Starstruck
My Unlikely Road to Hollywood
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Narrated by:
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Leonard Maltin
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By:
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Leonard Maltin
About this listen
Hollywood historian and film reviewer Leonard Maltin invites listeners to pull up a chair as he tells stories, many of them hilarious, from 50-plus years of interacting with legendary movie stars, writers, directors, producers, and cartoonists.
Maltin grew up in the first decade of television, immersing himself in TV programs and the 1930s and ’40s movies hitting the small screen. His fan letters to admired performers led to unexpected correspondences, then to interviews and the publication of his own fan magazine. Maltin’s career as a freelance writer and New York Times best-selling author, as well as his 30-year run on Entertainment Tonight, gave him access to Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Sean Connery, Shirley Temple, and Jimmy Stewart, among hundreds of other Golden Age stars, his interviews cutting through the Hollywood veneer and revealing the human behind each legend.
Starstruck also offers a fascinating glimpse inside the Disney empire, and Maltin’s tenure teaching USC’s popular film course reveals insights into moviemaking along with access to past, current, and future stars of film, such as George Lucas, Kevin Feige, Quentin Tarantino, and Guillermo del Toro.
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Story
When Barbara Walters launched The View, network executives told her that hosting it would tarnish her reputation. Instead, within 10 years, she’d revolutionized morning TV and made household names of her cohosts: Joy Behar, Star Jones, Meredith Vieira, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. But the daily chat fest didn’t just comment on the news. It became the news. And the headlines barely scratched the surface. Based on unprecedented access, award-winning journalist Ramin Setoodeh takes you backstage where the stars really spoke their minds.
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Please never let this author narrate again! Ever!
- By Sean McCormack on 04-05-19
By: Ramin Setoodeh
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You Might Remember Me
- The Life and Times of Phil Hartman
- By: Mike Thomas
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Both joyous tribute and serious biography, Mike Thomas' You Might Remember Me is a celebration of Phil Hartman's multi-faceted career and an exhaustively reported, warts-and-all examination of his often intriguing and sometimes complicated life - a powerful, humor-filled and disquieting portrait of a man who was loved by many, admired by millions and taken from them far too early.
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I Will Remember You Phil Hartman
- By Roxanna on 12-19-14
By: Mike Thomas
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Is Wrestling Fixed?
- I Didn't Know It Was Broken!
- By: Bill Apter
- Narrated by: Bill Apter
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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As a kid growing up in New York in the late '50s, Bill Apter fell in love with professional wrestling, and it wasn't long before he was rubbing shoulders with the greats as a young reporter and photographer. He's since become the world's best-known wrestling magazine personality, and he's had professional and personal relationships with a who's who of the business, like Triple H, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Sting, and Ric Flair.
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I am certain there is an audience out there somewhere...
- By wally on 08-21-16
By: Bill Apter
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Something Wonderful
- Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution
- By: Todd S. Purdum
- Narrated by: Todd S. Purdum
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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They stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play.
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Fabulous book about Rodgers & Hammerstein!!!
- By BigWally on 06-27-18
By: Todd S. Purdum
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I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!
- By: Tom Bergeron
- Narrated by: Tom Bergeron
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!, Tom elaborates on the process by which he is able to sit calmly and patiently, without being distracted, at any time, no matter how hectic, as well as respond quickly (and hilariously) when Marie Osmond faints at his feet on live TV. Haven't seen it? Check it out on YouTube. The man is always in control.
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A wonderful "read"
- By Chrys on 04-29-09
By: Tom Bergeron
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Without Lying Down
- By: Cari Beauchamp
- Narrated by: Holly Palance
- Length: 20 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Cari Beauchamp masterfully combines biography with social and cultural history to examine the lives of Frances Marion and her many female colleagues who shaped filmmaking from the early teens through the 1940s. Frances Marion was Hollywood's highest paid screenwriter - male or female - for almost three decades, wrote almost 200 produced films and remains the only woman to win two Academy Awards for original screenwriting (The Big House and The Champ).
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A Must Read
- By Robert Wallace on 03-19-19
By: Cari Beauchamp
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High Society
- The Life of Grace Kelly
- By: Donald Spoto
- Narrated by: George K Wilson
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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In just seven years---from 1950 through 1956---Grace Kelly embarked on a whirlwind career that included roles in 11 movies. From the principled Amy Fowler Kane in High Noon to the thrill-seeking Frances Stevens of To Catch a Thief, Grace established herself as one of Hollywood's most talented actresses and iconic beauties.
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Find a better Grace Kelly biography, I'd skip this
- By Daniel on 08-20-12
By: Donald Spoto
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Seven Dirty Words
- The Life and Crimes of George Carlin
- By: James Sullivan
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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In Seven Dirty Words, journalist and cultural critic James Sullivan tells the story of Alternative America from the 1950s to the present, from the singular vantage point of George Carlin, the Catholic boy for whom nothing was sacred.
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Carlin's CV with no Depth or Insight
- By Dubi on 01-23-14
By: James Sullivan
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Nevertheless
- A Memoir
- By: Alec Baldwin
- Narrated by: Alec Baldwin
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the most accomplished and outspoken actors today chronicles the highs and lows of his life in this beautifully written, candid memoir.
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Embarrassingly petty
- By Stacey Robinson on 09-20-18
By: Alec Baldwin
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Orson Welles's Last Movie
- The Making of The Other Side of the Wind
- By: Josh Karp
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 1970, legendary but self-destructive director Orson Welles returned to Hollywood from years of self-imposed exile in Europe and decided it was time to make a comeback movie. It was about a legendary self-destructive director who returns to Hollywood from years of self-imposed exile in Europe. Welles swore it wasn't autobiographical.
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Engaging and human portrait of Welles
- By TrevorTrujillo on 06-20-20
By: Josh Karp
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Unsinkable
- A Memoir
- By: Debbie Reynolds, Dorian Hannaway
- Narrated by: Debbie Reynolds
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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The definitive memoir by legendary actress and performer Debbie Reynolds - an entertaining and moving story of enduring friendships and unbreakable family bonds, of hitting bottom and rising to the top again - that offers a unique and deeply personal perspective on Hollywood and its elite, from the glory days of MGM to the present.
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Loved Loved loved IT!
- By Virginia on 12-07-17
By: Debbie Reynolds, and others
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I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else
- My Life on the Street, on the Stage, and in the Movies
- By: Danny Aiello, Gil Reavill
- Narrated by: Danny Aiello
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Beloved stage and screen actor Danny Aiello’s big-hearted memoir reveals a man of passion, integrity, and guts - and lays bare one of the most unlikely success stories ever told. Danny Aiello admits that he backed into his acting career by mistake. That’s easy to see when you begin at the beginning: Raised by his loving and fiercely resilient mother in the tenements of Manhattan and the South Bronx, and forever haunted by the death of his infant brother, Danny struggled early on to define who he was and who he could be.
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I want to give Danny Aiello a big hug.
- By Mari K. on 01-22-15
By: Danny Aiello, and others
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Dangerously Funny
- The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'
- By: David Bianculli
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Decades before The Daily Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour proved there was a place on television for no-holds-barred political comedy with a decidedly antiauthoritarian point of view. In this explosive, revealing history of the show, veteran entertainment journalist David Bianculli tells the fascinating story of its three-year network run---and the cultural impact that's still being felt today.
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Poor narration
- By Jane on 01-20-11
By: David Bianculli
What listeners say about Starstruck
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Katherine
- 01-21-22
Fantastic!
Absolutely fantastic! Maltin's stories are captivating and his performance takes you where he goes. 10/10!
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- Marc J
- 06-10-22
Too rose colored
Was hoping to get into the weeds on the film business but instead it was a lot more of how charmed his life has been made by the film business. Wish there was more meat and less gushing.
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- David
- 11-05-22
amazing
A great audio book by a great film critic I have admired for many years
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- AlexBenBlock
- 02-11-22
Leonard Maltin is a treasure that he shares in this book
You may know him from :0 years on Entertainment Tonight or from his excellent guides to movies and wonderful boos on animation, radio , jazz, Disney and much more. For the first time in this autobiographical book he shows that he is much more as a critic , historian, celebrity interviewer and as a person or in the Jewish parlance, a real mensch. He shares his own improbable rise and with warmth and wit insightful stories about numerous stars from Brad Pitt to Jimmy Stewart to Buster Keaton and many others. He is nice but still honest and a lovely storyteller. For movie lovers of all ages this is a treasure chest filled with memories of himself, his loving family and friends and most importantly the stars and artists who have delighted movie lovers for generations.
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- Eric Kurland
- 02-16-22
Thoroughly Entertaining!
So wonderful to hear all of these Hollywood stories directly from the author, Leonard Maltin. What a fantastic journey through the life of a true film fan and historian.
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- Tachajoba
- 12-26-22
A nice trip down old school memory lane
If you’re a fan of old hollywood or TCM channels then you’re going to enjoy this book
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- TrevorTrujillo
- 03-23-23
Star
An old saying goes "never meet your heroes."
Leonard Maltin didn't get the memo.
Maltin's STARSTRUCK is equal parts autobiography and a collection of meet cute stories. (Okay, they're not ALL meet cutes, I just like the term. BTW, did you know that Burt Reynolds had one-sided beef with Leonard? He did! Sometimes. Occasionally.)
This new book from the prolific film critic, preservation advocate, and historian made me realize that he truly is just a regular fan who works really hard, knows his stuff, and has had a pretty visible career that puts him in the orbit of Hollywood's elite.
Hearing his stories about meeting film professionals he admired, and geeking out about those experiences, was so much fun to read. Especially since I've had the chance to meet Leonard myself, I too have a fun story about it, and I geek out about it to anyone who will let me.
Leonard also avoids being a rumor mill tattle reporter, and avoids spilling gossip and scandal. You can almost hear his reassuring voice saying from the page "yeah, there was scandal, but this isn't that story."
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- The Book Fairy
- 02-07-24
Overall...
Overall, this is okay. I know Leonard through his work with Disney. I loved reading his anecdotes on some of my favorites like: Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Barbara Stanwyck and Bette Davis. The last half is better. Some of his early chapters can get better and at time it reads like a newspaper column which is understandable given Matlin's experience. But I did enjoy reading about his teaching at USC and interviews he's conducted with some real heavy hitters.
At the same time, I wanted more! Could this book have a second volume? I think yes! Leonard Matlin is clearly a well of so many Hollywood stories with the best that ever walked earth and graced the Silver Screen!
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