Russell Howard: The Good News, Bad News - The Biography

Russell Howard: The Good News, Bad News - The Biography
Author: Abi Smith
Publisher: Kings Road Publishing
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2017-10-05
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1786068524

Good news, Russell Howard fans! It's time to take a butcher's into the mad, rib-tickling, insane yet lovable world of the one of the UK's favourite comedians. Abi Smith heads deep into the West Country to discover how people from as far as Midsomer Norton, Somerset to Minneapolis, USA fell in love with this energetic, mesmerising, boyishly blond Bristolian. How exactly has Russell, the kid who used to sleep with his underpants on his head in an effort to cure his acne, become the geezer who is now headlining shows at the O2 Arena, Wembley and the Royal Albert Hall? How has the timid boy who wouldn't speak at family gatherings because he was too shy become a TV panel-show heavyweight? How has the teen who wore his jeans back-to-front because he thought he looked like a cool rapper become an award-winning stand-up with a string of worldwide sell-out tours to his name? He might describe himself as the 'munter' of all his friends with his wonky teeth and lazy eye, but there is something rather special about this good-natured, good-fun dude whose favourite topics of stand-up quite often include his mother's hilarious antics. One things for sure, he might have been bullied at school, had haircuts from hell and missed out on a career as a footballer but he is certainly having the last laugh now - and we are in the front row laughing out-loud with him.

Mean...Moody...Magnificent!

Mean...Moody...Magnificent!
Author: Christina Rice
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 391
Release: 2021-06-15
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0813181097

By the early 1950s, Jane Russell (1921–2011) should have been forgotten. Her career was launched on what is arguably the most notorious advertising campaign in cinema history, which invited filmgoers to see Howard Hughes's The Outlaw (1943) and to "tussle with Russell." Throughout the 1940s, she was nicknamed the "motionless picture actress" and had only three films in theaters. With such a slow, inauspicious start, most aspiring actresses would have given up or faded away. Instead, Russell carved out a place for herself in Hollywood and became a memorable and enduring star. Christina Rice offers the first biography of the actress and activist perhaps most well-known for her role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Despite the fact that her movie career was stalled for nearly a decade, Russell's filmography is respectable. She worked with some of Hollywood's most talented directors—including Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh, Nicholas Ray, and Josef von Sternberg—and held her own alongside costars such as Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum, Clark Gable, Vincent Price, and Bob Hope. She also learned how to fight back against Howard Hughes, her boss for more than thirty-five years, and his marketing campaigns that exploited her physical appearance. Beyond the screen, Rice reveals Russell as a complex and confident woman. She explores the star's years as a spokeswoman for Playtex as well as her deep faith and work as a Christian vocalist. Rice also discusses Russell's leadership and patronage of the WAIF foundation, which for many years served as the fundraising arm of the International Social Service (ISS) agency. WAIF raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, successfully lobbied Congress to change laws, and resulted in the adoption of tens of thousands of orphaned children. For Russell, the work she did to help unite families overshadowed any of her onscreen achievements. On the surface, Jane Russell seemed to live a charmed life, but Rice illuminates her darker moments and her personal struggles, including her empowered reactions to the controversies surrounding her films and her feelings about being portrayed as a sex symbol. This stunning first biography offers a fresh perspective on a star whose legacy endures not simply because she forged a notable film career, but also because she effectively used her celebrity to benefit others.

Capsules

Capsules
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 1316
Release: 1973
Genre: Education, Higher
ISBN:

The Times Book of Quotations

The Times Book of Quotations
Author:
Publisher: HarperCollins (UK)
Total Pages: 808
Release: 2000
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN:

Collects quotes by individuals from Hank Aaron to Emile Zola covering subjects including cats, intelligence, envy, Switzerland, and prophecy.

Life

Life
Author: Henry Robinson Luce
Publisher:
Total Pages: 40
Release: 1969
Genre: Current events
ISBN: