The Smiling Girl on the Cardboard Moon: The Saga of Paulette Goddard
by Charles Stumpf, Ben Ohmart
(Click here)
Book Summary Information
Author: Ben Ohmart, Charles StumpfEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-11
ISBN: 0595122965
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Writers Club Press
Book Reviews of The Smiling Girl on the Cardboard Moon: The Saga of Paulette Goddard
Book Review: Sloppy and superfluous
Summary: 1 Stars
As a Goddard fan, I looked forward to some new insights into her life. But this book doesn't satisfy. It's mostly a rehash of the other information printed about her, with long, rambling paragraphs about people she associated with during her Hollywood days and after. The main problems with this book (besides the fact that it commits the unforgivable sin -- for a movie star bio, at least -- of not including one photograph! -- are the poor writing style and terrible production value. An example of the latter is that you encounter the first of many (many) typos in the fifth line on page one, where the authors recount how Goddard's grandparents moved to Salt Lady City. Later on we learn that Goddard's last husband "because a U.S. citizen" -- maybe he "became" one? The writing is fairly annoying too, with certain words being overused -- one of which is "unique." As well as being overused,the authors make the mistake of using modifiers for it, such as "most unique," "very unique," and "quite unique." Professional writers should know that something is either unique, or it is not. It cannot be a little unique, or a lot unique. There are also many errors that any fan of Goddard notices right away: the name of Ray Milland's character in "Kitty" is given as "March," although it is "Marcy," actress Vera Zorina's first name is listed as "Zera," actress Eva Gabor's name is listed as "Ava," Goddard's 1940 film "The Ghost Breakers" is referenced as "The Ghost Catchers." You get the idea.
In the end, I enjoyed the book after I got out some paper and a pen to keep track of all these factual, grammatical and typographical errors. Thankfully, I was reading a library copy. You are warned.
Actors & Actresses Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Actors & Actresses Books
Leaving a Doll's House: A Memoirby Claire Bloom
Little Brown & Co (T); Published: 1996-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.75
Price in other shops:
Ginger Rogers: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts)by Jocelyn Faris
Greenwood; Published: 1994-03-14; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $72.00
Price in other shops:
But We Need the Eggs: The Magic of Woody Allenby Diane Jacobs
St Martins Pr; Published: 1982-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $98.81
Astaire and Rogers (Film and Culture Series)by Edward Gallafent
Columbia University Press; Published: 2004-07-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.22
Price in other shops:
The Good, the Bad, and Me: In My Anecdotageby Eli Wallach
Mariner Books; Published: 2006-05-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.42
Price in other shops:
On The Couchby Lorraine Bracco
Penguin Audio; Published: 2006-06-06; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $1.00
Price in other shops:
A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorceby Alec Baldwin
St. Martin's Press; Published: 2008-09-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
There and Back Again: An Actor's Taleby Sean Astin, Joe Layden
St. Martin's Griffin; Published: 2005-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Pieces of My Heart Low Price CDby Robert J. Wagner
HarperAudio; Published: 2009-09-15; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $7.81
Price in other shops:
Model Patient: My Life As an Incurable Wise-Assby Karen Duffy
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2001-11-13; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.25
Price in other shops: