David Wallace (6)

Capital of the World is a romp through the crazy decade before it all came crashing down.

Wallace’s book is a survey, not a deep dive, into the key people and moments of the decade. It’s all here: Mobsters, jazz, Prohibition, Harlem, the Algonquin Round Table, and more.

One complaint: Somewhere in here, twice, he misspells “expatriate” as “ex-patriot.” Egad. Worse still, it’s right later in the book. Needs a better editor!

This book will whet your appetite, but it won’t fill you up.

More reviews at my WordPress site, Ralphsbooks.… (plus d'informations)

Most tourists who travel to Los Angeles miss one of the basic joys of living in the Land of the Locusts; the walking of streets laden with mansions from bygone stars. These homes are hidden behind barricades of bougainvillea and palms, but you can hear them before you see them because of the omnipresent water fountains. For those who want the easy route, this book is a gorgeous alternative to putting one foot in front of the other.

David Wallace would have to triple the size of the book if he chose every single house or apartment complex with a cinematic history, so he focuses on homes from the Silent Era and the Talking Thirties. For instance, if you're a Cary Grant fan, you get to see his first main home in Los Feliz (which was back on the market not too long ago) and his beach house in Santa Monica. Each house has a full story description, including the architect, original owner, and associated star(s). Did you know that most of the Silent Era stars didn't own their own homes? They actually rented, perhaps not the brightest objective given their future, or abruptly un-tethered future, in the industry.

So when you come to La-La Land, do me a favour. Get out of the car. Get out of the bus. Just get out and put some walking shoes on. You're missing more than you know.

Book Season = Summer (wear a hat)… (plus d'informations)

Oh my dear sweet goddesses. ANOTHER gossipy tell-not-so-much entry in the evergreen (apparently) "Was THAT ONE queer, too?" celebrity book genre.

I don't really care that much who is/was/will be disporting him/erself in what fashion, or with whom. I don't like the idea of invading someone's privacy, unless they've asked me to (eg, porn, magazine interview). So why did I procure this little marvy? Because it was a buck.

It's not poorly written, for the genre. It's not awful, it's not wonderful, it's just...dreary. Some of the celebrities Wallace profiles need defining for audiences younger than Wallace, so he does...which ends up making me feel older than dirt. (I mean, Tab Hunter? Janet Gaynor? Y'all've never heard of THEM?!)

What I hoped for when I got the book was a spiced-up treatment of Palm Springs's social changes and what they mean to GLBTQs of all ages. What I got was a dulled-down version of a smutty tell-all.

Recommend it? To whom? And why?… (plus d'informations)