{"title":"James Robert Parish","description":"\u003cp\u003eJAMES ROBERT PARISH is an American author, entertainment historian, and biographer, and the author of more than one hundred books on show business and Hollywood celebrities. His recent books include \u003cem\u003eFiasco: A History of Hollywood’s Iconic Flops\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Hollywood Book of Extravagance\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eIt’s Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eParish holds a degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is a former entertainment reporter for \u003cem\u003eVariety\u003c\/em\u003e. He has also worked as a publicist, book series editor, and lawyer in New York, and appears frequently as an on-camera expert on A\u0026amp;E’s Biography and E! Television’s True Hollywood Stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJames lives in Studio City, California.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJames Robert Parish’s books are published by Trade Paper Press, an imprint of Turner Publishing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrowse more: \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/books-new-releases\"\u003eNew Releases\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/award-winning-books\"\u003eAward-Winning Books\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-hollywood-book-of-extravagance","title":"The Hollywood Book of Extravagance: The Totally Infamous, Mostly Disastrous, and Always Compelling Excesses of America's Film and TV Idols","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSavor the inside scoop on over-the-top superstars\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I'm not a paranoid, deranged millionaire. . . . I'm a billionaire!\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Acting is an empty and useless profession.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere else.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"I'm interested in being provocative and pushing people's buttons.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhich screen icons gave us the quotes above? How do stars get away with self-indulgent, unrestrained behaviors-or do they? In \u003cem\u003eThe Hollywood Book of Extravagance,\u003c\/em\u003e longtime industry insider and Hollywood historian James Robert Parish gives you a provocative look behind the scenes at the lavish indulgences and larger-than-life egos of Tinseltown's rich and famous. The featured celebrities range from heartthrobs to industry tycoons, and from yesterday's matinee idols to today's hottest celebs. The stars are grouped according to their excesses: ego, neurosis, partying, power, rich living, and romancing. You'll devour little-known details on the excesses and exploits of notables ranging from Mae West to Madonna, Greta Garbo to Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando, Bela Lugosi to John Belushi, Zsa Zsa Gabor to Paris Hilton, Errol Flynn to Jude Law, and many more.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0470052058\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9780470052051\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"James Robert Parish","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43185547608280,"sku":"9780470052051","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/9780470052051_FChigh_mockup_v2_1660747639_fde6bae6-71ea-4922-85ee-3463717ba80b.jpg?v=1790988917"},{"product_id":"fiasco","title":"Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Hollywood insider answers, once and for all,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethe eternal question: “How in the world did\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethat picture ever get made?”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eOne thing we movie lovers enjoy almost as much as fireworks on the silver screen is watching a movie go up in flames.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eAnd while each season brings its fresh batch of stinkers, it takes years and a rare confluence of forces to give birth to an “Iconic Flop” like\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eShowgirls.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eWhile movies such as\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eGigli\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eare just plain dumb, a bunker-buster like\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBattlefield Earth\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003ecan be absolutely dumbfounding in its big-budget awfulness.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eIn\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eFiasco,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003elongtime industry insider and acclaimed Hollywood historian James Robert Parish goes behind the scenes to tell the stories of fifteen of the most spectacular megaflops of the past fifty years. No mere financial disappointments these, each of the artistic and financial failures covered was of a magnitude to bankrupt studios, demolish reputations, and, in some cases, totally reconfigure the Hollywood power structure.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eWith verve and no small measure of edgy wit, Parish dishes up the gossip, the grosses, and the egregious battles connected with these disasters. He recounts, in every gory detail, how enormous hubris, unbridled ambition, artistic hauteur, and bad business sense on the parts of Tinsel Town wheeler-dealers and superstars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Sam Spiegel, Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood, Robert Evans, Francis Ford Coppola, Madonna, Kevin Costner, and Warren Beatty conspired to engender some of the worst films ever. And he vividly recreates the behind-the-scenes melodramas connected with the making of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eCleopatra, Paint Your Wagon, Popeye, The Cotton Club, Shanghai Surprise, Ishtar, Waterworld, Town \u0026amp; Country,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand other unforgettable Hollywood megaflops of the past fifty years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e“\u003ci\u003eFiasco\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a know-it-all backstory of infamous film flops, wittily reminding us how often, and in so many ways, Hollywood can screw up the best laid plans.” \u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Patrick McGilligan, author of \u003ci\u003eAlfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0470098295\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9780470098295\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"James Robert Parish","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43185548230872,"sku":"9780470098295","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43212193497304,"sku":"9780471691594","price":42.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/Fiasco_FC_mockup_v2_1660755562_6b7420f5-cb55-4d8c-9e8f-af7a7456b0e4.jpg?v=1790988465"},{"product_id":"its-good-to-be-the-king","title":"It's Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eThis book traces the extraordinary life and career of Mel Brooks, who has ridden a wave of show business success perhaps unsurpassed by anyone of his generation. Offering many insights into the wacky world of Brooks and his many collaborators, as well as an intimate look into his successful marriage to the brilliant and beautiful actress Anne Bancroft, \u003ci\u003eIt's Good to Be the King\u003c\/i\u003e might just be the most delightful, engaging, and entertaining biography you'll ever read.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0470225262\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9780470225264\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"James Robert Parish","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43185551999192,"sku":"9780470225264","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43185552031960,"sku":"9781630261214","price":31.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/9780470225264_FChigh_mockup_v2_1740153273_55e974a6-844d-4b89-b031-08bbc33dcb5f.jpg?v=1791982818"},{"product_id":"the-hollywood-book-of-breakups","title":"The Hollywood Book of Breakups","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\"Half of all marriages end in divorce--and then there are the really unhappy ones.\"\u003cbr\u003e--Joan Rivers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDo you suppose that the person who first said \"Life is stranger than fiction\" might have had Hollywood marriages in mind? Why watch a romantic film starring a leading man and a leading lady when their real-life romances are so much more interesting? It seems that a celebrity's latest film can have a considerably longer life span in the theater than their marriage du jour.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne would almost think that Tinseltown has come to embrace divorce as an accepted pastime. Some celebrities have seemingly collected spouses over the years, systematically adding notches in their belts of divorces. Cases in point: Zsa Zsa Gabor (nine), Lana Turner (eight), Elizabeth Taylor (nine), and Mickey Rooney (eight). This list appears to make Jennifer Lopez a mere novice with only three marriages, two divorces, and one terminated engagement to date.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Hollywood Book of Breakups\u003c\/em\u003e, James Robert Parish looks at scores of hot Hollywood romances that eventually fell apart. From the decade-long union of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman to the \"just-for-show\" nuptials of Rock Hudson and Phyllis Gates to the four-and-a-half-year marriage of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston to the \"other woman\" divorce of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Parish covers it all--from the burning embers to the fizzling fires of Hollywood breakups. You couldn't make this stuff up--and James Robert Parish doesn't need to. Hollywood writes its own drama when it comes to scandalous breakups.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0471752681\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9780471752684\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"James Robert Parish","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43212304908504,"sku":"9780471752684","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43212304941272,"sku":"9781630262082","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/9780471752684_FC_mockup_v2_1740153421_a7d1e98e-1716-4575-927e-9109bff98834.jpg?v=1790998413"}],"url":"https:\/\/turnerpublishing.com\/collections\/author-james-robert-parish.oembed","provider":"Turner Publishing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}