Forgotten Movie Stars of the 30's, 40's, and 50's: classic films, old movie stars, classic movies, motion pictures, Hollywood

Gary Koca, a fan of classic movies of the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s, has written a book celebrating the stars of movies of this era that, which stars he considers to have been forgotten. Of course, these actors and actresses have not been forgotten by others of us who are also fans of movies of these three decades, so this book serves as a lovely reminder of the roles they played in cinema of this important era and the roles they placed in the movies he features from their respective careers. Just consider the six stars Koca pictures on the cover of his book and recall the memorable films they made. The six are Marlene Dietrich, Glenn Ford, Myrna Loy, Ray Milland, Lizabeth Scott, and Gene Tierney. Just recall a single remarkable film each made from this period, including in order, Witness for the Prosecution, Gilda, The Thin Man, The Lost Weekend, Too Late for Tears, and Laura. These six stars are among a total of 25 that are featured in this highly recommendable book. If you have an interest in this period of cinematic history and a regular watcher of Turner Classic Movies and know someone else who shares this interest, then examine the list of names in the Table of Contents and see who, you or your companion, can name a memorable film made by each of these 25 actors and actresses. Try for example Robert Taylor, Dana Andrews, Barbara Stanwyck, John Garfield, Susan Hayward, Ronald Coleman, Tyrone Power, Jean Arthur, or Randolph Scott. Whoever wins the contest pays for dinner at a nice restaurant. Then, for another trip down memory lane, try to name a movie in which two of the listees starred together. For example, what about Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich in Witness for the Prosecution or Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney in Laura. Lots of these sorts of games can be made up and played by people who are fans of the movies made during the period of 1930–1959. Each of the sections on these 25 stars features a short biography, a listing of Koch’s favorite films he or she made, and a discussion of those films. Each of these film treatments includes notes of interest about them and occasional forays to discuss also-forgotten co-stars. The text is composed in a rather folksy manner, with insights into the author’s life and interests (e.g., he is a fan of the Chicago Cubs). In summary, I recommend this book for folks like myself who are devotees of films from the Golden Era of Hollywood.

I love most of the stars in this book. The ones that don't love I have to admit I had forgotten about them or didn't see very many of their movies. Mostly it was just fun to read about Mr. Koca's favorite actors and actresses and why. The one thing that bothered me is the repeat of information for the same movie, but for a different person. But, I just skimmed over those repeats.. otherwise it was nice to see the forgotten stars again.

Five stars and two thumbs up for Forgotten Movie Stars of the 30's, 40's and 50's. In this trip down memory lane, the author takes us on a personal journey of remembrance of forgotten movie stars during a time period that Tom Brokaw later described as "Our Greatest Generation" and others would say includes us baby boomers as well. Using a unique set of personal criteria to select the top 25, thirteen men and twelve women, it was no easy feat. Yet I have to agree that each individual selected evokes special memories from my past and I am sure will evoke spirited debate from other readers about the inclusion or exclusion of names of their personal favorites from this list as well.What I especially liked was the emphasis on some of the lesser known, but still nonetheless outstanding actors and actresses of the time, rather than just concentrating on the most well- known stars of the era. What this book does best is provide linkages equivalent to a "mind-map", linking the Zeitgeist (spirit of the time) with the political undercurrents and personality strengths and weaknesses of each individual mentioned. The author's personal insights and humorous side comments kept the reading entertaining throughout.Overall, I found this book to be informative, entertaining, and humorous. It evokes sentimental memories of the best kind and brings a portion of the Golden Age of movies a new dimension that is pure platinum with its well-documented format, memory-evoking photographs, and easy to read style.

I thoroughly enjoyed the warm and earnest presentation. The author genuinely cares about the artists' work. Ronald Colman my lifelong screen favorite is given a wonderful showcase here, and people today should know of his brilliance!

With there being missing pages AND no pictures, the book was very disappointing. Maybe the pictures were on the missing pages?

It was great looking back on some of my favorite movie stars. Along with the biographies, I appreciated the brief descriptions of their best movies ( most of which I’ve seen. All told with charm and wit.

Interesting information in relation to some of the 'Forgotten Stars of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Some of these Stars were actually far better actors and more recognized than a lot of the so-called ' Remembered' ones. I totally agree it is quite sad to know that most people under 45 will never get to experience the true Hollywood Era with its many great Stars and Co-stars. 'Who the hell is Glenn Ford?'........... Are they serious?.

It was a gift for my 15 year old granddaughter, who loves old movies. I visited her in January and we loved going over the movie stars together and we watched old movies while I was there.

Like the author, I have a passion for old films so I enjoyed reading this. It was a bit like having a conversation with a fellow film-lover. The writer is an enthusiast. He reminded me of many films I had forgotten about and would like to re-watch. His lists of key films was fun. Sometimes my own lists would be different but that’s the point. An enjoyable series of portraits.

really enjoying reading this book

Bought as a gift for my dad who's is a old movies fan. He loves the book. He said it is very detailed and a great read.

Purchased as a gift, the recipient who has a lifelong interest of films and stars throughout the period covered was over the moon with the book and its contents.

I had never heard of at least half of the actors discussed in this book. I am glad to found out about them and the films they appeared in. For anyone who has an interest in films this is a book you will love.