MANHATTAN DIARY by Richard Lamparski (paperback)
Peggy Lee is Coming! ....................................................... 1
Visited by Truman Capote................................................. 15
Christine Jorgensen's Last Lover ......................................... 31
Ron Alexander of The New York Times ............................. 43
Lynn Bari .......................................................................... 57
Mother God Damn ........................................................... 63
High Tea with Tallulah ...................................................... 83
Hanging Out with Dorothy Parker, Fannie Hurst
and Dagmar Godowsky .............................................. 91
57th Street, East and West ............................................... 113
Halloween with Sammy Kaye .......................................... 125
Tea with Joan Bennett ..................................................... 133
The Greatest Star of Them All! ..................................... 143
Index .............................................................................. 157
ISBN 9781593930547
Badpuppy Magazine
Author of the eleven volume Whatever Became of…? series, interviews and stories with and about the great actors and actresses of yesteryear, Richard Lamparski reveals incredible, but true, heretofore untold stories of some of the stellar stars he has met, some of whom became good friends and others who did not. With other 40 illustrations and fascinating stories, Richard kicks some closet doors wide open, reveals the dirt on others, and praises some of the celebrities any gay person of worth will know about to some degree. If you want an intimate look deep inside Hollywood, told with great skill, humor and empathy, add this wonderful book to your “must-read” list. With chapter titles like “The Queen of Sex,” “The Absolute Worst Story I know,” “A Rainy Afternoon in Beverly Hills,” and “Lassie’s Master,” how could you pass this one by? Hollywood Diary is definitely a keeper!
Movie Memories
Yet another great read has come my way with the newly published Hollywood Diary, Twelve Untold Tales by Richard Lamparski (best known for his excellent series of books entitled Whatever Became of…?). Once I started this fascinating 175 page tome, I just couldn’t put it down, with its untold tales of the likes of Patsy Kelly, Gary Cooper, Robert Taylor, Mae West, Rock Hudson, Zeppo Marx, Pola Negri, Martin Kosleck, Darla Hood (of Our Gang), Richard Cromwell and a most touching story of the casting of Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath – a choice between Jane Darwell and Beulah Bondi, two of Hollywood’s best character actresses ever. There are several “eyebrow lifting” moments here and there, but overall it is always highly entertaining, and illustrated throughout. I highly recommend this book, and can’t wait to read Mr. Lamparski’s companion volume, entitled Manhattan Diary which promises to be another frank and explosive read.
Badpuppy Magazine
Richard Lamparski…has written a wonderful book about his years in Manhattan about the famous and/or notorious people he knew, including yours truly, the publisher of Badpuppy, who he described thusly: “a blonde about my age with rather flashy good looks.” And Richard doesn’t spare himself either, frankly discussing his imprisonment as the result of a “porny” raid on his apartment on the morning of January 28, 1964. Don’t miss the opportunity to own this treasure-trove of stories.