Foxy Lady: The Authorized Biography of Lynn Bari by Jeff Gordon (2010) | Book Review

Foxy Lady: The Authorized Biography of Lynn Bari by Jeff Gordon
Genres: Biography, Non-Fiction
Original Publication Date: 2010
Source: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Find the Author: Website, Goodreads, Amazon

Foxy Lady:The Authorized Biography of Lynn Bari is based on author Jeff Gordon’s extensive conversations with Bari, a warm and highly intelligent woman with a delicious sense of humor and the gift of total recall. Gordon’s research also involved interviews with dozens of Lynn’s friends, family members and professional associates, including Anthony Quinn, Alice Faye, Claire Trevor, Roddy McDowall, and George Montgomery.

Foxy Lady: The Authorized Biography of Lynn Bari tells the story of a beautiful movie star.

Lynn Bari was a beautiful, underrated actress of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She made many films and became a reliable star at Twentieth Century Fox.

However, she never really became a top-rank star, despite being intelligent, beautiful with a statuesque figure, and adept at both comedy and drama.

Lynn Bari was the Queen of “B” Films

She was known as the “Queen of B Films,” a title she despised. When she did an A film, she typically played “the other woman.”

But she had a sense of humor about it: “I’d go from one set to another, shooting people and stealing husbands.” This sense of humor made her popular on her home lot of Twentieth Century Fox.

Here are 10 Things You Should Know About Lynn Bari:

There was a film of hers that I loved as a child and it’s now on YouTube!

Home Sweet Homicide

Final Analysis

Jeff Gordon has written a thoroughly researched biography of Lynn Bari in this book.

Gordon analyzes why Bari never became the star big star she should have been: problems with her home life.

Lynn was saddled with an alcoholic mother and her father’s apparent suicide, She also made terrible choices of romantic partners.

One of the main reasons that this book is so well-done is that the author actually interviewed Bari numerous times for the book.

He was also able to interview several of her friends and relatives to piece together Lynn’s life. He worked to find out the true story of what happened to her.

This access to Bari and other people who knew her is invaluable. The author is also sympathetic and understanding towards his subject and the book is well-written, with many beautiful photos!

I highly recommend this book to other fans of Lynn Bari, and fans of The Golden Age of Hollywood.

Further Reading

Ann Harding: Cinema’s Gallant Lady by Scott O’Brien | Book Review

Dangerous Curves Atop Hollywood Heels: The Lives, Careers, and Misfortunes of 14 Hard-Luck Girls of the Silent Screen by Michael G. Ankerich | Book Review

Don Ameche: The Kenosha Comeback Kid by Ben Ohmart | Book Review

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story by John O’Dowd | Book Review

Every Sunday (1936) | Film

When You Grow Up (1973) | Film

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