The leading ladies Hardcover – January 1, 1977 by James Robert Parish
 
Each of these major Hollywood movie stars had her own very special blend of glamour, persistence, and magnetism. One was a flippant, saucer-eyed, wisecracking blonde. Another was a sharp-edged rugged individualist. A third was delicate-looking, a demure pretty heroine with great reserves of strength. All six major talents profiled in this volume were uniquely themselves. But they had one thing in common: the tenacity and adaptability to survive in the Hollywood film business for many decades. They were the great, indestructible Leading Ladies.
JOAN BLONDELL: “I play Joan Blondell, and I play her the best the I can.”
JOAN CRAWFORD: “A Star will last always, as in the heavens. A personality will go down just as quick as it appears.”
BETTE DAVIS: “I survived because I was tougher than everybody else.”
OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND: “I love to work. It’s something I need very much.”
ROSALIND RUSSELL: “It’s okay to have talent. But talent is the least of it. In a performance or a career, you’ve got to have vitality.”
BARBARA STANWYCK: “I’m the best action actress in the world. I can do horse drags, jump off buildings, and I have the scars to prove it.”
The six lengthy career studies in The Leading Ladies are enhanced by detailed filmographies and expansive personal narratives of these inimitable Hollywood stars that are full of insights into what made them such enduring, unforgettable Tinseltown legends.
About the Authors:
JAMES ROBERT PARISH, a former entertainment reporter, publicist, and book series editor, is the author of many published major biographies and reference books on the entertainment industry including Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You; The Hollywood Book of Extravagance; It’s Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks; The Hollywood Book of Breakups; Fiascos: Hollywood’s Iconic Flops; The Hollywood Book of Scandals; The Hollywood Book of Love; Hollywood Divas; Jet Li; Hollywood Bad Boys; The Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood; The Hollywood Book of Death; Gus Van Sant; Whoopi Goldberg; Rosie O’Donnell’s Story; The Unofficial “Murder, She Wrote” Casebook; Today’s Black Hollywood; Let’s Talk! America’s Favorite TV Talk Show Hosts; Prison Pictures from Hollywood; Prostitution in Hollywood Films; The Great Cop Pictures; Ghosts and Angels in Hollywood Films; Pirates and Seafaring Swashbucklers on the Hollywood Screen; Gays and Lesbians in Mainstream Cinema; Hollywood’s Great Love Teams; and The Fox Girls. Mr. Parish is a frequent oncamera interviewee on cable and network TV for documentaries on the performing arts. The author resides in Studio City, California
DON E. STANKE, who lived in northern California and is now deceased, interviewed more than 30 film and stage personalities, and his articles about these luminaries appeared in motion picture journals from coast to coast. He collaborated with James Robert Parish on several books.
 
4.6