News, Updates, And Such
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After blogging about Ann Dvorak every day for an entire year, I guess you could say that I have really embraced the break from it. Since I don’t want to be too neglectful of Ann, along with those of you who have been so faithful and supportive – here’s what’s been going on in the world of Ann Dvorak (and me).
The big Ann Dvorak news is that Our Blushing Brides is now available from the Warner Archive.  This is actually a Joan Crawford film that was made during Ann’s waning days at MGM. Even though the film does have some dance numbers, Ann does not appear as a chorus girl but only as an extra fawning over Robert Montgomery.  I don’t remember what I thought of this film overall, so I can only recommend it for you Dvorak completists.Â
On a bright personal note, I received my first royalty statement for Ann Dvorak: Hollywood’s Forgotten Rebel. The numbers were considerably higher than my publisher or I were expecting, so a big THANK YOU to everyone out there who purchased a copy!
I recently submitted a proposal for what I hope will be my next big project. It’s for the 33 1/3 series which are books focusing on a specific music album. The publisher recently did an open call for submissions, so I threw my hat in the ring with Heart’s Dreamboat Annie. The open call resulted in a whopping 410 submissions, so I am definitely a long-shot! Writing about a band from the 1970s might sound like an extreme departure from a 1930s movie star. However, much like Ann Dvorak, the Wilson sisters challenged the conventions of their sector of the entertainment industry, so I don’t feel that writing about them will be that much different from Ann. And if my proposal isn’t selected? Well, I have a couple of other ideas floating around…
On a totally non-Ann related note, I will be back at the Encino-Tarzana Branch Library on March 25th, lecturing on the changing roles of woman in the post-War San Fernando Valley. The entire presentation will be illustrated with images from the Los Angeles Public Library’s Valley Times photo collection, so hopefully there will be some interest.
Finally, I have two screenings/book signings arranged in Chicago in late April and a royalty check to pay for the trip! Keep an eye out here for more details very soon!
Otherwise, I have been slumming it a bit and enjoying free time with my daughter and husband. Hope all is well with all you Dvorak devotees, and check back for more updates.
our Blushing Brides is the 3rd and imo the least of the series of Crawford/Anita Page/Dorthy Sebastian films but still worthwhile for the 3 ladies and the Deco art direction.
I’ve been catching up on some new to me Ann films…Girls of the Road, Friends of Mr Sweeney, Gentlemen are Born and Crooner. that last def being the least of them. Only the first really gave Ann a decent role but as always she looked great in all of them. and that scene in Crooner where she finally tells David Manners where to get off is first rate Ann! I think that one scene made me glad i saw it, lol.
I still have I was an American Spy and The Long Night here to see
i just finished reading Margaret Talbot’s “The Entertainer” (a fantastic read!) and your book is next on the list! 🙂
good luck with your proposal and future projects! as Loretta Young used to say “A busy woman is a glamorous woman?
or was it “A glamorous woman is a busy woman” ?? O_o
I love Girls of the Road. Gentlemen are Born is not a bad film, though Ann’s talents were never more wasted (well, maybe more wasted in I Sell Anything). I actually think Crooner is fun, though she has little to do besides yell at him. 😀
Can’t wait to hear what you think of the book!
Still miss ‘The Year of Ann Dvorak”.
Just curious, Christina, did you happen to see the Wilson sisters’ rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” performed at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors? It was, in a word, astounding. Even the old rockers themselves — John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, who were in attendance — looked like they were fighting back tears at the end. Just a marvelous piece of music. Check it out on YOUTUBE in the event you didn’t catch it.
Oh yes! And I am pretty sure that Robert Plant was straight up crying. Magnificent.
TCM ran “OBB” during their recent Joan “Star of the Month” tribute. Not much of a movie; for me, Ann’s brief appearance the highlight. Not an essential addition to the AD library.
Congrats on that royalty check, and glad to see you using the proceeds for the Chicago trip. Actually downtown Chi, or suburbs; do ya know? In any event, certainly hope that I’ll be able to attend a signing.
I’m both happy and sad to report that I lent my copy of “HFR” to a co-worker, making a new Ann D fan in the process. Glad she’s got a new supporter, but wish that another book had been purchased. So how do authors feel about this situation? Okay with the passing around?
Good Luck with the 33 1/3 book submission – doing some quick math, you have a 1/4 of 1% chance of being the winning submission. I enjoy the series – the treatments on Big Star’s “Radio City” and the Burrito Brothers “Gilded Palace of Sin” particular favorites.
Remember, if your proposal isn’t selected, gals like Glenda Farrell & Aline MacMahon are still looking for that ardent biographer.
Me too with missing the “year of AD”.
The screenings are Molly Louvain at the Patio Theater on 4/23 and Scarface at the Pickwick in Parkridge on 4/24. I’ll be posting full details soon.
The royalty check was a fringe benefit, so I am just happy to hear people are reading it. There was a hold queue of 42 at the Los Angeles Public Library which I was especially proud of.
There is actually a Glenda Farrell bio coming out relatively soon. I will admit to being secretly disappointed because I was considering tackling her next. Aline is a possibility, though it may be awhile before I take the plunge.