Curtain

by Michael Korda

Book Overview

Their passion is legend in the 1940's, but the undisputed master of the theater and the darling of Hollywood also hide dark secrets--his scandalous involvement with an actor, and her tragic plunge... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B00005VQYG
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Summit Books
• Length: 378 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Theatre and sex

For lovers of classical theatre, Shakespeare and old fashione movie stars in the tradition of Hollywood in the 40's, this is the book for you! While most readers will have undoubtedly read another of Michael Korda's books, Queenie, which was the thinly veiled story of Merle Oberon, "Curtain" follows in the same style with, this time, thinly veiled allusions to Lawrence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, in this book, called Robert Vane and Felicia Lisle. The story begins in Hollywood, where following Leigh's Oscar winning performance in "Gone with the Wind", the two lovers are appearing together in a financially disastrous tour of the US, in a series of Shakespeare's plays. The first sign of Felicia's mental fragility appears when she has a nervous breakdown, is hospitalised in a private sanitarium and the bills have to be paid by their agent, Hollywood sleaze, Marty Quick. This puts them in his debt for years and even after the start of WW2 when they have returned to London, he follows them to show his complete control over what they can perform. It's a very sexy book , peopled by over the top characters in whom the readers will totally believe (and perhaps even recognise). If you love movies and their stars, if you love Shakespeare and the stage and love being able to pick out thinly disguised, well known people, you'll adore this book.