TV and Movies

[Oznell]

Writer Reed with "Liza" in palmier days.  Have been re-reading his hilarious, candid, scandalous collection of celeb interviews from the Sixties, a classic of the genre,  "Do You Sleep in the Nude"?

Most entertaining 'show biz' book I've ever read or avidly re-read, apart from critic Pauline Kael's legendary collected reviews. 

The knock on Reed has always been that he's catty, goes for the jugular, etc.  Yes, often true.  But if they trust him, under his pen, his subjects unburden themselves in remarkable ways.  And his skewering but incisive, yet cottony, kandy-kolored prose just amps the experience. 

Watch out if he didn't like you-- the profiles in the book on Barbra Streisand, Michelangelo Antonioni, infamous governor Lester Maddox, among others, are scorching.  Warren Beatty comes off as libidinous (surprise),  but sort of amiably dingbatty.

Apparently Ava Gardner disliked the interview he did with her, but I think she came off as quite fascinating.

Revealing, often devastating interviews with:

Lucille Ball

Peter Fonda

James Mason

Marlene Dietrich

Bill Cosby

Gwen Verdon

Otto Preminger

Melina Mercouri

Angela Lansbury

Jean-Paul Belmondo

Sandy Dennis  (cat hairs on the wine glasses, a true bohemian, ha)

George Peppard

and on and on.

Even serious literary figures like poet Marianne Moore!

Example of Rex Reed's writing style, on Beatty:

"Up close, without the makeup and the lights, he looks like the well-bred right guard on some winning high school football team: one of the guys from the right side of town hanging around with the moths on a.... small town evening in summer: sea-spray eyes, slanted like pecans, constantly squinting because he is nearsighted and too vain to wear glasses when he first meets strangers.....  hair healthy and unruly, hands trim, fingers long... like a pianist's (which he once was)."

Reed has been controversial.   But early in his career, intuitive, impressionistic writing, and a tough, quirky lens through which the follies of Hollywood are viewed, make this good reading.  I assume "Do You Sleep in the Nude" is out of print, but still available through Kindle and online second-hand outlets.

[Teddie]

Sounds enticing and delicious!

[deepwaterdotter]

I remember seeing him as a guest on "The Merv Griffin Show", he was always a treat.

[MarkeieMark]

Great throw back!  Reminiscent of Rona Barrett also!

[Pearlee]

@Oznell. I remember that book.

I read a biography if Streisand by -- I think his name is Christian Anderson -- who is a respected biographer of a number of celebrities, and although I've always liked Babs as a singer, she came off has a horrible person. I think James Brolin must be some kind of saint since they've been married for maybe 22 or so years now. She came across as a selfish, narcissistic user of people. 

[Judaline]

I never could figure Warren Beatty with Annette Bening. He could have had anyone. What grabbed him? I always thought, 'the odd couple.' Then the marriage lasted and lasted and I was floored. I realize it's none of my business, but I always wondered what it was that kept them so happy and together. I admire them. Such a tough business to be in when you're married I'm sure. Just my meanderings.

I'm sure it's an interesting book and if it weren't for people like Rex Reed we wouldn't know things about the private lives of movie stars. Still, maybe we shouldn't? (sorry, Hedda)

[jellyBEAN]

This is like a blast from the past.  I enjoy biographies, and even tho this is a different type of book, I think its one I would really like.

I always enjoyed seeing RR on TV also, he was frequently a guest on the talk shows back in the day and I always thought he had such a unique voice for a man (hey, I was young).

As far as Warren Beatty goes, I never got the Annette Benning thing either.  He was such a bachelor - and then all of a sudden - he got hit by the thunderbolt.  I guess by that point he had enough of starlets coming and going, but he dated Diane Keaton for quite awhile also (if I remember correctly).

[Group 5 minus 1]

If I remember his comments on B. Stristand (sp) were scathing.

[Group 5 minus 1]

Nothing like Rona!!!

[Group 5 minus 1]

Book is not available at our library. Very $$$ on E-Bay. I remember reading it years ago.