Ethel Merman: The Biggest Star on Broadway - Hardcover

Mark, Geoffrey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1569802939 ISBN 13: 9781569802939

Publisher: Barricade Books, 2005

Synopsis

For nearly three decades Ethel Merman virtually guranteed Broadway success. This in-depth portrait details her career, marriages, affairs, and her children. It includes a complete glossary of all of Merman's appearances.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Ethel Merman is the one name most associated with the Broadway musical. She easily ranks as the Biggest Star on Broadway. Lusty, lively and lavish, Merman had a magnetic personality that caused audienced to be riveted on her. Ethel Merman: the Biggest Star on Broadway tells the story of a fabulous star; a woman who made it to the top of her profession at a time when most women were home taking care of their families. Merman's life and career is a microcosm of the history of show business. With a voice that rang like a church bell and a talent for timing that the best comedians of her day envied, Ethel was a star all the way. She knew and worked with the great names emblazoned in the entertainment pantheon: These included Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim, Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Jimmy Durante, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Tallulah Bankhead, Mar Martin, Bert Lahr, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, Barbra Streisand, and Johnny Carson. While singing her way to superstardom, Ethel Merman suffered the humiliation of an illicit affair with a famous married man, four disastrous marriages, and the loss of loved ones to drug overdose and murder. Not only does this book tell never before told details of her tempestuous and brief marriage to Ernest Borgnine and the death of her daughter, it allows the reader to go inside the mind of one of the true pioneers of modern show business. Whether starring in fifteen legendary Broadway musicals and more than a dozen motion pictures, or making hundreds of radio and television appearances, Ethel Merman was always fearless and focused. She introduced Cole Porter's "You're the Top" and, indeed, she was the top.

About the Author:

Geoffrey Mark is a walking encyclopedia of show business history. Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised all over the country, Mr. Mark has worked as an actor, singer, stand-up comedian, radio host, and Grammy nominated writer. He writes and produces documentaries and reality shows for cable television. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

About this edition

• Publisher: Barricade Books
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1569802939
• ISBN 13: 9781569802939
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288