‘Hollywood – The Skeletons Are Out’ – a sampling

October 19, 2016 Alan Royle 0

  My latest book is titled Hollywood: The Skeletons Are Out. It contains 1,200 direct quotes by actors and directors about themselves, their colleagues and their films. Here is a random two dozen of them:   Young Joan Collins When Joan Collins was asked if she was ever unfaithful, she […]

Two tragic Hollywood beauties.

September 13, 2016 Alan Royle 10

  Ava Gardner (1922-90) Mickey Rooney took one look at Ava Gardner when she arrived in Hollywood and was hooked. He pursued her, wooed her and did his utmost to bed her, but the 18 year-old virgin made it clear that any man who wanted to alter that status was […]

‘The Seven Year Itch’ (1955) – not a good movie.

August 20, 2016 Alan Royle 2

  Some movies seem to take on a life of their own. Suddenly and often inexplicably, they are lauded as masterpieces, works of art, living statements of the times. Easy Rider (1969) is one such film. I have always thought it was an over-rated ‘nothing’ picture, inhabited by two ‘druggies’ […]

The loves in the life of Marilyn Monroe Pt.2

April 12, 2016 admin 0

  Marilyn met actor John Carroll and his wife Lucille Ryman in December 1947. Lucille was a talent scout for MGM. The three hit it off right away and their friendship resulted in Marilyn moving into their home for a while. Lucille even got her to sign a contract with […]

Esther Williams – the Million Dollar Mermaid.

April 2, 2016 admin 0

  If World war Two had not intervened and caused the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, Esther Williams would have, in all probability, represented the USA as a swimmer in both meets. In 1940 she was just 18 years old and already the holder of three National Swimming […]

MICKEY ROONEY – Will the real Mickey please stand up?

August 28, 2015 admin 3

  young Lana Turner If you happen to be a Mickey Rooney fan (I am most certainly not, by the way), then you should definitely not read his sleazy autobiography titled Life Is Too Short. I have and I wish I hadn’t. My reason for repeating a couple of excerpts […]

What’s in a name Part One?

August 2, 2015 admin 0

Back in the good old studio days it was customary for studios to come up with snappy nicknames for their female stars. Well, they thought they were snappy, anyway. For some reason these were seldom given to male actors, although that is not to say that some of these guys […]

The Best Ever Child Movie Stars ( Pt 2 )

May 22, 2015 admin 0

  Here are my top 10 (top 11 actually, since I had a dead-heat at number 6)   10        DREW BARRYMORE that brilliant moment in ET Yet another Californian, this time from Culver City, where she was born in 1975. Drew stormed into cinema fame at the tender age […]

AVA GARDNER – Far from perfect but drop dead gorgeous.

April 30, 2015 admin 11

    It all depends on your age group, I suppose, but most guys from mine seem to be in agreement that Ava Gardner was the sexiest woman ever to appear in American movies. Given the likes of Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot and a couple of […]