Product Description
A beautiful actress, a gifted dancer, a fiery screen temptress linked to some of the most handsome men of her generation, Rita Hayworth seemed to live the life that dreams are made of. But the reality behind the fantasy was a harsh one. Sexually abused by her father as a young girl, Rita constantly searched for a man to save her, marrying five times. At the age of forty-two, Alzheimer's disease began to ravage her mind, cutting short her career at its peak. A haunting and sympathetic tribute to the talented but insecure beauty who was created, and ultimately destroyed, by the movies.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

boring
I have read books by this author Barabara Leaming before one of Marilyn Monroe which I really liked I guess I thought and was expecting more and it was not that good.

The Bittersweet Life of Rita Hayworth Remembered
As a fan of the legendary "Love Goddess", I have collected quite a bit of Rita material,
including pictures, DVD's to relive the great movies, and the limited assortment of
biographical information which is available in print.I can recommend this fine
biography, written by Barbara Leaming, with only a few reservations.I think
that, without a doubt, it's the most comprehensive and introspective biography
published to date.It is told in an easy to follow chronological order, especially
focusing on her early family life and marriages and with appropriate references to
the milestone films that marked her public career.As the title would foreshadow,
the portrait is a melancholy one, speculating on the possible family abuses that
set the stage for numerous dysfunctional relationships that plagued her adult life.
(The title comes from a quote given Ms. Leaming by Orson Welles during interviews
given her for the development of an authorized biography of himself.)
While Leaming's biography is perhaps the most complete, it plods down-hill, as
apparently Rita's own life did, from the glamorous years to the utterly depressing.
While Leaming's biography doesn't portray the years of decline in as depressing a
light at James Hill's Memoir does, it is nevertheless not a very cheerful read.
I might add that this biography could be read as a companion to the now out-of-
print Ringgold book: Rita Hayworth: The Legend & Career of a Love Goddess.
Ringgold's book is the best encyclopedic and annotated guide to the films of Rita
Hayworth.The now hard to get Ringgold book was published by Citadel Press in
1974 (while Rita was still living) and contains not only a fine biographical sketch
of her life, but is the most complete reference in print, listing ALL of Rita's films.
It also has a far better collection of photographs than the Leaming book does.
To know the life of Rita, the Leaming biography, the James Hill Memoir, and the
Ringgold book should be used together.Each source covers an aspect of Rita's life
not shared by the others.

'If this was happiness'
said her second husband, Orson Welles, of their marriage, "imagine what the rest of her life had been!"

According to the material written in this biography, the Misery Index of Rita Hayworth's life made that of Judy Garland, Gene Tierney, and Vivien Leigh look like Sunday afternoon in the park.

The author, Barbara Leaming, has also written a biography of Orson Welles.That book was written in the year before his death, with his full cooperation, including interviews and access.One thing most chroniclers of Hollywood agree on, don't depend on anything that Orson Welles said.He was notorious for telling interesting tales - whether or not there was any truth to them. On the dust cover of this book about Rita Hayworth there are plenty of blurbs touting the author's biography of Welles.I haven't read the Welles' bio but this book, about Welles' second wife, feels like an after thought.Almost as though, with all those interviews (and one shocking revelation) from Welles, why not write a book about Rita, too?

In this book, Miss Leaming becomes the only biographer of Rita Hayworth to bring up allegations that the actress's childhood and adolescence were scarred by incestuous encounters with her father. This revelation is based on hearsay that Rita supposedly confided to Welles during their marriage.The allegation may be true, but who knows?Neither of the parties involved are alive to speak on the matter.There are no other accounts of it.Rita never mentioned it elsewhere apparently.None of this stops Miss Leaming from accepting Welles' version as the truth and shoehorning all remaining known facts of Rita Hayworth's life, from childhood on, to fit the model of "the incest family."It seems like that subject is raised at least once every two or three pages as the reason behind this behavior or that decision.A good bit of this book reads like a very dry clinical psychology text.

Another issue that I have with this book is that there are almost no quotes from Rita Hayworth herself, and very few from people who knew her or even had casual acquaintance with her.It reads like a collection of facts culled from public records, newspapers, magazines and, maybe one or two shopworn Hollywood anecdotes thrown in. The author tells us Hayworth was quiet, liked to keep to herself, wasn't much of a Hollywood party girl.OK - but isn't there anyone still alive who knew Rita Hayworth that the author could have interviewed to make her subject's life seem a bit more vivid?

Whether or not she enjoyed the experience, Rita Hayworth had an interesting life.She was a trained, professional dancer in her childhood; she became a close friend of Hermes Pan; she worked with Fred Astaire on a couple of movies.She was also a 1940's movie star, and The Hollywood Love Goddess, with all that entails - good and bad.She was married and divorced five times in her life.She once was married to a Prince and became the mother of a Princess.For a few months she lost custody of her children to a state court for "neglect."She began to suffer early onset Alzheimer's around 1960, yet went undiagnosed until 1980.Still, somehow, this woman never manages to come to life in this book.

Let's hope the definitive work on the subject is still waiting to be written.

Loved It!!!
I loved Barbara's book on Bette Davis...so I thought I'd read her book on one of my other favorites...Rita Hayworth. It was soooooo good!!! I had to take time away from watching TV and downloading internet porn to keep reading! I could not put it down.

The Private Anguish Of Hollywood's Love Goddess
If you ever find yourself wishing that you could live someone else's life, or thinking that celebrities have an ideal existence, read this book biography of Rita Hayworth.Barbara Leaming meticuliously researched the actress's life, from her traumatic childhood as her father's dance partner and incest victim, her mother's alcoholism, her crippling shyness, and her deep insecurities that affected her relationships, her career, and finally, her tragic descent into alcohol abuse and Alzheimer's disease.She was forever after identified with her signature performance in "Gilda", defining an image that would last a lifetime, and from which she was desperate to escape.
Her choice of husbands often reflected the controlling traits of her father,
and her sad estrangment from her late daughter, Rebecca Welles, are just a few parts of this compelling, poignant biography.As this was before abuse was discussed and therapy was made available, Rita hardly could have been expected to live a demon-free life.Her youngest daughter, Princess Yasmin Khan, continues to raise funds and spread awareness for Alzheimer's research.We can only imagine the pain and anguish that Hayworth's loved ones and friends experienced as her mind deteriorated to the point where she did not recognize them.It would have been nice if the book had expanded upon her relationship with her five-time costar, Glenn Ford (who is only twice mentioned), with whom we now know she shared much more than a friendship.This book is a touching tribute to a woman who appeared to live everyone's fantasy life, surrounded by stars, wealth, power, success and public adulation, but in reality lived a nightmare of pain, abuse, low self-esteem and pathos. Peace and love to the lovely Rita. ... Read more

Product Description
Fifty years after her reign as "The Love Goddess" of the movies, the world is still captivated by Rita Hayworth. In this elegant volume, the glamorous star of Hollywood's Golden Age is revealed as never before-in nearly 300 stunning, rare photographs.

Remarkable publicity photos, film stills, rehearsal shots, candids taken with family and friends, and of course that famous World War II pinup trace Rita Hayworth's entire life. Spanning her rise from starlet to star, her marriages to famous men such as Orson Welles, Prince Aly Khan, and Dick Haymes, and her tragic death from Alzheimer's disease, here is an insightful and dazzling tribute-in words and pictures-to one of the great screen icons.
297 illustrations, 10 in full color, 240 pages, 9 x 113/4" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Classy tribute to a great screen beauty
I am an avid film buff and collector of movie memorabilia and must say this book is simply incredible.The author obviously has a love and appreciation of the subject and a very keen eye for choosing photos.Kudos to the author and the company who produced this sumptuous, elegant and fulfilling tribute to one of the great beauties of the silver screen.

Rita Hayworth: A Photographic TREASURE!!!
Rita Hayworth is one of the most beautiful and glamourous women ever to have lived.Though her life was marked by tragedy, particularly her Alzheimer's affliction and death at a relatively young age.This book, however, is mainly devoted to celebrating Rita's happier times.Her life is viewed chronologically in both popular and rare photographs.There are so many beautiful photos that it is difficult to take in all at once! My favorite pictures (and just a sampling of the pictures you will find in this book) are: Rita (when she was still Margarita) with her dark hair dancing in a beautiful ruffled dress (p.28), glamourous Rita smiling brightly while reclining on a couch (p.87), Rita clowning with Orson Welles (pg. 114), Rita getting her hair touched up (p. 119), Rita tickling her daughter Rebecca (p. 126), Rita walking solitarily on the beach (p. 140), Rita being welcomed home (p. 165), and Rita in 1981, in declining mental health, but still looking every inch a movie star.If you love Rita and her movies, do not hesitate to buy this book!!!

Va-Va-Va VOOM!Hubba-hubba!Wowzer-wowzer!Bong!
"Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective" features a zillion photographs, many never before published, of one of Hollywood's most enduring sexual icons.

The book was a labor of love for author, historian and collector Caren Roberts-Frenzel of Minneapolis, who reportedly kept pestering publishers for years to get their attention.

"But you're wrong, Rita has not been forgotten," was her mantra, as skeptical publishers elsewhere wondered aloud if a market remained for a book about one of the great beauties of the 1940s.

Caren's persistence finally paid off, resulting in one of the most luxurious "picture on every page" books ever produced, supplemented by breezy, well-written and information-packed text.

Unlike "been there, done that" books about Hayworth, this one specializes in numerous "candids," that is, unposed photos taken outside of the studio, at work, at play, on the set, whatever.

For once, here's a volume that doesn't feature the same darn publicity photos you've seen a million times for sale on the Internet or at flea markets.

The deal about Rita is man oh man, unlike sexy sirens named Grable or even Monroe, Hayworth's beauty is timeless and undated.Unless someone told you, you'd never know, for example, that her world famous pinup shot -- taken on the bed by Life Magazine photographer Bob Landry -- was shot more than 60 years ago!

The same holds true for the nearly 300 other photos that grace this book, some recaptured in all of their Technicolor glory.

Get "Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective," before it disappears!I understand only a few thousand were printed and yet the reviews in the papers and in places like People Magazine have been terrific.

I fell in love with Rita all over again!
Caren Roberts-Frenzel is the president of the Rita Hayworth Fan Club and this book is her dream project come to life. Caren's appreciation of every facet of The Love Goddess is evident on every page. It was so good to see someone who knows and cares about Rita create such a labor of love. Caren doesn't whitewash the blemishes in Rita's often tragic life but rather allows them to complete an honest and ultimately loving portrait of this gentle woman.

Like its subject, this book is breathtaking in its beauty. It contains scores of genuinely rare photos and they are a treasure. I own many books on Rita but "A Photographic Retrospective" is easily my favorite.

Beautiful Photo Tribute to Rita Hayworth!
I have collected all the books ever written about Rita Hayworth.I have to say that this is the BEST photobook I have seen to date.Who else but a Rita Hayworth fan can put their heart in such a bigproject and create such a lovely photo tribute to Hollywood's most glamourous movie star of the classic era.Not only is there a collection of rare photographs, but there is lots of interesting information on Rita's life, trivia and more.If you're a fan of Rita Hayworth, then this is the book you must buy!Simply beautifully done! ... Read more

Product Description
"This book reexamines Rita Hayworth's star image and her proficiency as a dancer in order to challenge received wisdom about the objectification of female stars in classical Hollywood cinema. This is a superior piece of scholarship and an outstanding contribution to star studies."―Ina Rae Hark, University of South Carolina"McLean's argument is complex, coherent, and eminently readable. Through meticulous research, she productively opens up the notion of star as worker."―Mary R. Desjardins, Dartmouth CollegeWho was Rita Hayworth? Born Margarita Carmen Cansino, she spent her life subjected to others' definitions of her, no matter how hard she worked to claim her own identity. Although there have been many "revelations" about her life and career, Adrienne McLean's book is the first to show that such disclosures were part of a constructed image from the outset. McLean explores Hayworth's participation in the creation of her star persona, particularly through her work as a dancer-a subject ignored by most film scholars. The passive love goddess, as it turns out, had a unique appeal to other women who, like her, found it extraordinarily difficult to negotiate the competing demands of family, domesticity, and professional work outside the home. Being Rita Hayworth also considers the ways in which the actress has been treated by film scholarship over the years to accomplish its own goals, sometimes at her expense. Several of Hayworth's best-known star vehicles-among them Gilda (1946), Down to Earth (1947), The Lady from Shanghai (1948), and Affair in Trinidad (1952)- are discussed in depth.Adrienne L. McLean is an assistant professor of film studies at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is the co-editor of Headline Hollywood: A Century of Film Scandal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A dull and very technical piece.
I was expecting a biography worthy of Lee Server's work on Ava Gardner.I got nothing of the sort.This is a dry tome that might serve a student of film well but not a reader expecting a good autobiographical work.Dull, dull, dry and dull again.

PSYCHOLOGIST IN DESPAIR
It seems this writer enjoys running through a hazardous psychological maze by applying stereotypical conjecture.I was simply dazzled by the rambling about Hollywood's mistreatment of women and ethnic cultures.This is not a biography, it is simply a boring doctrine about the duplicitous nature of an industry based on dreams. I felt like screaming to the writer the very obvious; "Hollywood is just that, a dream factory. We all get it, so can we please talk about Rita Hayworth."

Excellent, thought provoking...

This is not your typical celebrity biography.

Author Adrienne L. McLean is a film scholar from the University of Texas at Dallas, and on the back cover of the book it says FILM/WOMEN'S STUDIES, with review quotes from other members of academia from across the country... so I would hazard to guess that this book --and, I find, many others offered here at Amazon-- are in depth studies by scholars for students studying film, film theory,etc. Thanx Amazon for offering these types of books to the public at large.

That being said, McLean approaches Rita Hayworth's career from a feminist perspective... how does a woman navigate "Superstardom", balance that with a full domestic life with a husband and children, while, at the same time, being boxed in by a society who sees her value only in being a "Beautiful Woman"? (As a lifelong fan of Hayworth's I admit to "boxing her in" myself, and I've made Sony VERY HAPPY buying Hayworth videos & dvds over the years.)

In six different chapters here, McLean analyzes several aspects of Rita's life and career...Rita's need to distance herself from the "the dark Spanish stereotype" Hollywood had placed her in early on to move up the ladder... her transformation (including the raising of her hairline to give herself a more elegant brow) into an "All American Girl" as she rose to top stardom.... how this transformation from Margarita Cansino to "Rita Hayworth" was recounted time and again in almost every newspaper and magazine article newsmen wrote on Hayworth throughout her career.
(That the public knew her real name and her early beginnings as a Spanish dancer with her father's company is not so amazing to me, I'm positive the real name and humble origins of MOST stars were known to the public thru the media, it made good copy).

McLean notes that Hayworth was quite proud of her Spanish-gypsy heritage, and by her successful integration of her anglo/ethnic heritage,she was able to transcend the "Spanish stereotype" of a Carmen Miranda or a Lupe Velez and present the public with a new, unique Spanish-All-American persona all her own. Interesting.

McLean also looks at Hayworth's domestic life, and it's sad that Hayworth seemed to fail here.... Hayworth, married five times, walked away from her lucrative career TWICE -- from 1948 to 1952, then again from 1953 to 1957 -- each time for a new marriage. It is quite obvious that Rita would have retired from the screen entirely had she found the RIGHT husband, but the men (Judson, Welles, Khan, Haymes, and Hill) found RITA HAYWORTH (the clout, the prestige, the power of that persona) irresistable and each, in his way, used that (and Margarita herself) for their own ends.

McLean further studies that persona by comparing the films GILDA 1946 and THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI 1948, a film she does not like (reading this section made me ponder: did husband Orson Welles -on some deep level-purposely try to destroy Hayworth's image in this film because at this point, commercially, she was on SUCH A HIGH AND A BIGGER STAR THAN HE?) McLean makes another interesting case here of Welles attempt at totally de-constructing Rita's GILDA image with his "Elsa Bannister".... yes I believe Welles enjoyed being subversive and he WAS wasteful & self-destructive, but could he go THIS FAR?

Finally, and this was most enjoyable part of the book for me,an in-depth analysis of Rita Hayworth the dancer. McLean gives Hayworth credit for her amazing abilities as a dancer, pointing out that in this ONE aspect of her career, Rita had total control -thru her movement in the dance- to create, to express herself, and to be free....NO WONDER SHE WAS SO FANTASTIC AT IT.... the dancing is totally Rita's spirit, Rita's voice. Another point I never really considered.

McLean also points out how an exceptional FEMALE dancer like Hayworth or Eleanor Powell was never given the acclaim or held in as high a regard by critics as a MALE dancer like Astaire or Kelly, and that it was mainly the MALE critics of the time who described/critiqued the women dancers by their looks first, not their abilities.

McLean also does an in-depth study of Hayworth's earthy dances in 1952's AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD, choreographed by Valerie Bettis. She greatly admires this collabarationof Bettis and Hayworth, and tracks down and quotes a number of articles Bettis gave over the years about this film and about dancing in general. Quite enjoyable.

McLean is at all times a sympathetic advocate for Hayworth and, being the scholar she is, her ideas are backed up with thorough research and footnotes. As a Hayworth fan I enjoyed the wealth of new information provided and found myself always challenged by McLean's views, insights and perspectives.

There's much more I haven't covered...I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book for Hayworth fans, whom I'm sure will savor this refreshing take on Hayworth's life and career..... yes, the book is at times highly technical in it's wording, and there's so much here to ponder... it's not an easy read... you won't finish this book in one sitting..... but if you already own books on Hayworth, you'll quickly see that this one goes beyond & beneaththe standard facts of Rita's life and career... "Being Rita..."will be a great addition to your Hayworth library.

Rita Hayworth Movie Star
Having been an avid reader of Golden Years Movie stars biographies & autobiographies for a long time, I was a bit disappointed with this one.
Particularly as recent reads include, Ava Gardner, Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor & Lauren Bacall ....
If you are studying film and theatre studies, this is actually a great book for you, but it was a bit more technical than I wanted ...
I persevered for awhile, but have put it aside to read Lana Turners biography instead.

Exploring the creation of this popular movie star's persona
Being Rita Hayworth: Labor, Identity And Hollywood Stardom by Adrienne L. McLean (Assistant Professor of Film Studies, University of Texas-Dallas) strives to answer the question "Who was Rita Hayworth?" Exploring the creation of this popular movie star's persona, beloved in movies such as "The Lady from Shanghai" (1948) and "Affair in Trinidad" (1952), Being Rita Hayworth takes an especial interest in her appeal to other women of the day who were struggling to navigate the demands of family and work outside the home. Careful research of Hayworth's life frames the chapters, which meticulously pick apart fabricated image and propaganda from what can be verified as truth. An excellent read for anyone with an especial interest in not only Hayworth's career, but the ripple effect her star persona had on the hearts and minds of a female generation.
... Read more

Product Description
En Coronel Vallejos, un polvoriento pueblo de la pampa argentina, un chico llamado Toto, al sentirse asustado por ser diferente a los demas, encuentra amparo en el cine. Entre una funcion y la siguiente, este chico utiliza a sus parientes, vecinos y amigos como escudos ante una realidad adversa. Ante el pasan desbordadas las habladurias de todos los integrantes del pueblo: Tete, una nina que teme no rezar lo suficiente para evitar la muerte de su madre; Hector, el primo seductor temeroso de ser abandonado; Paqui, portadora a los doce anos de un pecado mortal; Choli, una viuda independiente y refinada; Delia, seducida y abandonada, y con una necesidad desmedida por comprar cosmeticos; y, en palabras del propio autor, planeando por sobre todos ellos la amenaza en la pantalla de una Rita Hayworth mitica, traicionera beldad de adoradores incautos. Con La traicion de Rita Hayworth, primera novela de Manuel Puig, el sello Debolsillo reafirma su compromiso con la calidad literaria, publicando a los autores mas representativos del panorama latinoamericano y mundial. ... Read more

Product Description
Finally back in print, Manuel Puig's celebrated first novel is a startling anatomy of a small town in thrall to its own petty lusts, betrayals, scandals, thefts, and gossip—but most of all, to the movies. Centering around a boy named Toto, privy to the town's secrets and always eager to fill in the ugly or upsetting moments of his childhood with Hollywood-inspired fantasy, Betrayed by Rita Hayworth is a symphony of disappointed, comic, bitter, and bawdy voices, all hemmed in by life's refusal to behave like the silver screen, and is perhaps the funniest and most honest coming-of-age story of its time. ... Read more

Product Description
Rita Hayworth's own words, linked to a collection of photographs, create this account of the life and movie career of Hollywood's "love goddess" of the 1940s - the star of "Cover Girl and "Gilda". This book traces Rita's life from her childhood in a theatrical family, through her early days as a professional dancer and "B" movie actress, to her breakthrough to international fame as the dancing partner of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly and her subsequent adoption as the pin-up girl of the American forces during World War II. ... Read more

Product Description
Rita Hayworth’s Shoes
by: Francine LaSala
... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A standing ovation for this story is in order!
This novella by Stephen King is a fantastic story of hope, persistence, and survival in the worst of prison conditions. Ultimately too it's about an elaborate and successful escape with overtones of Alexader Dumas' 'The Count of Monte Cristo'. For those NOT into Stephen King's other works of horror fiction (like me), this story will be an exciting, uplifting, and welcome read from a master storyteller. I'd also highly recommend the movie made of it starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman called simply: 'The Shawshank Redemption'. Both deliver the highest form of entertainment magic that rarely comes around in either book or movie form these days.

"Beautiful Losers?" Stephen King Needs A "Reality Check"
In this book we are introduced to Redwho is the narrator of this story. He tells about how he came to meet one of his fellow inmates Andy who was sent to Prison for two murders he did not commit. As usual King portrays the other inmates as "Beauful Losers' who all go out of their way to help Andy. Andy updates and improves the Prison Library. I don't know why he does this as most convicts can't read properly and are too busy planning their next crime when they get out of prison. Stephen King should takea visit to any Maximum Security Prison in America where he wil discover (much to his dismay one supposes) that the inmates areall low life drug addicts who would readily sell their Mothers for a hit of Heroin or some crack cocaine. I give thisbook 5 stars because it was mede into a fairly decent movie starring Morgan Freeman who I have always liked.

KIng's classic
I saw the movie years ago before I bought Four Seasons and read it in book form. I have read King's work for years, but I must say, the Shawshank Redemtion proves that King can pull together his creative writing talents into pure literary art.
The Psychological insight into the character's minds actually comes through and the style itself borders on artistic emotional prose at times. This book is full of rich plot, twists, tragedy and trauma and most importantly, the powerful spirit of the innocent victim, explodes in triumph. This story of King is well crafted. I always knew Stephen King was a great author, but until Shawshank Redemption, I didn't know he was a great one. My reading appetite is broad, but I favor the classis such as Crime and Punishment, Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird......Shawshank Redemtion. I salute you Stephen King.And just think---the agents and big book publishers all rejected King at first! What a genius of a mind we almost missed.

Stephen King on a story of unjust imprisonment and escape
If sometime late in the 21st century after he is long dead and gone Stephen King is rediscovered by literary critics as a regional writer who focused on his native main, they may well point to "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" as the first work where the author divorced himself from the horror genre.This novella was originally published in the 1982 collection "Different Seasons," which also included "The Body," the other early work in this Stephen King sub-genre.That is not to say that there are not horror elements in both of these stories, but that King relies on more real world examples than the monsters and others things that go bump in the night usually found in his work.

"Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" is at its heart a tale of unjust imprisonment and offbeat escape, in the tradition of "The Count of Monte Cristo."Andy Dufresne was sent to Shawshank prison in 1948 for the murder of his wife and her lover the golf pro at Falmouth Hills.Like everyone at Shawshank, Andy declares he is innocent but it is not many years later that Red, the narrator of the story and the one man at Shawshank who can get you things, comes to believe that is actually the case.Until that point this novella has been about how a man, innocent or otherwise, survives in a prison, and about the creation of a true friendship.But then it becomes a personal quest for justice and about beating the system when the game is fixed.

The idea of being in prison for a crime you did not commit is ultimately more of a terror tale than vampires, haunted hotels, or rapid dogs, mainly because there are few things more frightening in this world than a convict living without a chance of parole.But that only serves to underscore the idea that there are few things more important in this world that friendship and justice.At the very least, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" stands as a Stephen King story that people who do not like to read Stephen King stories can actually read.As for the film adaptation of this story, as great as it is, its one flaw is that it goes one brief scene beyond the perfect ending crafted by King.

Not bad at all
This, like many of the other reviews, is going to compare it to the movie. The movie is one of my all time favorites, and i've watched it many times. i read the book in one sitting, and i was pleased overall. The movie i think is the better of the two because in the novella, King rushed his normally wordy self, and the story feels it. Also, a lot of the details in it seemed extraneous and forced. It does fill in a great deal of the gaps. It is in true literary form, and most of the changes for the movie were made in keeping with what audiences want to see. These are things that the book needs but the movie does not. This is the first book-made-into-a-movie where i have favored the movie greater, but not too much greater, and the book is most definetely worth the read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A must-have for all of Rita's fans!
This outstanding book is packed with great photos of Rita Hayworth, the "love goddess", from her youth to her later years with its focus on her 59 or so film roles. I had no idea that by 1940 Rita had already appeared in 25 films! My personal favorite Hayworth film is of course, "Gilda", & thankfully 8 pages are devoted to this great classic. This book is highly recommended just for the photos alone, & even though the text was written many years before Rita's death, it doesn't detract any from the book's quality. And for those wanting to get the ultimate book on America's "love goddess", I recommend "Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective" by Caren Roberts-Frenzel, the founder of the Rita Hayworth Fan Club.

Beautiful with TONS of pictures!!!
You will love this book!!!It gives lots of information on all of Miss Hayworth's films.This book is loaded with pictures of the beautiful Mrs. Hayworth a must for any Rita fan!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Born near Dachau shortly after World War II to a German mother and a Mexican American GI, Rita Magdaleno moved to Arizona with her family in 1947 and was raised with her father's traditions, but she remains at heart a child of two cultures.This poetic memoir, recalling her return to the land of her birth, is an intertwining of personal and public history, bridging continents and cultures in search of family secrets. With patience, courage, and abiding love, she draws on memories of mother and motherland to show us that healing can come in many forms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Gift for Mother
This little gem would be a perfect gift for a Mother, or for any woman seeking to understand the dimensions of mother/daugher relationships. I enjoyed this book for the simple emotions,intimate historical look at Nazi Germany and methods in which the author uses photographs to spark her poetry. ... Read more