Book Description
Oversized, outrageous Mary Alice and her prim sister Patricia Anne have been looking forward to the gala benefit being staged to raise money for the restoration of Vulcan, Birmingham's ever-tarnishing unnatural wonder. And what a show it is, with a grand finale that has thirty sequined Elvis impersonators high-kicking in unison! From the front row, "Mouse" and "Sister" have a perfect view of the action when one of the dancing Kings keels over dead into the bandstand. This Elvis clone has not only left the building ... he's left this life, courtesy of a switchblade knife in the back. And when the murder weapon turns up in Patricia Anne's very sensible purse, the perennially law-abiding "Mouse" is understandably all shook up. Suspicious minds have her pegged as the prime suspect in this bizarre case of Elvis elimination. And if she doesn't do some serious sleuthing, she could end up doing the Jailhouse Rock!
Customer Reviews:
Thank You Anne, Thank You Very Much.......2007-09-04
A running gag throughout this series involves the giant statue of Vulcan that looms over Birmingham and literally moons half of the town. Well it seems that someone put a hole in Vulcan's head and he of the massive moon is in need of repair so the people of Birmingham come to his aid. Among other things they hold a fund-raiser at the Alabama theater that features several acts including a chorus line of dancing Elvis's; or is that Elvi? Anyway, before the night is over one Elvis is sent off toward hound dog Heaven to the strains of Jailhouse Rock. Naturally sisters Mary Alice (Sister) and Patricia Anne (Mouse) are sitting right there in the front row.
Since Mouse's retirement after many years of teaching school the sisters have just been up to their necks in dead bodies but this is the first dead Elvis that they have come across. Try as they might to not get involved they just can't help themselves, especially once the murder weapon shows up in Mouse's purse. All the while Mouse is planning for a new grandchild, Sister is planning her fourth wedding, Sister's eldest daughter is being pursued by an amorous Cajun, Bubba Cat continues to sleep, another Elvis is attacked and the whole crew continue to eat more than any group of fictional characters that I have ever come across. This author's gift for descriptive prose is nowhere better showcased than with her descriptions of all of that delicious food that is constantly showing up in this series. This is not a series of books to read while on a diet for you can just smell the homemade vegetable soup, the cornbread and the sweet rolls.
As with most of the books in this series the sisters stumble and bumble along and get themselves in deep trouble but in the end they do get their man (or woman?) whether they intended to or not. Also as usual the dialogue in this book is priceless especially the dialogue between the two southern sisters. They remind me for all the world of a pair of my elderly aunts who used to sit on the couch and argue for hours on end.
Sadly this is the last entry in this oh so lovable series due to the death of author Anne George. I put off reading this book for a long time after I finished the previous entry in this series because I knew that finishing this book would make me very sad. This author writes in such a way that you really come to feel like you know and are interacting with her characters and facing the end of the series was like having to pack up and move away from some very dear friends. I already miss this boisterous bunch and I deeply mourn the loss of Anne George. I never had the privilege of meeting her but since she based Mouse on herself I sure feel like we were old friends.
This Book Boogies!.......2007-06-27
As a diehard Elvis fan, I was intrigued by the title of this book one day while browsing books on Amazon. I put it on my wish list and finally purchased it for myself. It is my first time reading Anne George and the Southern Sisters Mysteries but I hope it will not be my last! The characters are awesome. Growing up in the South, I can relate to every one of them. Some of the things they say I can remember hearing my grandmother, my mom or one of my aunts saying. There is much humor along with the mystery, which is my favorite thing in books. I truly enjoyed it and am adding more Anne George books to my wish list.
Sad to see the end!.......2007-06-25
It's too bad that Ann George was taken from us so soon. She wrote this book just before she passed away in 2001. Even though she didn't know that it would be her last book, it actually was a fitting end to the Southern Sisters series. We have all the wonderful people there, and our two southern sisters that I have fallen in love with as I've been reading the books. There are 30 Elvis impersonators, a dead body, a missing girl, and anything else that you could want. Even a wedding at the end. I recommend this series highly to cozy lovers. It's the best, and I am going to miss Patricia Ann and Mary Alice very much. I'll miss Woofer and Muffin too.
Murder Boogies with Elvis.......2006-03-13
Anne George was such a great mystery/humor writer. I first listened to all her books several years ago. I loved the Sisters, I can picture them in my mind...large-boned and tall Mary Alice, and tiny Patricia Ann. Their relationship was always one of love, and hilarity. My friend and I, who listened to all 8 books with me, were so caught up in what would happen to Mary Alice and the latest man she married, and Patricia Ann's daughter and her pregnancy, that we were shocked, dismayed and saddened by the death of the author. I would recommend these books to anyone who enjoys reading a "who-done-it", jazzed with humor. You will want to read all the books...like a potato chip commercial, you can't read just one! Try it...you'll like it.
Truly entertaining.......2006-01-23
If you are looking for an entertaining and fun filled mystery, look no further than Anne George. Her characters are so well developed that you feel as if you know them regardless of which of her mysteries you read. This book is special because it was her last, and because the plot is perhaps a tad more intricate than in her previous books. A fine read anytime, anywhere, Ms. George was truly one of the best female mystery writers.
Average customer rating:
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Murder Boogies with Elvis
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 140253356X |
Product Description
Complete Set of 8, Southern Sisters Series: Murder on A Girls' Night Out, Murder on A Bad Hair Day, Murder Runs in the Family, Murder Makes Waves, Murder Gets A Life, Murder Shoots the Bull, Murder Carries A Torch, Murder Boogies with Elvis
Customer Reviews:
Houston, We Have A Problem.......2007-08-12
I just loved this book! You know how some books just seem "disjointed"...or you can't quite picture how in "the hell" the characters have any chemistry? Well that is so NOT the case w/this book!! Josie was so real & cute to me. I found myself cheering her on throughout the book. And Houston, well...he was just the "alpha male" that I Looove to read about! Hot sex scenes!! Yummy!! The chemistry was so real...and the story that backed that up was just a darn good read too!! This is another "keeper shelf" book and I'm looking forward to reading more Erin McCarthy.
Simply not good........2007-05-21
Josie behaves like a love-sick teenager and even tho this guy treats her horribly, she keeps coming back for more.
She's a doormat. What is sexy about that?
yuk.......2006-10-29
... sorry, this one really was not worthy of McCarthy. I was on page 100 before the book got interesting. Before that it was all just page after page of sex. Pick up a porn novel. I trudged through it wondering if this was McCarthy's first try at writing (?) I was kind, though, and gave another chance with "Heiress for Hire". That is a winner through and through. Skip this one and read that book.
Good Read.....Rated R for Racey!.......2006-07-18
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I enjoyed the story. It had humor, enjoyable characters and held my interest. There were a number of sex scenes in the book that were interesting to read. It didn't have a smutty feel to it though. I liked the book.
Defintely will check out her other books.
Another sexcapade in need of plot development.......2006-05-23
When surgical resident Josie is not second guessing her chosen career path or putting herself down, she is either lusting after sexy surgeon Houston, or doing something pretty klutzy. He is hot and bothered by what she considers her "chunky body" so what does he do - he takes her in a broom closet so that they can both get each other out of their systems.
Of course, the best laid plans and all that... Soon they are panting for each other even more, and when an accident leaves Houston without the use of his gifted hands, he's faced with the possibility of a life outside of the operating room and in need of Josie now more than ever.
So many of McCarthy's novels sacrifice plot and story for pushing-the-envelope sex scenes that border on an anatomy lesson. Perhaps in more "gifted hands," the story could have been better (or at the very least, more fleshed out). But the characters lack chemistry - and Josie is so unappealing - we know this because she beats us over the head with all her flaws over and over and over... With the price of trade paperbacks, and the lack of storyline, you'd be smart to get this one from your local library.
Average customer rating:
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Houston - We May Have a Problem!
Peter Ryding
Manufacturer: Pathfinder Partners Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Decision-Making & Problem Solving | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0955152593 |
Book Description
Kit Includes:
• An Instruction Booklet
• 24 Memory Exercise Cards
• A CD with Morning and Evening Mind/Body Exercises
__________________________________
The Better Memory Kit encompasses an innovative, clinically proven medical program to prevent and reverse all types of memory loss, including Alzheimer's disease. It's based on over a decade of research and clinical experience by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., the original voice of the prevention of memory loss. The focus of the kit is an integrative medical program featuring the four pillars of a better memory: a 20 percent "right fat" diet; stress relief via memory-enhancing meditations; special physical, mental, and mind/body exercises to boost memory; and pharmaceutical medicines, proven to delay the onset of Alzheimer's by six years.
The Better Memory Kit is invaluable, because as the baby boomers age, the incidence of Alzheimer's is predicted to surge by 400 percent if a preventive and early reversal program is not adopted by the general public. The Better Memory Kit presents an easy-to-follow guide for people of all ages to adapt into their lifestyle. It can not only save billions of dollars in health-care costs, but also save families the pain of losing their loved ones to this horrible, mind-robbing disease. The kit is also beneficial for anyone wishing to enhance their mental function.
Customer Reviews:
Dr. Dharma is wonderful.......2006-07-03
A better memory kit helped me a lot by educating me about the importance of maintaining healthy breains. I learned that suppliments help, so I started taking Dr. Dharma's suppliments which help me stay balanced. I also learned about the dangers of memory loss, and how to prevent it from happening. I think everyone, even if you think you have a good memory, could benefit a lot from this item! I highly recommend this and all the books written by Dr, Dharma.
The Most Medically Sound Program Available...........2005-04-24
Although I have never met Dr. Dharma, his work with Alzheimer's is internationally known, as he is the leading authority on the prevention and reversal of Alzheimer symptoms. I learned of his work as he was the first in the medical community to establish the Alzheimer Prevention Foundation International, here in Tucson.
By candidly voicing my own opinion, I may address the same apprehensions as someone who is reading this review. You see, initially, I thought that Dr. Dharma's work would center totally around eastern religion because his photos feature him in a turban. I was VERY skeptical. While I like to think that I have an open mind, I just have never been into practices that weren't fairly "mainstream." I then read his medical creditials and was convinced that this was a man with intelligence and vision - who knew something that it was important that I learn.
Dr. Dharma is so respected in the medical community that he was asked to speak before Congress regarding an integrated medical approach in the prevention of Alzheimer's. This threatens to reach epidemic proportions in the next 20 years.
If you are concerned about an aging parent's memory; if you know someone with Alzheimer's and think that absolutely nothing can be done about it; if you are experiencing your own bouts of occasional memory loss - I URGE you to order this kit!
Alzheimer's begins approximately 30 years before the first symptoms appear. If someone in your family has Alzheimer's, this also increases your OWN chances of developing the disease.
I was amazed at what I learned in this program. I learned about memory loss as we age and memory loss under extreme on-going stress. In stressful situations, cortisol prevents glucose from entering your brain cells and blocks neurotransmitter functions, which cause your brain cells to die.
However, the medical evidence is absolutely conclusive in showing that the symptoms of Alzheimer's and other forms of memory loss can be alleviated and reversed by regenerating and increasing brain cell connections.
The memory kit centers on 4 basic approaches to reversing memory loss. They are not gimmicks or memory tricks found in so many other books, but are medical advances that are leading the way in this field. The kit includes a book, a CD, and a series of large cards.
I have recently read other publications by Dr. Dharma, which have been life transforming. This physician is the world's LEADING authority on the prevention of Alzheimer's and his advice is medically solid. I urge you to investigate this great new science and help yourself or someone you care about. The cost of the kit is so little, yet the information you gain will literally transform your life.
Highly Recommended for Anyone to Enhance Memory.......2005-03-22
This kit combines the best medical research by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., and brings breakthrough techniques for anyone with memory loss, as well as for anyone that would like to enhance memory.
I wish I had this kit when my Grandma was in her early stages of Alzheimer's, I am positive it would have helped her a great deal.
Whether you are concerned about your memory, would like to enhance your memory, or help a loved one to do the same, you will not be disappointed in this wonderful kit. It is top quality on every level.
Barbara Rose, Ph.D. author of Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE and Know Yourself: A Woman's Guide to Wholeness, Radiance & Supreme Confidence
Average customer rating:
- A Truly Wonderful Exploration!
|
Higgins: Poetry In Glass
Donald-Brian Johnson
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Glass & Glassware
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Higgins: Adventures in Glass
ASIN: 0764321714 |
Customer Reviews:
A Truly Wonderful Exploration!.......2005-03-09
Donald-Brian Johnson, et al, have put together a wonderful book here, something truly superlative! The photos (and glass items) are fabulous, and Johnson's text really does a great job of presenting the higgins story. It's much more than an antiques guide and Schiffer deserves credit for committing to such an impressive publication. At $60 a book, it's pricey, but the visuals you'll find inside are well worth it. If you're a higgins glass fan (I am), you be excited by all the unique samples on display. It's hard to beat "Higgins: Adventures in Glass," but it's been done here. And it's great to know that the higgins art continues onward with new items created today by higgins studio.
Book Description
Discover How to Profit from Your Craft
Have you ever dreamed of learning the beautiful art of candlemaking? You can!
Candlemaking For Fun & Profit was written with two purposes in mind: to teach you the basics of this fun craft and to show you how to turn these new skills into cash! Whether you've been crafting for years or are just getting started, you'll learn:
·The benefits and enjoyment of making candles
·The right materials, tools, and equipment to use
·How to create a special "crafting place" in your home
·Ways to sell your creations at craft shows, shops, and other outlets
·Craft-business basics, including pricing, record keeping, and copyrighting
·And much more!
Includes 6 money-making projects you can create at home!
Also:
·Candlemaking how-to's
·Fun and simple projects
·Home-business basics
·Helpful resource section
Barbara Brabec, the
For Fun & ProfitTM series editor, is one of the world's leading experts on crafting as a business and is the author of six books on the subject, including Creative Cash. She lives in Naperville, Illinois.
Book Description
Learn how to make soap the old fashioned way using new fangled methods. Making Soap for Fun and Profit offers basic recipes using tallow, vegetable shortening and/or a wide variety of oils such as olive, coconut, avacodo etc.. to make soap which lasts like our ancestors.
The author describes how to incorporate addivitives, herbs and essential oils to vary the color and scent of the soap.
The author encourages the reader to design and create special blends - offering some blank pages for personal notes and recipes.
Resources for materials appear through out the book and are also listed in the Index and resource page. Enjoy the process - have some fun making soap!
Customer Reviews:
Got the book without any problems and very fast shipping........2005-09-12
Great book for first time soap makers, I highly recommend!!
Truly appalling.......2002-12-07
Dangerous recipes - well, one recipe with a multitude of minor variations, dangerous instructions. Total lack of proof-reading. The only good use for this book is as an emergency substitute for toilet paper.
Horrible Book!.......2001-11-08
UGH!! Can't believe I spent my $$ on this book! Cheesy, single side pages, one basic recipe for soap, no help on selling my stuff, WASTE OF $$ AND TIME!!!!
Thanks to Linda I am making soap for fun and profit.......2001-04-11
Making soap for fun & profit was my first book on soap making. It was an excellent first book, simple and very basic. No worrying about 6 different oils and lots of fancy, specialized equipment. The recipes use down to earth, look in the kitchen cupboard, ingredients. Using her book as a starting point, I have launched my own small soap business, now having my soaps in 4 shops, as well as, selling at craft shows and bazaars. Her recipes are basic and economical to make, and nice to use.
Soap making made simple.......2001-04-07
I was fortunate to attend a booksigning and demonstration by the author the other night. I loved her soap samples and enjoyed the step by step process of making soap. What an economical way to save money and fun, too. My first batches were unimaginative, but still smell good and will last a long time.
Book Description
The Complete Guide to Gel Candlemaking contains step by step, easy to follow instructions, on how to design a wide variety of gel candles, using relaxing essential oils, and natural fragrance oils . . . . . . . . . . (Essential oil Guide included in Book) You will also receive in-depth information on how to purchase the Basic Tools and Supplies needed to get started, along with valuable tips on how to turn your new-found hobby into extra income.
Book Description
Country Living's 750 Style & Design Ideas has sold nearly 50,000 copies-and this lushly photographed follow-up taps right into the red-hot craze. It's makeovers made easy and affordable!
Extreme Home Makeover, Trading Spaces, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: these days, people can't seem to get enough of makeovers. But most of us think we have neither the time, nor the resources or know-how to accomplish the look we want. That's why Country Living-- the authority on transforming a home into a tasteful, comfortable refuge--offers simple but lovely decorating ideas that are well within the reach of every budget. More than 400 breathtaking photographs present a wealth of inexpensive ways to bring style and charm to every room in the house--and outdoor spaces, as well. You'll learn chic and clever ways to decorate for festive occasions, as well as how to refurbish favorite old treasures and maintain an energy-efficient home. There are even some do-it-yourself projects, including tea-dyed linens and wreaths. A Main Selection of the Homestyle Book Club.
Customer Reviews:
Tons of ideas in this book! .......2007-10-12
Are you the type of decorator that needs to see photos of actual decorating ideas?....or (by contrast) are you the type of decorator that needs alot of writing to describe decorating ideas?
Hum?
...Well, if you are the type of "visual" decorator that loves to look at photos of decorating ideas ,in order to be inspired, then this is a GREAT book to own!
I am a visual learner, and I love to look at photos to be inspired when I re-decorate, so this book was an amazing find for me.
The title of this book says: "750 decorating ideas ", and the title is indeed, absolutely correct!
PS: I also purchased a similar book called "House Beautiful's 750 decorating ideas", and I loved that book also. Both are truly inspirational for the visual learners, like me.
Loved it!.......2006-05-19
I will definitely refer back to this book often. It is full of ideas, advice, suggestions and inspiration for all rooms and all areas of decorating. Fun, creative and inspriring! Not a how-to.
Product Description
This is a big book almost as big as a phone book and it's full of large, colorful photos, many straight from the pages of the magazine.
The editors cover the whole house, from kitchen to bathroom as well as more than 20 pages dedicated to "overlooked spaces."
Unique and inexpensive tips for planning a small garden, ideas for creative holiday decorating and a do-it-yourself section packed with hints for special paint finishes, crafting with vintage linens and ideas for unique displays for collectibles, will inspire even the most casual reader.
If you like Country Living Magazine's mix of old and new, shabby and chic, you'll find a barn full of ideas in this book.
Book Description
The most stimulating installment yet in the acclaimed Looking Closer series! This enthralling collection of essays assembles some of the most intriguing critical commentary published in professional and general interest design magazines from 1997 to 2000. Over thirty contributors, including Rick Poynor, Kathy McCoy, Lorraine Wild, Veronique Vienne, Jessica Helfand, and others discuss such important contemporary themes as the rise and fall of the dot.coms and its influence on salary expectations, the ongoing controversy over the First Things First Manifesto, the call for greater responsibility in the design profession, and the antibranding protests that ignited demonstrations during recent World Trade Organization meetings.
From current events to design principles, and aesthetics to ethics, graphic designers everywhere will savor this anthology of fresh perspective.
Average customer rating:
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Looking Closer 4: Critical Writings on Graphic Design.(Book Reviews): An article from: Technical Communication
Tasha Miller
Manufacturer: Society for Technical Communication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
Nonfiction
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| Crime & Criminals
| Current Events
| Economics
| Education
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Government
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ASIN: B000826VL2
Release Date: 2005-07-31 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Technical Communication, published by Society for Technical Communication on February 1, 2004. The length of the article is 2293 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Looking Closer 4: Critical Writings on Graphic Design.(Book Reviews)
Author: Tasha Miller
Publication:
Technical Communication (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 2004
Publisher: Society for Technical Communication
Volume: 51
Issue: 1
Page: 134(3)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- Definitely Worth Reading, But With Reservations
- At Last A Life Of Webster
|
Margaret Webster: A Life in the Theater (Triangulations: Lesbian/Gay/Queer Theater/Drama/Performance)
Milly S. Barranger
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 0472113909 |
Book Description
"In Milly Barranger, Margaret Webster has found the perfect biographer. In Margaret Webster, Milly Barranger has found her perfect subject. She brings to vivid life a fascinating and important theater figure whose public and private lives were of equal interest. In this carefully researched book, Webster's colleagues, lovers, and friends shine as brightly as she did. I wish she were here to read it."
-Marian Seldes
"Margaret Webster is a highly welcome addition to our knowledge of the first important female director in American theater. Remembered now especially for her staging of Othello with Paul Robeson, Uta Hagen, and Jose Ferrer, Margaret Webster was probably the best-known, in-demand, and admired director of Shakespeare in America in the 1940s and 1950s. Fascinating throughout, the book's discussions of working with Robeson, and of HUAC, which targeted her just as her career was reaching a peak, make for especially engrossing reading."
-Oscar Brockett
Margaret Webster: A Life in the Theater is an engrossing backstage account of the life of pioneering director Margaret Webster (1905-72).
This is the first book-length biography of Webster, a groundbreaking stage and opera director whose career challenged not only stage tradition but also mainstream attitudes toward professional women.
Often credited with first having brought Shakespeare to Broadway, and renowned for her bold casting of an African American (Paul Robeson) in the role of Othello, Webster was a creative force in modern American and British theater.
Her story reveals the independent-minded artist undeterred by stage tradition and unmindful of rules about a woman's place in the professional theater. In addition to providing fascinating glimpses into Webster's personal and family life, Margaret Webster: A Life in the Theater also offers a who's-who list of the biggest names in New York and London theater of the time, as well as Hollywood: John Gielgud, Noël Coward, George Bernard Shaw, Uta Hagen, Sybil Thorndike, Eva LeGallienne, and John Barrymore, among others, all of whom crossed paths with Webster. Capping Webster's amazing story is her investigation by Senator Joseph McCarthy and HUAC, which left her unable to work for a year, and from which she never fully recovered.
Customer Reviews:
Definitely Worth Reading, But With Reservations.......2006-04-24
I give this book three and half stars, actually. I'm very pleased to see a full-length biography of Margaret Webster; she's an important force in American theatre history who has gotten too little attention from theatre historians. Milly Barranger, a knowledgeable Webster scholar, has done a thorough, interesting job with this study; she offers perceptive insights into Webster's philosophy of directing, her significant contributions to Broadway, regional, and repertory theatre, and her professional strengths / weaknesses.
At times, though, I felt as if I were reading a rehash of other secondary sources, particularly of Webster's own writings. Overall, I would have liked more analysis, both cultural and biographical. Unlike many biographers, Barranger is careful not to offer too much speculation with too little evidence, which is good. But especially in the first third of the book, Webster the person seems distant and elusive. Instead of bringing her alive, the description of her early career in England occasionally bogs down into little more than a summary of productions and lists of cast and crew.
Barranger generally writes fluidly, although she has two stylistic quirks that I wish an editor had caught. First, she seems to have an aversion to pronouns/synonyms, so that sentences often contain flat repetitions of earlier words. (One typical example: "Although several universities asked to receive their papers, they decided to donate their papers to the Library of Congress" [306]. Other unedited repetitions occur fairly frequently, such as Webster being called "the astonished Peggy" twice in one anecdote [17-18].)
The second quirk involves material that is introduced on one page and then re-introduced a page or two later as if the first reference never occurred. (One example: We're told that when Webster left NY after her first Broadway triumph, "Eddie Dowling handed her a script to consider. . ." Two paragraphs later, we're told anew, "One of the new scripts that had been pressed upon her in NY belonged to Eddie Dowling. . .[72-3]).
And as often happens in detail-filled books, errors creep in: Webster's father Ben is said to be 73 in 1937 and also to be 73 at his death in 1947 (75; 171); Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 film "The Ten Commandments" is time-warped to the 1970s (97), and so on. The editors should have been more alert.
They especially should have been more alert in checking sources. The aforementioned errors and verbal tics are minor. More problematic, however, is Barranger's tendency to borrow the wording of her source material. As examples, I cite some comparisons between Barranger's work and Helen Sheehy's 1996 biography of Eva Le Gallienne (Webster's long-time lover and artistic partner):
On the publication party for Webster's autobiography --
SHEEHY: "At the party, Peggy appeared well and full of high spirits, but Le Gallienne knew that she suffered constant, agonizing pain, which the Percodan she took could not relieve" (404).
BARRANGER: "At the party Peggy appeared well and full of high spirits, but she suffered constant pain that medication no longer relieved" (303).
On Webster's fatal cancer --
SHEEHY: "Her life was now measured in weeks. 'Nothing can be done,' Peggy said" (403).
BARRANGER: "Her life was now measured in weeks. 'Nothing can be done,' Peggy told her" (302).
On W's and Le G's work together in 1965--
SHEEHY: "Peggy and Le Gallienne were tentative and awkward with one another" (379).
BARRANGER: "At first, the women were tentative and awkward with one another" (285).
Such echoes can easily occur during early drafts, but they should be caught before a book goes to print. Readers need to be able to trust that author and sources are independent.
At Last A Life Of Webster.......2005-06-04
Margaret Webster, a so-so actress but one of the world's leading directors of Shakespeare, and one of the first prominent female stage directors, now has her own biography. (She wrote two memoirs during her lifetime, both sadly out of print.) Historian Milly S. Barranger has written a magnificent biography of a woman whose very life seems to be slipping away from us year by year, as memories of her productions dim, and those who knew her vanish from the world stage. (Webster died in 1972 at age 67.)
She was the daughter of a British matinee idol, Ben Webster, and his wife, the celebrated May Whitty, who became a star late in life in Hollywood playing an elderly harridan in the Robert Montgomery starrer NIGHT MUST FALL. By that time Margaret Webster had established herself in New York, with a long-running collaboration with the actor Maurice Evans. The two of them mounted quite a few productions of Shakespeare, on Broadway, though in the 1950s his star had waned and the magic wasn't there and it became apparent he was no Olivier or Gielgud.
This book would be worth reading just to outline her work with Maurice Evans, but there is so much more! Each chapter is meaty enough to be its own volume, particularly the chapter about Webster's historic work with black superstar Paul Robeson in a Broadway Othello of 1943, with Uta Hagen and Jose Ferrer in support. Barranger guides us through this controversial production step by step, suggesting that Webster's British background perhaps allowed her to cast more color-blind than her USA counterparts, if "color-blind" is the proper word for casting Othello as a black man indeed. The inner ins and outs of the show, with Hagen and Robeson having an open affair with the complaisance of Ferrer, all of them eventually turning on Webster, is enough to stand your hair on end, but you'll have your hat off to them all. It is truly one of the great Broadway stories, on a par with the opening of THE CRADLE WILL ROCK.
So too is the story of Tennessee Williams' first Broadway production, with BATTLE OF ANGELS, an early version of ORPHEUS DESCENDING, for which the Theater Guild hired Webster to direct a temperamental Miriam Hopkins in the leading role. The play fell victim to tyrannical Boston censors and never made it to New York.
Margaret Webster also worked with, and loved, the tragic actress Mady Christians, and the imperious and more or less "out" diva Eva Le Gallienne. Perhaps her greatest love was the novelist Pamela Frankau, who made her middle years a joy. Sadly she lost Frankau to an invidious cancer.
Her lesbianism and her association with anti-racist and Leftist causes made her a natural victim of Joe McCarthy, and Barranger deftly sketches in the ways in which her career was badly damaged by right wing accusations that she was a Communist in RED CHANNELS. Crazy but true, the blacklist existed not only in Hollywood but to a certain degree on Broadway as well. Barranger is a graceful writer, though the book is marred by a number of bizarre typos which will detract from your enjoyment. In one, A critic wrote that Martita Hunt's Portia "shown" like a candle in a dark world. What's with "shown"? Or "Aaron Copeland"?
As a biographer, Milly Barranger's biggest mistake, perhaps, is her failure to read properly the novels of Pamela Frankau, Webster's great love, particularly the so-called "Weston trilogy" CLOTHES FOR A KING'S SON. As I read more and more about Margaret Webster, I realized that the outlines of her tempestuous life were ringing a bell in my head. Having read the Farbkau books years ago, I could see clearly that Webster must have confided in Frankau many, many details of her life unavailable elsewhere, and Frankau really mined her lover's past for her fiction. Reading SING FOR YOUR SUPPER, SLAVES OF THE LAMP, OVER THE MOUNTAINS, Barranger will discover how Webster really felt about her famous parents, about acting, about her sexual identity, about being a nomad in a spotty if glamorous profession. It's all there and it's all beautifully told. But this is only a minor cavil; MARGARET WEBSTER: A LIFE IN THE THEATER is a spellbinder.
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Citation Details
Title: Margaret Webster: A Life in the Theater.(Book Review)
Author: Yvonne Shafer
Publication:
Theatre History Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 25
Page: 206(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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