Special Edition Authorized by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., Featuring Rare and Previously Unpublished Archival Materials
In 1921, Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote a novel unlike any other in his entire catalog-a sordid tale of drug addiction, corruption, and murder set against the backdrop of Prohibition-era Hollywood. He believed it to be one of his finest works, written as it was from his own experience after he and his family moved to their Tarzana Ranch in Southern California and became exposed to both the allure and perils of nearby Tinseltown. Now, celebrate the hundredth anniversary of this timeless work in this authorized commemorative Centennial Edition, featuring a new foreword by Michael D. Sellers (author of John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood), a specially commissioned frontispiece by renowned artist Douglas Klauba, classic cover art by P. J. Monahan, and rare and never-before-seen bonus materials from the archives of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., in Tarzana, California.
Many Edgar Rice Burroughs fans don't realize that the widely available Ace Books paperback edition of The Girl from Hollywood published in the 1970s was significantly abridged, with lengthy passages excised throughout. The Girl from Hollywood Centennial Edition restores the complete text of the novel from the original hardcover first edition.
DARK SIDE OF HOLLYWOOD
She is known by the stage name Gaza de Lure, an icon of the silver screen-the epitome of success for every aspiring actress who dreams of becoming a star in Hollywood. No longer is she Shannon Burke, the innocent Midwestern girl who moved to California seeking fame and fortune, for in her heart she holds a dark secret...one so dreadful, so shameful, that she can never hope to escape its grasp. When the Penningtons, a wholesome ranching family from the nearby foothills, come into her orbit, will they too be unable to extract themselves from the inexorable web of Hollywood corruption, drug peddling, addiction-and murder?
The creator of the immortal characters Tarzan of the Apes and John Carter of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs is one of the world's most popular authors. His timeless tales of heroes and heroines transport readers from the jungles of Africa and the dead sea bottoms of Barsoom to the miles-high forests of Amtor and the savage inner world of Pellucidar, and even to alien civilizations beyond the farthest star. Mr. Burroughs' books are estimated to have sold hundreds of millions of copies, and they have spawned 60 films and 250 television episodes.
Michael D. Sellers is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles with more than twenty feature films to his credit as producer, writer, and/or director, including the award-winning Vlad and Eye of the Dolphin. Prior to his film career, he served for eleven years as an undercover CIA officer, serving in Moscow, Warsaw, Ethiopia, and the Philippines. He was awarded the CIA Intelligence Commendation Medal for his actions during a violent coup attempt experienced during one of his assignments. He credits Edgar Rice Burroughs for imparting to him a spirit of adventure, and tolerance for misadventure, that has been a constant theme of his life. In 2012, he wrote John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood, which chronicled the history of ERB's A Princess of Mars from conception through the completion and release of Andrew Stanton's film. Most items on his bucket list have a check mark beside them, but one that remains is to make a documentary film that he would entitle The Life and Mind of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
An award-winning illustrator, Douglas Klauba was born and raised in Chicago, and is a graduate of the American Academy of Art. His paintings have been included in the art annuals of Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, the Society of Illustrators, and Imagine FX magazine. He was Artist Guest of Honor at the 2016 Burroughs Bibliophiles Dum-Dum convention, and he previously provided artwork for the books Tarzan Trilogy, Untamed Pellucidar, and Tarzan and the Valley of Gold published by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
