Lana Turner (1921–1995)

This is a new printing of Turner's 1982 autobiography and I applaud the publisher for reprinting this book. Turner tells of her life in Idaho during the Depression and the move to California, her parent's divorce, and her entry into films. She does not give much gossip about her many co-stars (which is good) but it would have been nice to know a bit more of what she thought of some of them. We know she liked Robert Taylor, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracey and did not like Wendell Corey. She did not discuss much about the actual making of the films or specific scenes. She did not seem to have many close female friends. She mentions Virginia Grey as a friend but does not really expound on what they did together. She describes her elopement with Artie Shaw in 1940 pretty much the way Ann Rutherford (who was in the same film) described it in a talk on her career once although Ann said that Artie tried to call her first and Ann's mother wouldn't let her come to the phone and then Artie called Lana and Artie and Lana eloped the same night. She had a poor judge of husbands - ending up with 7 - all who seemed to want her to support them. She describes in detail the stabbing death of Johnny Stompanato and the consequences it had on her daughter's life. She was a team player at MGM - pretty much doing what they said and when the studio finally let the player's go, was able to gain a resurgence in film and on the stage. She describes her faith in God at the end and crediting it with turning around her life. The book was originally published 13 years before her final illness but it was Turner's way of setting the record straight on her image.… (more)

The star known for not having a hair out of place. This is a hard to read memoir of one of the many glamour stars of Hollywood. A lot of sadness in life for a woman blessed with natural beauty and lucky enough to find an inside track to acting in movies. Born in Wallace, Idaho, Turner went to catholic grade school in San Francisco and Central California. She says she liked the Catholic liturgy and became baptized (as was her daughter). The conclusion of the book tells of her reacquaintance with God and how it helped her cope with living outside the film industry. Her daughter went to St Paul grammar school, Westwood & Sacred Heart, Flintridge. Turner is the subject of the famous urban legend of being discovered in Schwab's in Hollywood. She says that she was not discovered there but she did go there after she began working with an agent. She was actually 'discovered' across the street buying a Coke when an agent asked if she wanted to work in movies and gave her his card. He was the publisher of The Hollywood Reporter. I've never seen any of her movies but once I order a few I'll be happy to see what she was like. She was nominated once for an Academy Award. Turner said that she once met Eva Peron while vacationing in Argentina and was shocked to realize that Peron had tried to mimic her in every way. I think this is an important book even as she describes her seven marriages to pitiful men and confesses two abortions every on in life. It appears true that she was generous to a fault and this allowed people to take advantage of her good will. Turner was one of the first teenagers (Hollywood High) to work her way up (she did her first photo shoot with Ronald Reagan) to being one of the highest paid actresses in the business. One of her many marriages was conducted at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica down the street from our church.… (more)