Herbie J. Pilato

I am a fan of Elizabeth Montgomery and *was* surprised to read such an uplifting biography. Of the many biographies I've read, Elizabeth Montgomery stands out here among them as a personality who seemed to be genuinely (and unusually) kind, thoughtful and intelligent. She kept her stardom in perspective. There's no doubt about the author's enthusiasm for this beloved actress.

But there are a number of problems with this biography. First, it contains many punctuation errors, a notable number show more of mis-spelled words, and bizzarely concocted, confusing sentences. I can't remember ever reading a book with this many glaring errors before. Can't Taylor Trade afford an editor? Second, although it looks like the author's done a great deal of research, he frequently goes off on unrelated tangents and uses quotes from people who were really inconsequential to Montgomery's life story. Like Ed Asner and Lydia Cornell.

Most disappointing for me: in the final chapter the author begins speculating about "what" caused Montgomery's colon cancer--from "alcoholism" (with miniscule evidence to back this up) to "weight fluctuation" (huh?) to metaphysical reasons (her "personal demons" or her relationship with her father). The author even quotes a hairdresser who suggests that Montgomery "wanted to die young." The author then compares Elizabeth Montgomery to coke-snorting Whitney Houston (!). Isn't it possible that Montgomery was simply predisposed to colon cancer--and her only mistake was denying the possibility that she was ill? Lastly, for a biography that seeks to drive home the difficult relationship Montgomery had with her father, it was not until the final chapter that the author mentions--and it was in passing--that her father, too, had died of cancer fourteen years before her. How is it that during the course of this biography, Elizabeth's reaction to her father's death goes entirely without mention?

Still, I read "Twitch upon a Star" because in my early teens I was mesmerized by the lovely persona that Elizabeth Montgomery emulated on the small screen. I've amazingly never lost the wonder that I felt when seeing her act. I suppose for the fans of Elizabeth Montgomery, Herbie J. Pilato's enthusiastic biography of (and devoted tribute to) Elizabeth Montgomery will have to do for now, with its warts and all. show less

In 1972 a wandering Shaolin monk walked out of the Old West and into the imagination of an entire generation of TV viewers. The weekly Kung Fu series sparked a revolution of interest in Eastern philosophy and martial arts, a revolution that is still going on today through the new hit series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.

The Kung Fu Book of Caine is the complete episode-by-episode guide to America's first mystical Eastern Western. Author Herbie Pilato had unprecendented access to materials show more previously unavailable to the show's millions of fans. He provides in-depth background information, behind he scenes photographs, and summaries of sixty-two weekly shows plus all the Kung Fu TV movies that not only capture the weekly plots but also explore the themes drawn from the Eastern philosophy of Masters Po and Kan. David Carradine, star of this remarkable series, offers his own thoughts on the Kung Fu phenomenon, nearly twenty years later, in the books foreword.

Author Herbie J. Pilato is an actor and songwriter. His previous book is Bewitched, about the popular TV sitcom.

Contents

Foreword by David Carradine
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part One The making of kung fu
Chapter One The appeal of grasshopper
Chapter Two Creations
Chapter Three The Shaolin way
Capter Four Kwai Chang Caine
Chapter Five Masters and other supporting characters
Chapter Six Behind the scenes
Part Two The stories of kung fu
Chapter Seven First season episodes
Chapter Eight Second season episodes
Chapter Nine Third season episodes show less

This book was extremely difficult to read. I don’t know if it was because the author continually jumped around in time instead of telling Montgomery’s story chronologically so it would be easier to follow or providing the sources as part of the text instead of using footnotes which continually distracted me as a reader. The book gives the appearance that the author did a lot of research but there are several incorrect items in the book. On Page 30 of the book he describes James Cagney as show more a conservative when everything I read about Cagney described him as a liberal during the 1930’s and 1940’s – even to the point where Cagney was accused of being a Communist sympathizer. On page 48 the author describes June Lockhart’s best known roles as being in Lost in Space and Petticoat Junction but fails to mention her turn in tv’s Lassie. On page 368 the author indicates that actress Elaine Stritch, like Montgomery, was married to Gig Young which is not true. Stritch and Young had a serious relationship and had planned on getting married but never did. We had several pages of discussion on the politics behind Montgomery’s never winning an Emmy but never a mention of the other deserving folks who also never won including Angela Lansbury, Desi Arnaz, Andy Griffith, and Michael Landon among others. There were also numerous pages devoted to a statue of Montgomery erected by TV Land in Salem, Massachusetts, and you would have thought with all the text devoted to it that there would have been a photo included but there was not. I was disappointed in the book and really found it a chore to get through it. The author was definitely “in love” with Montgomery because you got the impression that she could do nothing wrong. Yes, there were interviews with those who knew and worked with Montgomery but the book was so jumbled that it was impossible to make sense of what was happening when in Montgomery’s life. I ended up forcing myself to read the last 4 or 5 chapters but you should not have to force yourself to read a book if it is well-written. This is not. This book should have been much better and is not worthy of what Montgomery deserves. show less

A collection of 45 short profiles of popular young actresses of the 1950s through the 1970s, from Elinor Donahue and Gale Storm to Goldie Hawn and Mary Tyler Moore to Loni Anderson and Suzanne Summers. Interesting facts about them (like Hawn's start in ballet and go-go dancing), some of the profiles are better than others which is to be expected. Based on personal interviews and a variety of published resources. Author Pilato made good selections, but you'll disagree over some exclusions. show more For me it was Batgirl Yvonne Craig who only rated an honorable mention on the last couple of pages. Definitely worth it for Hollywood fans. show less