Free Downloads Hollywood Urban Legends: The Truth Behind All Those Delightfully Persistent Myths Of Film Television, And Music
What does Richard Roeper know about the movies? Plenty. As the celebrated syndicated columnist for the Chicago Sun Times, Roeper has devoted at least a column a week to the buzz from Hollywood and the countless urban legends that emanate from Tinsel Town. And now, he's the co-host of "Ebert and Roeper and the Movies." Did Jane Fonda betray American POWs while visiting Hanoi? What's the story behind Tom Green's supposed raid on a bar mitzvah? Was Marilyn Monroe really a size 16? Was Mel Gibson horribly disfigured in a barroom brawl, leading to more than five years of rehab and plastic surgery before he could show his face in public? And what's the truth about the infamous bloopers on such shows as "The Newlywed Game," "Password" and the "Tonight Show"? Richard Roeper recounts these stories in Hollywood Urban Legends, as he gives us the truth behind the most deliciously false stories about our favorite stars.
Hardcover
Publisher: New Page Books; First Edition edition (May 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1564145549
ISBN-13: 978-1564145543
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #3,161,983 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #73 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Urban Legends #1877 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Mythology & Folk Tales > Mythology #10545 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Movies > History & Criticism
My wife and I first heard this book being promoted on television and as avid readers of entertainment publications and books, I figured that I would give Richard Roeper's second book on "Urban Legends" a try.Once I received the book and started reading a few pages, I was instantly hooked. Next thing you know, I read the book completely. It's that entertaining.The book covers mostly urban legends relating to movies and television and a few on music.Without revealing too much what's in the book, here are a few urban legends that some of you may or may not know:* Was John Wayne a draft-dodger? Can America's movie icon who was portrayed in many movies as a military hero be a draft-dodger in real life? True or False?* Did Monica Lewinsky actually tell Larry King, "I've learned not to put things in my mouth that are bad for me"? True or False?* Did Tom Green really attend a Bar Mitzvah dressed as Hitler? True or False?* The reason why the Little Rascals is no longer on television is because Bill Cosby purchase the rights of "The Little Rascals" and he didn't want it shown anymore because of the shows portrayal of Blacks? True or False?* Did Mama Cass of the Mamas and Papas die of a ham sandwich? True or False?* Did Jane Fonda really betray P.O.W.'s during a trip to Hanoi? True or False?* Is the children's song "Puff the Magic Dragon" by Peter, Paul and Mary about Marijuana? True or False?* Was Lucille Ball a communist? True or False?* Is there a curse among the actors who were on any of the "Poltergeist" movies? True or False?Roeper does a great job setting up the urban legend and gathering and analyzing the facts necessary to prove the urban legend right or wrong.
Here's the book's premise: "It's the first rule of celebrity life: The moment you become famous is the moment when people start telling lies about you." "If you don't like it, remove yourself from the roster of the famous."Hollywood Urban Legends is a selection of supposedly well-known rumors about famous entertainment people and the industry. Each section starts out by telling the rumor in the most intrigung way. Then, Mr. Roeper lays out and dissects the evidence and comes to a conclusion.There are several problems with this book. First, unless these are stories you have heard and sort of wish were true, they don't have much zing. I would describe them as "improbable stories that on the surface are probably not true." So I felt like I was wasting my time. Of these legends, I had only heard of about 8 of them.Second, nine of ten legends turn out not to be true. The book would have been ever so much more interesting if half of them had been true. Mr. Roeper missed a chance to write a much more entertaining book. Maybe Matt Drudge will write the sequel?Third, a lot of these are very old chestnuts. Are you excited about what Marilyn Monroe's dress size was? I'm sure most people have noticed by now that their toilets keep working each year during the Super Bowl. Poor Mikey has been gone due to Pop Rocks for a long time. Even my mother knew that Bogart was not the Gerber baby when I was a child.Mr. Roeper also seems biased in terms of believing whatever the creators say. I was not persuaded by his argument that "Puff the Magic Dragon" has nothing to do with drugs.There are a few aha's here. I did not know that John Wayne did not serve in the military in World War II.
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