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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #208

Dear Reader,

The cover for Dana, book three in my Golden Age of Hollywood series, scheduled for 2024. This noirish 1920s story is about a young woman employed by a Hollywood studio who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery.

My latest translation, the Italian version of Love and Bullets, Sam Smith Mystery Series book two.

*****

Clara Bow’s forty-seventh movie was The Wild Party, produced between 2 – 29 January, 1929, and released on April 26, 1929. Clara played Stella Ames an extrovert student.

The Wild Party was a landmark movie – the first Clara Bow talkie. Also, it was directed by Dorothy Arzner, at that time the only female director working in Hollywood.

Unlike Greta Garbo, for example, Clara was given no time to prepare for the transition from silent movies to talkies. She was thrown in at the deep end, and she struggled. 

Clara was nervous about her Brooklyn accent. She had no reason to be – her accent was natural and wide in range. She could deliver everything from high-pitched giggles to low, somber tones in the sad scenes. 

Clara was also nervous about the sound system. This was understandable because she relied upon spontaneity and the freedom to move around the set. Now, she was pinned to a mark, under a microphone. Dorothy Arzner tried to assist by devising the first fishpole microphone. This microphone offered flexibility and allowed Clara freedom of movement and expression.

In January 1929, Clara received 45,000 fan letters, more than twice as many as any other actor in movie history. Theatre owners voted Clara the top female box-office draw of the year. She received 2,700 votes, twice as many as anyone else.

With careful management and encouragement, Clara could have made the transition to talkies. At the dawn of this revolution in the movies, Clara was still box-office gold. But she was becoming disenchanted.

Fredric March and Clara Bow in The Wild Party

Favourite Movie Quote of the 20th Century, First Round

Result: 31% v 69%

Result: 5% v 95%

Second Round

Result: 69% v 31%

Result: 25% v 75%

Result: 42% v 58%

Result: 27% v 73%

Result: 67% v 33%

Social media https://toot.wales/@HannahHowe

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

For Authors

#1 for value with 565,000 readers, The Fussy Librarian has helped my books to reach #1 on 38 occasions.

A special offer from my publisher and the Fussy Librarian. https://authors.thefussylibrarian.com/?ref=goylake

Don’t forget to use the code goylake20 to claim your discount 🙂

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #207

Dear Reader,

Latest Publications

Future Projects

Clara Bow’s forty-sixth movie was Three Weekends produced between September 10 and October 11, 1928, and released on December 8, 1928. Clara played Gladys O’Brien, a chorus girl.

Three Weekends is a lost movie, so we must rely upon the critics of the time for an opinion. Respected film critic Richard Watts Jr said, “Ever since Clara Bow had the doubtful fortune to be labelled the “It” Girl she has been placed in a wearying succession of unexhilarating comedies.” 

The producers had hit upon a formula: place Clara in a funny scene; place Clara in her underwear; place Clara in a funny scene in her underwear; repeat, repeat, repeat…

And the formula worked. Three Weekends made big money. However, some studios were now making talkies…

The Tatler, March 1933. Mary Pickford, Gary Cooper and Marion Davies at a party thrown by Gary Cooper. Mary was short, 4’ 10”, Gary was tall, 6’ 3”, and Marion loved to party 🍾

Port Arthur News, 23 December 1945

I stumbled across this article during my research into the murder of Hollywood film director William Desmond Taylor. The newspaper asked the question: which past and present actresses have to stand on a box during the love scenes? Here’s the answer 👇

Favourite Movie Quote of the 20th Century, First Round

Result: 63% v 37%

Result: 65% v 35%

Result: 60% v 40%

Result: 72% v 28%

Result: 63% v 37%

Result: 14% v 86%

Result: 46% v 54%

Social media https://toot.wales/@HannahHowe

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

For Authors

#1 for value with 565,000 readers, The Fussy Librarian has helped my books to reach #1 on 38 occasions.

A special offer from my publisher and the Fussy Librarian. https://authors.thefussylibrarian.com/?ref=goylake

Don’t forget to use the code goylake20 to claim your discount 🙂

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #205

Dear Reader,

Delighted to say that Tula, book one in my Golden Age of Hollywood series, is currently in the top fifty of Amazon’s Psychological Fiction chart 🙂

Amazon informs me that “This is what customers read after reading Tula.”

Naturally, I’m delighted that my Golden Age of Hollywood novel should find a place amongst such august company 🙂

Clara Bow’s forty-fourth movie was Ladies of the Mob produced between April 10 and May 1, 1928, and released on June 30, 1928. Clara played Yvonne in a true story about a lifer in Folsom Prison.

Writer Elinor Glyn and MGM executive Paul Bern recognised that Clara had the potential to become a great serious/tragic actress and that she was better suited to these roles than the frivolous comedies that producer B.P. Schulberg placed her in. Clara too wanted to take on more challenging roles. 

Ladies of the Mob offered Clara a chance to display her full acting talent. However, first Schulberg wanted her to act in more money spinners, the frivolous comedies. How could Clara get out of these comedies without breaking her contract?

Clara came up with a solution. For some time, she had been suffering from abdominal pains, diagnosed as appendicitis. She decided that now was the time to have an operation. Clara was not well educated, but she was street smart.

Clara Bow in 1922 the year she filmed Down to the Sea in Ships, regarded by some as her first movie because the five scenes she filmed for Beyond the Rainbow earlier in 1922 were cut from the final print, only to be restored when she became a star. Her billing in Beyond the Rainbow also moved up from ninth to third when she achieved stardom.

Ruth Chatterton (December 24, 1892 – November 24, 1961) in Unfaithful (1931). Ruth was a stage, film, television actress and a novelist. In the 1930s she was also an aviator, one of the few female pilots in the United States at the time, which ties-in with my latest Hollywood novel, Sunshine.

At the 1947 Academy Awards, Joan Fontaine presented the Best Actor Award, Ray Milland presented the Best Actress Award, while Lana Turner presented the “Scoring Awards” 🤔

Favourite Movie Quote of the 20th Century Poll

Result: 67% v 33%

Result: 75% v 25%

Result: 46% v 54%

Result: 87% v 13%

Result: 28% v 72%

Result: 65% v 35%

Result: 83% v 17%

My latest article for the Seaside News, about The 39 Steps, appears on page 40 of the magazine.

Social media https://toot.wales/@HannahHowe

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

For Authors

#1 for value with 565,000 readers, The Fussy Librarian has helped my books to reach #1 on 38 occasions.

A special offer from my publisher and the Fussy Librarian. https://authors.thefussylibrarian.com/?ref=goylake

Don’t forget to use the code goylake20 to claim your discount 🙂

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #203

Dear Reader,

A five-star review for Tula.

Tula’s story is hard to put down, I read the book in one sitting, This is an engrossing story of a young woman’s childhood of neglect and rejection. Refusing to give up her dream of being a silent screen actress, she navigates her way through a difficult childhood. When Tula does break into stardom, her past continues to haunt her. Tula’s broken spirit and soul threaten everything she worked so hard to achieve. This beautifully crafted story is one of the best books I read this year.

Clara Bow’s forty-second movie was Get Your Man, produced between September 16 and October 13, 1927, and released on December 10, 1927. Clara played Nancy Worthington, a young woman out to ‘get her man’. Photoplay said of Clara’s performance: “Clara continues to charm and fascinate.”

Even though Clara’s movies were the highest grossing in the business, she only received $1,500 a week from Paramount, in comparison to other actresses who received $6,000 a week. Paramount regarded Clara as stupid and docile, and intended to keep her that way because she was easier to control. 

Clara was poorly educated, but she was feisty and far from docile. A studio with foresight and compassion would have nurtured Clara. Instead, they sought to exploit her, and suffered in the long run. When it comes to stupid, big business often claims the gold medal.

At this stage Clara split with director Victor Fleming, a man twice her age, 44 to 22, but a stable influence in her life. He wanted stability, while she was still high on the idea of having fun.

Clara’s thinking at that time: “Marriage ain’t woman’s only job no more. A girl who’s worked hard and earned her place ain’t gonna be satisfied as a wife. I know this. I wouldn’t give up my work for marriage. I think a modern girl’s capable of keepin’ a job and a husband.”

Mastodon 1970s Mega Movie Poll, Quarter-Finals

Monty Python’s Life of Brian 71% v 29% All the President’s Men

The Godfather 58% v 42% Jaws

Semi-Finals

Monty Python’s Life of Brian 50% v 50% Monty Python and the Holy Grail*

*Won on tie-break

The Godfather 43% v 57% Star Wars

Final

Monty Python and the Holy Grail 48% v 52% Star Wars

Social media https://toot.wales/@HannahHowe

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

For Authors

#1 for value with 565,000 readers, The Fussy Librarian has helped my books to reach #1 on 38 occasions.

A special offer from my publisher and the Fussy Librarian. https://authors.thefussylibrarian.com/?ref=goylake

Don’t forget to use the code goylake20 to claim your discount 🙂

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #202

Dear Reader,

Fresh from the printer, the first batch of Tula 🙂

Clara Bow’s forty-first movie was Hula, produced between June 9 – July 8, 1927, released August 27, 1927. Clara played the title character.

Banned intertitles, lines spoken by Clara (of course): “Kiss me, love me, begin again.” “Oh, ya do love me, Saint Anthony.”

Hula is a formula post “It” Clara Bow movie: Clara basically plays herself; her leading man is nondescript; low budget; flash as much flesh as possible. Once again, Clara’s talent was sacrificed for the raking in of the mighty dollar.

While some men viewed Hula as nothing more than a sex object, women viewed her as a liberated woman. Clara’s performance complete with her trademark “triple-take” – each look designed to hook a particular section of the audience – had everything to do with that.

Mastodon 1970s Mega Movie Poll, Last Sixteen

Star Wars 70% v 30% Apocalypse Now

Mad Max 45% v 55% All the President’s Men

Monty Python’s Life of Brian 75% v 25% The Deer Hunter

Jaws 65% v 35% Taxi Driver

The Godfather 69% v 31% Chinatown

Quarter-Finals

Monty Python and the Holy Grail 70% v 30% M*A*S*H

Star Wars 52% v 48% Alien

Social media https://toot.wales/@HannahHowe

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

For Authors

#1 for value with 565,000 readers, The Fussy Librarian has helped my books to reach #1 on 38 occasions.

A special offer from my publisher and the Fussy Librarian. https://authors.thefussylibrarian.com/?ref=goylake

Don’t forget to use the code goylake20 to claim your discount 🙂