries, Eric Idle, Dudley Moore, and Michael Palin. Softcover, 259 pp. $21.95.

Notes on a Life
Eleanor Coppola
Eleanor Coppola shares her extraordinary life as an artist, filmmaker, wife, and mother in a book that captures the glamour and grit of Hollywood and reveals the private tragedies and joys that tested and strengthened her over the past twenty years. Hardcover, 290 pp. $28.00.

Letters of Noel Coward
Edited by Barry Day
Lavishly illustrated and annotated, this first and definitive collection of letters to and from Coward provides a divine portrait of an age, from the Blitz to the Ritz and beyond. Along with 191 rare photographs, these letters bring to life the people and events that shaped the twentieth century--and a remarkable man who made his own indelible mark at the heart of it. Softcover, 780 pp. $22.95.

Future Indefinite
Noel Coward
This second volume of Noel Coward's legendary autobiography includes Future Indefinite and the unfinished Past Unconditional. With his celebrated panache, Coward shares anecdotes about his South American travels, Hollywood encounters and his later theatrical successes, including the Broadway triumph of Design for Living. A wonderful memoir by one of the most exuberant characters in British theatrical history. Softcover, 348 pp. $19.50.

Present Indicative
Noel Coward
Displaying an early dedication to the theatre, Noel Coward's first autobiography hints at the success that would come to him as an actor, playwright, novelist and performer. Charting his progress from a 'brazen odious little prodigy' to Cavalcade in 1931, Present Indicative is a must read for anyone with an interest in the British stage and the man who so clearly owned it. Softcover, 340 pp. $19.50.

Joan Crawford: The Enduring Star
Peter Cowie
Joan Crawford's stunning beauty, dazzling confidence, and sheer toughness made her the very definition of a star. With her beguiling ability to mix ambition, sex appeal, and vulnerability, she, with the help of famed photographer George Hurrell, managed to craft her own iconic image. Drawing on archives from around the world and including more than one hundred photos unseen in the past twenty-five years, this book re-introduces us to this ultimate Hollywood legend. Hardcover, 225 pp. $69.00.

Not the Girl Next Door
Charlotte Chandler
In this fascinating new biography of screen legend Joan Crawford, Charlotte Chandler draws on exclusive and remarkably candid interviews with Crawford herself and with others who knew her, including her first husband Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Crawford's daughter Cathy. As a result, this biography is fresh and revealing, a brand-new look at one of Hollywood's most acclaimed stars. Hardcover, 316 pp. $29.99.

Joan Crawford: The Essential Biography
Lawrence J. Quirk & William Schoell
Joan Crawford, a woman who went after and got what she wanted, was one of her generation's best and brightest film stars. In this authoritative biography, authors Quirk and Schoell illuminate the life of this most glamorous and mystifiying movie queen. Hardcover, 294 pp. $45.50.

700 Sundays
Billy Crystal
One of America's most beloved entertainer's takes us home. Billy Crystal opens the front door to a time in his life when he shared joy, love, music, and laughter with an eccentric family headed by the hardworking father who left them all too soon. Based on his Tony Award-winning play, 700 Sundays celebrates the memories, the love, and all the other wonderful gifts parents can give a child. Softcover, 182 pp. $16.99.

The Peter Cushing Companion
David Miller
Peter Cushing was an unforgettable presence in cult cinema in the 50s, 60s, and 70s and remains one of Britain's best loved film stars. This is the definitive guide to the stage and screen career of a legendary star, drawing upon conversations with Cushing's friends and colleagues, archival material from the BBC and Hammer films, and previously unpublished interviews with Cushing himself. A revealing re-assessment of the career and acheivements of this very much admired and very private actor. $36.95.

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Last modified April 26, 2009
Please note that all prices are in Canadian dollars. All prices are subject to change without notice.