Review
by Marlene Engel
Girl of My Dreams follows a wide-eyed young screenwriter in the
1930s when Hollywood, the Depression, and the Communist Party
intersected powerfully in the American psyche. From the glamorous and
mysterious star Palmyra Millevoix to the ruthless studio mogul Mossy Zangwill,
protagonist Owen Jant struggles to navigate a world that is as seductive as it
is toxic. Filled with scandal, romance, murder, riots, and celebrities of the
day, Girl of My Dreams shines
a spotlight on an American moment in all its magic and malice, glory and greed.
In this enthralling book, the author exposes the dark side of Hollywood’s
Golden Age. Set in the 1930s at the
height of the Depression, most associate this era with glamour. What many are unaware of is all of the
exploitation, greed and abuse that took place during that time. Where people were exploited if believed that
they could generate money from their stories.
Everyone from set designers to the directors were caught up in said
greed in hopes of being recognized by someone important.
This story is told by someone who knows first-hand how the industry is
run. Peter Davis grew up with people who
lived through and worked during this time.
And, later in his life, Peter directed an Oscar winning documentary,
Hearts and Minds.
A powerful story that could only be told by someone who lived it. Girl of My Dreams is a true to life story full
of characters so real that you feel like you’re living the story along with
them.
Purchase this book at:
About the Author:
Davis was born in California, the son
of screenwriter parents Frank Davis and the
short story writer and novelist Tess
Slesinger. After graduating from Harvard, he worked in New York
City as a writer and documentary filmmaker. His first documentaries were
for CBS News where he made the landmark investigative film The
Selling of the Pentagon, which won the Emmy, Peabody, Writers Guild,
George Polk, Ohio State, and Saturday Review awards. His next film was the
Vietnam War documentary Hearts and Minds, for which he received the
Academy Award and France’s Prix Sadoul. Subsequent films include JACK,
a biography of John F. Kennedy, which was nominated for two Emmys and
won one, and the Middletown series of six films made in one American
community, nominated for ten Emmys and received two; one of the films in
the series, Seventeen, won first prize at the Sundance Festival.
Connect with the author at:
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This book sounds really good. Great review.
ReplyDeleteI love books about the Golden Age of Hollywood. I read a book on that subject at least once a month. I'll definitely be adding this book to my to-read list. Thanks for the review!
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