Bidding a Fond Farewell to November – the Month of Ann Dvorak
Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 335
I have to admit I am rather sad to see November come to an end. Sure, my three-year-old is beside herself that it’s finally December with Christmas around the corner, which is almost as exciting for me. However, November 2013 was one of my most memorable and I think can appropriately be called the “Month of Ann Dvorak.”
I had dreamed of having an Ann Dvorak biography published for years, and its release on November 4th exceeded all my expectations. I was treated to positive reviews by five film bloggers and one online magazine, a fabulous mention by old school columnist Liz Smith who likened Ann to Gloria Swanson, a radio interview with yours truly about writing the book on the subway, along with a discussion at the Silver Screen Oasis. The official launch party was an overwhelming success with more people in attendance than the fire marshall would have liked, and the first Ann Dvorak book talk was well received.
As if all of the above weren’t enough, I was also fortunate enough to have Ann Dvorak: Hollywood’s Forgotten Rebel selected for the Turner Classic Movies Book Corner. Throughout the month I heard from countless people who saw the promo run on the station and the spoiled brat in me is sad that as of today, it will no longer be running.
Finally, I have heard some wonderful feedback from the Dvorak faithful on this site, for which I cannot adequately express my appreciation. But don’t worry, there’s more Ann Dvorak coming down the pipeline as we head into December and round out the Year of Ann Dvorak.
I’ll fondly remember the Thanksgiving weekend of the “Year of Ann Dvorak”, the couple of days devoted to all things Ann D (as mama called her). I wrapped up the reading of the bio with a viewing of “Molly Louvain”, longing to see our gal at the piano singing “Penthouse Serenade”.
I always say that the next best thing to watching old movies is reading the backstories of their making, and finding out more about the actors/actresses/directors involved. Lesser known figures like Ann I assume will remain mostly a mystery, thus my (and other fans) gratitude that someone undertakes the task of uncovering their life story.
Ann truly had a remarkable life; those early adult years & the wartime experiences in particular. We’ll never truly know the whys behind the decisions that she made, but you provided the background for us to draw our conclusions. I did cringe a little reading about that last quarter century of her life; it seems out of character with what came before.
Thanks again to you for your decade plus work and the UK Press for publishing this niche, though important document.
I wonder what Ann would have said if late in her life someone told her that in the next century she would be the subject of a well researched biography and a tv cable channel would devote an entire day to her films. I would think she’d be thrilled, but preferred that the “Historical Digest” would have become a standard textbook for college history classes.
Mike, Thank you so much for plowing through the book so quickly and for your kind words. Writing those last few chapters was very difficult because it was such an unpleasant time and she seemed so beaten down and defeated. I really wanted to write an alternate reality for Ann where she married a college professor, became submerged in the world of academia, and revolutionized class instruction with Historical Digest. I think Ann would have been happy with the renewed interest, but still resentful of my meddling.
Fortunately, there seems to be more and more authors undertaking the stories of the lesser known actors. And while I am not sure it’s something I am willing to do a second time, I am glad I was able to make a small contribution to this area of film scholarship. It makes me very happy to know others feel the same way.
Not that it hasn’t been for quite some time, but thank you for, again, whetting my appetite for when I get my copy of “AD:HFR”, Mike.
Like you, I, too, have found that reading the backstories of the motion pictures I do so love from the 1930’s and 1940’s is almost as pleasurable as watching them.
You see these different actors and actresses show up in many different films and the intimacy of the medium makes you feel like you kind of get to know them. But, of course, you can’t, or don’t. But you have that curiosity about them, nonetheless. You have dozens of questions — ‘I wonder how _____ got this part? … ‘I wonder what _____ thought about her/his co-star?’ … ‘I heard such and such was going on in _____’s life at around the time he/she appeared in this film. Did it have an effect on their performance?’ Sometimes even the smallest, seemingly insignificant, kernel of information about one of them can flesh them out.
My abiding fascination and love for the period of movie-making that AD played a part in is shared by countless others. I’m completely confident that, if The Year of Ann Dvorak is any indication, “AD:HFR” will not only inform the potential reader about not only the subject herself, but the times she lived in and the industry she was a part of, but, more than likely, pique their curiosity to know more. In short, I can’t wait to dive in myself.
Allow me to say that, by always having your heart on your sleeve, the ride you have taken us on here, Christina — from nervous anticipation to undisguised excitement, giddiness and pride — is quite endearing. You made it easy to root for you.
Well, gee Scott – those last couple of lines got the water works going over here.
Thanks again for sticking around here the last few months. I hope the book lives up to those expectations!
And I failed to mention in my above post that Christina has a fluid, graceful writing style that made the reading all the more enjoyable. Reminded me some of the clean, nonshowy, reportorial stylings of favorite fictional crime novelist Michael Connolly. And her research skills (being a librarian certainly helped) superb. That is why I hope she tackles another deserving subject in the future.
Thanks Mike! I knew the research and subject matter was there, but one of my biggest fears was causing Ann’s story to be boring through the writing which I have seen on occasion in other bios.