James Robert Parish

Each Volume includes: - A career section that looks closely at the person's career and presents important information about that career - Black-and-white photographs - An informative timeline that highlights important events in the subjects life - Additional resources for learning more about the subject's life and career - A comprehensive index. Career coverage includes: - Specific occupational information, including job description, educational requirements, types of employers, advice on starting out, advancement, work environment, earnings, and job outlook - Resources for learning more about each career, including a bibliography, Web sites, and contact information for relevant organizations.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story by James Robert Parish.An A-list star for over 60 years, Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) headlined over 60 films and 10 Broadway plays. She was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won a record 4 She was admired by generations of filmgoers, not just for her outstanding performances in such movie classics as Stage Door, The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and On Golden Pond, but also for being an icon of feminism and New England style candor. This rigorous examination of Hepburn's enigmatic life reveals the surprising truths behind the carefully constructed image. Discussed are her complex relationship with eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, her life on/off camera with her frequent film costar Spencer Tracy, and the several women who had a strong impact on Hepburn. (These included socialite Laura Harding, film editor/assistant director Jane Loring, and international cinema star Elissa Landi.) This biography answers many of the lingering questions about Hepburn's unique life. It pays tribute to her remarkable performance in the role of Katharine Hepburn, one of the most enduring stars of the 20th century. Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story is the engaging narrative of an amazing iconoclast who "wanted to paddle my own canoe, didn't want anyone to pay my way."

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The George Raft File by James Robert Parish with Steven Whitney.Hollywood's toughest rough guy was born in New York City's "Hell's Kitchen" in 1895. As a young adult George Raft became a professional boxer, then a dancehall gigolo, and later appeared in Broadway musical revues. Meanwhile, he retained his associations with the infamous underworld pals of his youth. A small role in Queen of the Nightclubs (1929) launched his Hollywood career. His strong performance in Scarface (1932) led to his Paramount contract. Later, at Warner Bros. he appeared in such genre classics as They Drive By Night (1940). Thereafter, as a freelancer his movies included Whistle Stop (1946) and the memorable Some Like It Hot (1959). For a rugged he-man, George Raft was self-conscious about his short stature, his acting limitations, and his lack of formal education. However, he was proud of his career, his patriotic efforts during World War II, and the publicity that resulted from his lavish lifestyle. This colorful individual once said, "If I had a chance to be reborn tomorrow there is not much I would want to change." An annotated filmography supplements this revealing study of iconic movie star George Raft.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to Vincent Price Unmasked by James Robert Parish and Steven Whitney.Long known to movie fans as the "King of Horror," Vincent Price once reflected, "I sometimes feel that I'm impersonating the dark unconscious of the whole human race. I know this sounds sick, but I love it." Over the decades, he appeared in such notable screen thrillers as Tower of London, House of Wax, The Fly, The Tingler, Pit and the Pendulum, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and Madhouse.But the real-life Vincent Price was also the personification of a complete Renaissance man who insisted: "A man who limits his interests limits his life." This is the fascinating story behind the actor who became one of the most cultured-and popular-men of his time. From his appearances in more than 100 films and thousands of radio and TV shows the actor is well known. However, he also authored best-selling art books, lectured extensively on art and history, supervised the purchase of thousands of works of fine arts, wrote gourmet cookbooks, and served on the Indian Arts & Crafts Board. Vincent Price Unmasked is the engrossing portrait of this multi-faceted, highly talented celebrity. Completing this illuminating narrative is an annotated filmography.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Western Pictures: Volume 2 by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts.The second book in The Great Western Pictures series covers some 400 Westerns-from the classics to the not so great-including feature films, serials, TV movies, foreign films, and with a special emphasis on "B" Westerns. Among the titles highlighted are The Disciple (1915), The Man of the Forest (1921), Montana Moon (1930), Riders of Death Valley (1932), Wells Fargo (1937), Buck Benny Rides Again (1940), The Cowboy and the Senorita (1944), San Antonio (1945), The Baron of Arizona (1950), Lone Star (1952), The Indian Fighter (1955), Tribute to a Bad Man (1956), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Red Tomahawk (1967), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1972), Cahill, United States Marshal (1973), The Shootist (1976), Tom Horn (1980), Heaven's Gate (1981), Pale Rider (1985), and Silverado (1985). Each entry provides in-depth cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This volume also includes a list of genre radio and TV series.This enjoyable reference guide for Western pictures enthusiasts and film scholars is also a useful sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Science Fiction Pictures: Volume 2 by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts.This is a follow up to The Great Science Fiction Pictures: Volume 1 and continues the authors' in-depth study of the genre with coverage of well over 300 movies. The entries encompass features films, serials, TV movies, and foreign releases. Among the many titles covered are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Frankenstein (1931), The Devil Doll (1936), Sky Bandits (1940), House of Dracula (1945), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Phantom from Space (1953), The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962), Wizards of Mars (1965), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Star Wars (1977), Alien (1979), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Blade Runner (1982), E.T., The Extra Terrestrial (1982), The Empire Strikes Back (1984), The Terminator (1984), 2010: The Year We Made Contact (1984), Back to the Future (1985), and Robocop (1987). Each entry contains detailed cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This book also provides a list of sci-fi genre radio and TV series.This is an informed and handy reference guide for movie enthusiasts, sci-fi devotees, and film historians. It also is an excellent sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Spy Pictures: Volume 2 by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts.This comprehensive resource is a stand-alone follow-up to the authors' The Great Spy Pictures: Volume 1. This new book includes well over 300 entries from worldwide cinema, ranging from the silent era onward. Among the titles discussed are The Great Love (1918), Hotel Imperial (1927), I Spy (1934), The Saint in London (1939), First Comes Courage (1943), Malaya (1949), Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard (1950), Stopover Tokyo (1957), Circle of Deception (1961), The Train (1965), Live and Let Die (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Smiley's People (1982), The Little Drummer Girl (1984), The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), and A View to Kill (1985). Each entry includes in depth cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This book also provides a list of genre radio and TV series, and an extensive bibliography of spy novels over the decades.This engaging reference guide is a treasure trove for movie enthusiasts, film historians, and lovers of spy tales. It is also an excellent sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Gangster Pictures: Volume 2 by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts.This is a follow up to The Great Gangster Pictures: Volume 1. Here the authors discuss some 400 genre features, from the very best to the not so good. This book, including serials, TV movies, and foreign releases, incorporates titles not discussed in the earlier volume. Among the entries are The Girl from Chicago (1927), Lady Killer (1933), The Shadow of Silk Lennox (1935), The Crime Patrol (1938), Rubber Racketeers (1942), Murder, My Sweet (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Kansas City Confidential (1952), I Cover the Underworld (1955), Party Girl (1958), Hail Mafia (1966), Stiletto (1969), Hammer (1972), Brannigan (1975), Lepke (1975), The Enforcer (1976), The Gangster Chronicles (1981), Scarface (1982), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), and Mafia Princess (1986). Each entry includes detailed cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This engaging and useful reference volume is aimed as a guide for both movie fans of the gangster genre and cinema historians. It is also an excellent comprehensive sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to Whoopi Goldberg: Her Journey From Poverty to Megastardom by James Robert Parish.This insightful biography of Whoopi Goldberg traces the remarkable life and times of the internationally famous African-American actress, comedian, television personality, and author. This detailed volume goes behind the scenes to document Goldberg's humble beginnings in New York City to her later show business success. This success includes her winning of multiple industry awards, including an Oscar nomination for her touching performance in The Color Purple (1985) and an Academy Award for her vibrant role in Ghost (1990). In shedding light on the star's event-filled personal life (including her several marriages) it is easier to appreciate the myriad factors which made this outspoken, one-of-a-kind celebrity the unique personality she has become. This is the astonishing story of the talented actress who twice hosted the Oscarcasts, won a Tony Award for her on-Broadway one-woman show, and played a recurring role on Star Trek: The Next Generation, which she reprised in two Star Trek feature films. This is a revealing and informed account of the iconic Whoopi Goldberg who once observed of her becoming a major celebrity: "I haven't changed from being me. A little older, a little quieter. But I haven't shut up."

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Gangster Pictures: Volume 1 by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts.This richly detailed volume covers over 300 gangster films, serials, and TV movies produced over the decades. The movies discussed in detail range from the early silent film, The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) to such later genre entries as Underworld (1927), Broadway (1929), Little Caesar (1931), Scarface: Shame of a Nation (1932), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), The Maltese Falcon (1941), The Glass Key (1942), The Killers (1946), White Heat (1949), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The Racket (1951), New York Confidential (1955), Some Like It Hot (1959), Point Blank (1967), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Brotherhood (1968), The Godfather (1972), and Lucky Luciano (1974). Each entry includes detailed cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This work also includes a history of gangster films and a list of genre radio and TV series.This engaging and useful reference volume is aimed as a guide for both movie fans and cinema historians. It is also an excellent comprehensive sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Spy Pictures: Volume 1 by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts.This detailed volume covers 463 spy films, serials, and TV movies produced over many decades in Hollywood and elsewhere. The entries include The Better 'Ole (1926), Mysterious Lady (1928), Mata Hari (1931), British Agent (1934), Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939), Foreign Correspondent (1940), Casablanca (1942), Saboteur (1942), Confidential Agent (1945), O.S.S. (1946), Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950), I Was a Communist for the F.B.I. (1951), Betrayed (1954), North by Northwest (1959), The Counterfeit Traitor (1961), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Goldfinger (1964), The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1965), Casino Royale (1967), The Kremlin Letter (1970), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Zepplin (1971). Each entry includes in depth cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This book also provides a history of spy films, a list of genre radio and TV series, and an extensive bibliography of spy novels over the ages.This engaging reference guide is a treasure trove for both movie enthusiasts and film historians. It is also an excellent sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Western Pictures: Volume 1 by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts.This copious and useful volume covers over 300 western feature films, serials, and TV movies produced in the United States and elsewhere. The movies detailed include The Border Legion (1918), The Covered Wagon (1924), Billy the Kid (1930), Cimarron (1931), Hopalong Cassidy Enters (1935), The Plainsman (1936), Destry Rides Again (1939), They Died with Their Boots On (1941), The Outlaw (1943), Buffalo Bill (1944), Fort Apache (1948), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Broken Arrow (1950), High Noon (1952), Shane (1953), Johnny Guitar (1954), The Searchers (1956), The Alamo (1960), One-Eyed Jacks (1961), How the West Was Won (1963), Cat Ballou (1965), Hombre (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), True Grit (1969), and The Castaway Cowboy (1974). Each entry provides in-depth cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This volume also includes a history of western films, a list of genre radio and TV series, and a an extensive bibliography of western fiction.This enjoyable reference guide for Western enthusiasts is also a useful sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Science Fiction Pictures: Volume 1 by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts.This expansive volume covers over 250 science fiction feature films, serials, and TV movies produced over the years in the United States and elsewhere. The movies examined include The Exploits of Elaine (1918), The Last Man on Earth (1924), Chandu, the Magician (1932), Flash Gordon (1936), Buck Rogers (1939), Captain America (1944), Superman (1948), It Came from Outer Space (1953), War of the Worlds (1953), Forbidden Planet (1956), The Blob (1958), On the Beach (1959), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), Fantastic Voyage (1966), The Planet of the Apes (1968), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Sleeper (1972), and Soylent Green (1973). Each entry contains detailed cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This book also contains an extensive history of science fiction films, a list of genre radio and TV series, and a select bibliography of science fiction bibliographies, indexes, and checklists.This is an informed and handy reference guide for movie enthusiasts, sci-fi fans, and film historians. It also is an excellent sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Detective Pictures by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts. This in-depth volume covers some 350 feature films, telefilms, and serials from the prolific detective genre. This book showcases such classics as Bulldog Drummond (1922), The Canary Murder Case (1929), The Thin Man (1934), Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Murder, My Sweet (1944), Chinatown (1974), Evil Under the Sun (1982), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and Harper (1966), along with scores of lesser-known but very entertaining sleuthing pictures. In addition, The Great Detective Pictures provides a look at the cinematic work of assorted fictional gumshoes, including Sherlock Holmes, the Lone Wolf, Philip Marlowe, Charlie Chan, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, the Crime Doctor, Sam Spade, Ellery Queen, Mr. Moto, and many others. Each entry contains detailed cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This volume also includes a bibliography of detective fiction sources and a listing of radio and television detective series. This is a valuable reference work and enlightening movie guide for both film fans and cinema historians, as well as an outstanding sourcebook to many of the detective genre entries now available for viewing on TV, DVDs, and the Internet.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to Whitney Houston: 1963-2012: We Will Always Love You by James Robert Parish.When legendary singer Whitney Houston died suddenly on February 11, 2012 her fans around the world were shocked by her tragic passing. This comprehensive biography chronicles the full dramatic narrative of Houston's rollercoaster ride from her troubled childhood days in New Jersey to her emergence as an international singing sensation in her early twenties. While her adoring public placed the beautiful and amazingly talented songstress/actress on a lofty pedestal, lurid tabloid reports about Houston's increasingly frenzied partying lifestyle, her dysfunctional marriage to singer/bad boy Bobby Brown, and her escalating bizarre professional behavior ultimately overshadowed her astonishing talents and the once high regard of her vast fan base. In more recent times, the celebrated singing diva battled a magnitude of disturbing problems, including her mounting substance abuse, the finish to her out-of-control marriage to Bobby Brown, her tremendous financial difficulties, and her stalled show business career. Then in the new millennium the pop superstar returned full force to her singing profession, spearheaded by her first new studio album (2009's I Look to You) in several years, and by her starring in a new feature film (2012's Sparkle). On the surface, everything now appeared to be so promising for her future life and career, until her world came crashing down into a heartbreaking finale. All of Houston's high and low points in her complex personal and professional life are covered, in Whitney Houston: 1963-2012: We Will Always Love You.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to Let's Talk America's Favorite Talk Show Hosts by James Robert Parish.Television talk shows have been a favorite genre of the medium since the early days of American commercial TV at the start of the 1950s. It has remained an enduring format (with numerous variations and offshoots) over many decades, highlighted by an amazing array of distinctive program hosts, every one of whom had his/her own unique personality that attracted a wide viewing public. Each of the twenty-three chapters is devoted to the professional and off camera life of a genre pioneer/favorite who played such a key role in the phenomenal history of American TV shows.Among the many colorful superstar personalities profiled in this volume are: Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Joan Rivers, Sally Jessy Raphael, Jack Paar, Geraldo Rivera, Whoopi Goldberg, Virginia Graham, Oprah Winfrey, David Frost, Merv Griffin, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Regis Philbin, Mike Douglas, Larry King, Vicki Lawrence, Phil Donahue, Dinah Shore, Arsenio Hall, Dick Cavett, Kathie Lee Gifford, David Letterman, and Jay Leno. This then is the fascinating and compelling world of Let's Talk America's Favorite Talk Show Hosts.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Great Hollywood Musical Pictures by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts.This richly comprehensive volume covers some 340 of the great-and not so great but fun-musicals Hollywood has produced over the decades. The movies discussed in detail range from The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929) to such lavish Busby Berkeley offerings (e.g., Footlight Parade, 1933), the Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy operettas (e.g., Rose Marie, 1936), the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers pairings (e.g., Carefree, 1938), the Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland entertainments (e.g., Girl Crazy, 1943), the Elvis Presley's trend-setting big-screen offerings (e.g., Jailhouse Rock, 1957), the impressive song-and-dance opuses of Barbra Streisand (e.g., Funny Girl, 1968), and such later genre entries as Saturday Night Fever (1977), Grease (1978), Body Rock (1984), Dirty Dancing (1987), La Bamba (1987), and School Daze (1988). Each entry contains detailed cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes.This is an entertaining and valuable reference work and movie guide for both film fans and cinema historians. It also is an excellent sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to Hollywood on Hollywood by James Robert Parish and Michael R. Pitts with Gregory W. Mank.Film lovers have long had an insatiable drive to know what "really" goes on behind-the-scenes at Tinseltown film studios. This volume delves into some 300 feature films, movie shorts, and TV movies in which Hollywood filmmakers turn the cameras on themselves as storylines play out in front of and behind the cameras. Among the many titles covered are Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Phantom of Hollywood (1974), Hollywood Hotel (1937), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), A Star Is Born (1937, 1954), That's Entertainment (1974), Star-Spangled Rhythm (1942), James Dean (1976), The Studio Murder Mystery (1929), Harlow (1965), On an Island with You (1948), What Price Hollywood? (1932), The Day of the Locust (1975), What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962), Bombshell (1933), The Star (1952), The Oscar (1965), The Jolson Story (1946), The Sex Symbol (1975), and Inside Daisy Clover (1965). Each entry contains detailed cast/characters and technical credits, a discussion of the film, and review quotes. This is a valuable reference work and a fun film guide for both movie fans and cinema historians, as well as an excellent sourcebook to many of the genre entries now available for viewing on television, the Internet, and DVDs.

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to The Hollywood Book of Love: An Irreverent Guide to the Films That Raised Our Romantic Expectations by James Robert Parish.If you're still waiting for bells to ring and sparks to fly, for fireworks to explode, and waves to crash upon the shore every time you kiss that special someone, don't hold your breath: you've been bitten-and brainwashed-by the Hollywood love bug From start-up to breakup, only on the big screen is romance so unreal, and in this expansive, cheery, and amusing study you'll find enough smooches and schmaltz to take you from here ... to eternityFrom Bonnie and Clyde to Harold and Maude and from The African Queen to Titanic, this detailed-filled volume gives you all the steam from the screen in its entertaining exploration of Tinseltown's obsession with love, romance, and heartbreak. Inside this unique volume you'll find: -A guide to Hollywood's top tales of romance from "Young Love" to "Marriages on the Rocks" -Funny, fact-filled plot scenarios of a slew of Hollywood's great love stories over the decades- Spirited sidebars that reveal the reality behind the reel-Behind-the-scenes peeks at the love lives of Hollywood's sexiest stars, from Gary Cooper, Charles Boyer, Don Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, to Lupe Velez, Lana Turner, and Madonna

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to Prison Pictures From Hollywood by James Robert Parish."Pile out, you tramps. It's the end of the line," began Caged, a remarkable onscreen study of women behind bars released by Warner Bros. in 1950.The well-defined conventions of this motion picture and almost 300 others in the prison film genre are examined in this in-depth volume. Four major subgenres emerge: biting sociological studies (e.g., I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, 1932), raucous comedies (e.g., Stir Crazy, 1980), rugged black action pictures (e.g., Riot, 1968), and titillating exploitation entries (e.g., Chained Heat, 1985). Comprehensive cast/character and technical listings and an essay blending synopsis, contemporary review quotes, and production details with costs and penetrating analysis are given for each feature film examined in this detailed volume. Coverage includes both silent and sound feature films from Hollywood as well as American-made TV movies.For anyone interested in how Hollywood has depicted life behind bars over the decades, Prison Pictures From Hollywood is a revelatory must read.