Product Description

Before she was a glamorous actress, before she was a war-time pin-up star, even before she was Carole Landis, she was Frances Lillian Ridste, an insecure young girl from Wisconsin. She was strikingly beautiful, talented, and on her way to becoming a movie star, yet she spent her entire life searching for love. Though she appeared in more than 60 films during her short career, Landis was better known for her extraordinary beauty and many romantic relationships than for her acting or comedic timing. Like many starlets of the time, Landis worked her way up from uncredited bit parts (and according to rumors, from the casting couch) to leading roles in such films as Topper Returns (1940) and My Gal Sal (1942) over the course of her 11-year career. She spent more time visiting troops during World War II—traveling hundreds of thousands of miles and coming near death twice—than any other Hollywood star. Despite her seemingly glamorous and carefree life, Landis was unable to build a lasting relationship, a fact that contributed to her suicide at 29. This work examines Landis’s life and career in Hollywood, focusing on how her movie career affected her short, unhappy life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #433957 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-27
• Released on: 2005-05-27
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 316 pages

About the Author
E.J. Fleming is also the author of The Fixers (2004), The Movieland Directory (2004) and Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites (2000). He lives in Barrington, Illinois.

Customer Reviews

EJ Fleming Does it Again
A bit pricey for a soft back, but E.J. Fleming is a terrific writer. The man just has a knack for research and to finding the right people to interview. He showed Ms. Landis as a complex woman, one who made some poor choices in life, but generous, loving, and hardworking.

Now, if Mr Fleming would just do a book on Barbara LaMarr!

Carole Landis, A Dream, E.J. Fleming, The Answer
Being a fan of Landis's and most blondes in Tinseltown for years, I thought when I picked this book up, I'd not learn much new. But E.J. Fleming researched this book with pride and patience. The man never ceases to surprise the reader with tidbits and details about our favorite stars. This book was sad but well written and worth buying. Great price for a great star and a star writer!

Carole Is A Goddess
I adore Carole Landis! She was an actress, a pin-up, a wife (four times), a victim, an American hero, and now she is a legend. This is the one book all Carole Landis fans must buy. It is simply the only book where you will get Carole's full life story. Carole's life was a tragedy but you will be amazed at how much she accomplished in 29 years. I can't believe it took this long for someone to write a book about her. The author is obviously a fan of Carole because he tells her story in an honest yet sympathetic way. My one complaint is that a lot of the photos are labeled wrong (for example photos from 1940's are labeled as being from the 1930's). This really isn't such a big deal especially considering how many gorgeous photos are in the book. The war candids are priceless! If you know someone who loves classic films give them this book and I guarantee they will fall in love with Carole too :-)