Dark
City Dames
By Eddie Muller
Femme
fatales are everywhere nowadayswhether they're swingin'
chicks, punk rock pin-ups or rockabilly ravers. In movies and
magazines, on billboards and on the street, bawdy babes are adopting
the look, style, attitude and patter of eye-catching icons from
eras past, forever preserved in cinematic gems like Detour,
Out of the Past, The Lady in the Lake, the Killing and Kiss
of Death. Now, the luscious ladies of film noir get a chance
to tell their side of the story in Eddie Muller's edifying new
book, Dark City Dames (ReganBooks), wherein he interviews
and chronicles the lives and loves of six legends: Jane Greer,
Audrey Totter, Marie Windsor (who has since passed on), Evelyn
Keyes, Coleen Gray and Ann Savage.
Muller
is no stranger in this town; his previous book on the subject,
Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, was nominated for
all the major literary mystery awards, and was unanimously praised
as the definitive guide to this beleaguered burg. With this insightful,
moving and entertaining follow-up, he gives us a tour of the tormented
town from a personal point of view. The women profiled here differ
greatly in matters of politics, sex, religion and even acting
style, but they are all immortalized in the eyes of the world
because of their work during the glory days of the Hollywood film
factory. They are also somewhat surprised by the adulation, although
they welcome it all the same. What makes this book both unique
and memorable are the anecdotal asides. These aren't mere biographies;
they're character studies. Muller revelsin their own wordsthe
hearts, minds and souls of his sultry subjects. Equally stunning
is the roster of supporting characters, including John Huston,
Howard Hughes, Tyrone Power, Artie Shaw, John Garfield, Lana Turner,
Gloria Grahame, Robert Mitchum, and other legendary luminaries.
The walks through Hollywood history relate such major events as
the McCarthy Communist witch-hunt, the Second World War, the advent
of television, the rise and fall of the studio system, and the
final days of a colorful century, all witnessed through the wisened
eyes of these"wicked women of film noir."
The
photos tell the stories almost as eloquently as the cinematic,
hardboiled prose: From vintage cheesecake pics to latter day snapshots,
we get to know these dangerous dames inside and out. And as is
so often the case in the B-movie potboilers or yore, the true
life twists and turns keep us glued to our seats till the final,
fateful fadeout.
Will
"The Thrill" Viharo
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