Böcker av Linda Alexander

One tenant of sociable poker players was "Never trust a man who sandbags (checks and then raises) in a friendly game of cards." The basic premise of Maverick, a professional gambler who wandered the west avoiding trouble and finding himself caught up in life-threatening adventures, was televised for five seasons over ABC-TV, and spawned a number of comic books, collectibles and sequels. ABC was poised to fire its Sunday ammunition against the competing Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen, with heavy bets to the tune of a million dollars placed by the Kaiser Industries Corp. and Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp., its sponsors. The chief asset of the show was its sense of humor. If an adult Western was to be truly adult, it could not take itself too seriously. Rather than kiss the woman and ride off into the sunset, Maverick could be expected to win a bet by kissing his horse and fleeing out of the county by riverboat. Along the way he cleaned up corruption and disruption of law and order in the unsettled old West. The goal was not to compete with other fast-drawing hotshot television Westerns, but rather to differentiate from them. That was the Roy Huggins formula. He created and produced the series, ensuring a refreshing take in an era when television Westerns were a variation-on-a-theme. Huggins wanted to avoid the clichés that populated other television Westerns. This book has been a decade in the making, having consulted very possible avenue including production files. (Yes, that means the episode guide includes the dates of production, filming locations, budgets, and more.) Fans of Maverick will find themselves wanting to re-watch the episodes once again with all the new behind-the-scenes trivia brought to light.

One tenant of sociable poker players was "Never trust a man who sandbags (checks and then raises) in a friendly game of cards." The basic premise of Maverick, a professional gambler who wandered the west avoiding trouble and finding himself caught up in life-threatening adventures, was televised for five seasons over ABC-TV, and spawned a number of comic books, collectibles and sequels. ABC was poised to fire its Sunday ammunition against the competing Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen, with heavy bets to the tune of a million dollars placed by the Kaiser Industries Corp. and Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp., its sponsors. The chief asset of the show was its sense of humor. If an adult Western was to be truly adult, it could not take itself too seriously. Rather than kiss the woman and ride off into the sunset, Maverick could be expected to win a bet by kissing his horse and fleeing out of the county by riverboat. Along the way he cleaned up corruption and disruption of law and order in the unsettled old West. The goal was not to compete with other fast-drawing hotshot television Westerns, but rather to differentiate from them. That was the Roy Huggins formula. He created and produced the series, ensuring a refreshing take in an era when television Westerns were a variation-on-a-theme. Huggins wanted to avoid the clichés that populated other television Westerns. This book has been a decade in the making, having consulted very possible avenue including production files. (Yes, that means the episode guide includes the dates of production, filming locations, budgets, and more.) Fans of Maverick will find themselves wanting to re-watch the episodes once again with all the new behind-the-scenes trivia brought to light.

In 1967, Steve Ihnat was on top of the world in Hollywood, an actor on the precipice of true stardom. He was seen as both a heavy and a leading-man type, an actor who could fit into any role that came his way.He was making excellent money as a guest star on virtually every episodic show on television, seen on the screen most every night. Star Trek, The Virginian, The Outer Limits, and many other shows were already part of his resume. He'd branched off into movies, finding himself up against heavy-hitting superstars. Casting directors rang his phone constantly, and he never wanted for work. He was moving into writing and directing movies, and his personal life was turning the page into a deeper, more meaningful story. He was just beginning to live the life he'd always wanted for himself.Yet so many things can happen in five years! Five years later, Steve Ihnat was dead. He was a man of international mystery, from the country of his birth, Czechoslovakia, to his home country, Canada, to his adopted country, the United States. His existence proved to be one of intrigue, not only in a great many of the roles he played, but in some of the underlying tones of his personal life. This was the late '60s and into the early 1970s. The world was in great turmoil with much change going on. Certain things were happening behind the scenes that would alter the direction of Steve Ihnat's story, one which became a tale not even Steve could have imagined. Not even he could have written such a script if he had been trying to put together a movie with him in the starring role ... and that's exactly what he had been doing.To this day, Steve Ihnat stars in a mystery which continues to develop… The Life and Death of Rising Star Steve Ihnat ~ Gone Too Soon.

In 1967, Steve Ihnat was on top of the world in Hollywood, an actor on the precipice of true stardom. He was seen as both a heavy and a leading-man type, an actor who could fit into any role that came his way. He was making excellent money as a guest star on virtually every episodic show on television, seen on the screen most every night. Star Trek, The Virginian, The Outer Limits, and many other shows were already part of his resume. He'd branched off into movies, finding himself up against heavy-hitting superstars. Casting directors rang his phone constantly, and he never wanted for work. He was moving into writing and directing movies, and his personal life was turning the page into a deeper, more meaningful story. He was just beginning to live the life he'd always wanted for himself. Yet so many things can happen in five years! Five years later, Steve Ihnat was dead. He was a man of international mystery, from the country of his birth, Czechoslovakia, to his home country, Canada, to his adopted country, the United States. His existence proved to be one of intrigue, not only in a great many of the roles he played, but in some of the underlying tones of his personal life. This was the late '60s and into the early 1970s. The world was in great turmoil with much change going on. Certain things were happening behind the scenes that would alter the direction of Steve Ihnat's story, one which became a tale not even Steve could have imagined. Not even he could have written such a script if he had been trying to put together a movie with him in the starring role ... and that's exactly what he had been doing. To this day, Steve Ihnat stars in a mystery which continues to develop… The Life and Death of Rising Star Steve Ihnat ~ Gone Too Soon.

Publicity men dubbed him "The Man with the Perfect Profile," yet the soul behind that silhouette belonged to a renowned yet reluctant witness to American history and Hollywood evolution. The battle between his tinseled image and his true identity broiled into an intriguing transformation of flesh and blood into fable and ballyhoo. Explore his meteoric rise from naive, small-town Nebraska boy to a celluloid heartthrob known around the world. His signature roles include Magnificent Obsession (1935) with Irene Dunn and Camille (1936) with Greta Garbo, and appearances with Vivien Leigh in A Yank at Oxford (1938) and Waterloo Bridge (1940), Bataan (1943), and Ivanhoe (1952) with Elizabeth Taylor. From 1959 to 1962, he starred in the ABC series The Detectives, and he hosted Death Valley Days (1966-1969). Discover his sheltered, almost emasculating childhood, his cursed marriage to Barbara Stanwyck, his blessed marriage to Ursula Thiess, and his discreet but intense love affairs with beauties such as Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, and Yvonne DeCarlo. During World War Two, he served in the United States Naval Air Corps as a flight instructor and as an actor in instructional films. Witness him hesitantly responding to a subpoena in 1947 to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings on Communism in American Films. Observe how he reluctantly ventured into early television yet enjoyed an unexpected, widespread success. Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood, & Communism draws you into the unfolding drama of a cinema icon and an unwilling yet dynamic spectator to the American dream.

Allan Lane has been a mystery almost as long as he's been seen on screen.Some know him as the never officially recognized voice of TV's famous talking horse, Mister Ed. Others remember him as Red Ryder, the comic book Western hero come-to-life at the Saturday afternoon matinee. And even more remember him as Rocky Lane, yet another Western good guy, and a name which became synonymous with his own.Less well-known is that Allan Lane also had an earlier movie career, before he became a fast-riding cowboy. He began in films in 1929, often playing suave and debonair gentlemen that women could not resist. Over the years he worked with such leading ladies as Barbara Stanwyck, Loretta Young, and Joan Fontaine.Then there was Allan Lane the businessman. At a young age he became something of a vagabond, moving from place-to-place, often living on his own in a boarding house. This was how he got his education, and ultimately made his way in the world. Allan Lane owned his own successful photography agency when he was only twenty-four. Years later, when his Hollywood career was fading, he would return to what he knew best...his business background.In I Am Mister Ed... Allan "Rocky" Lane Revealed, Linda Alexander finally exposes the full scope of this enigmatic man and his complicated life.Finalist for The Marfield Prize, aka The National Award for Arts Writing, from the Arts Club of Washington

Robert Taylor was a reluctant, yet active, witness to history-Hollywood's, the country's, his own. He was dubbed "The Man With the Perfect Profile." Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood & Communism goes inside the personality to find the flesh-and-blood man underneath. The actor's meteoric rise was credited to his "pretty boy" looks, an image encouraged by MGM when studios owned their actors and created public personas. This, coupled with the sheltered, almost emasculating childhood he had endured, created in him a survivor who rose above family, the studio system, Barbara Stanwyck, and, as what he considered to be a curse, one of the most beautiful male faces in Hollywood history. The book delves into his marriage to Barbara Stanwyck, as well as usually discreet, but intense, love affairs. Beauties such as Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, and Yvonne DeCarlo fell under his spell. Attention is paid to his second marriage to Ursula Thiess, which brought about his roles as father and husband. Robert Taylor finally found happiness. A reluctant witness to the Second World War and what led up to it, Robert Taylor was a staunch Conservative, subpoenaed before the 1947 House Un-American Activities Committee hearings on Communism in American Films. He enlisted in the Navy. Afterward, he returned to civilian life, Hollywood, and Barbara. He and his wife had changed. He became a reluctant witness to their relationship's deterioration. He watched Hollywood evolve, ultimately becoming the longest-running contract actor in film history. He was a reluctant witness to the dawn of television; initially he wanted none of it. When he realized he had to go along or by the wayside, he gave in. In later years, he was a reluctant witness again to ever-changing winds of politics. Friends and compatriots who shared his ultra-Conservative views wanted him to stand publicly for shared values. They saw him as the right leader to move their state forward. Yet he was reluctant. Robert Taylor's career spanned nearly the entire history of Hollywood, from early days to beyond the fall of the strict studio system. His life was the American dream, from naïve, small-town Nebraska boy to a celluloid heartthrob known around the world. Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood, & Communism tells it all.