Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies
by Spoto, Donald
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Woodland Hills, California, United States
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About This Item
New York: Harmony Books, 2008. First Edition ~1st Printing. Hardcover. nearly as new in like dust jacket, with publisher's press material laid in; a crisp square unmarked copy in unclipped dust jacket; clearly a review copy, clean and bright, appears unread; first printing with full number line
Synopsis
"The trouble today is that we don't torture women enough."--Alfred HitchcockIt is remarkable how infrequently, over a period of more than fifty years, Alfred Hitchcock spoke about the beautiful, legendary and talented actresses he directed. And when he did, his remarks were mostly indifferent and often hostile. But his leading ladies greatly enriched his films, even as many of them achieved international stardom precisely because of their work for Hitchcock--among the dozens of women were Madeleine Carroll, Joan Fontaine, Grace Kelly and Tippi Hedren. Yet he maintained a stony, insistent silence about the quality of their performances and their contributions to his art. Spellbound by Beauty--the final volume in master biographer Donald Spoto's Hitchcock trilogy that began with The Art of Alfred Hitchcock and continued with The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock--is the fascinating, complex and finally tragic story of the great moviemaker and his female stars, the unusual ideas of sex and romance that inform his films and the Hollywood dreams that often became nightmares. Rich with fresh revelations based on previously undisclosed tapes, new interviews, private correspondence and personal papers made available only to the author, this thoughtful, compassionate yet explosive portrait details Hitchcock's outbursts of cruelty, the shocking humor and the odd amalgam of adoration and contempt that time and again characterized Hitchcock's obsessive relationships with women--and that also, paradoxically, fed his genius.He insisted, for example, that Madeleine Carroll submit herself to painful physical demands during the making of The 39 Steps. He harbored a poignantly unrequited love for Ingrid Bergman. He meticulously and deliberately constructed Grace Kelly's image. Finally, he stalked, harassed and abused Tippi Hedren. His treatment of his daughter, Pat, was certainly unusual, while his strange marriage to his sometime collaborator Alma Reville was a union that (according to Hitchcock himself) was forever chaste after one incident. Spellbound by Beauty offers important insights into the life of a brilliant, powerful, eccentric and tortured artist, and it corrects a major gap in movie history by paying tribute at last to those extraordinarily talented actresses who gave so much to his films.From the Hardcover edition.
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Details
- Bookseller
- David Kaye Books & Memorabilia
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 38188
- Title
- Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies
- Author
- Spoto, Donald
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used
- Edition
- First Edition ~1st Printing
- Publisher
- Harmony Books
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2008
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David Kaye Books & Memorabilia
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About the Seller
David Kaye Books & Memorabilia
Biblio member since 2005
Woodland Hills, California
About David Kaye Books & Memorabilia
In addition to our internet business, we operate a retail store specializing in rare and collectible books of all genres plus entertainment memorabilia, including original movie posters, celebrity autographs, press kits, programs, scripts, etc. Please phone or email at any time with questions or special requests.
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- First Edition
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- Crisp
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