EXTENSIVE EVIDENCE EXPLAINS EAGELS ENIGMA
Her acclaimed acting career spanned early twentieth century theater, the experimental silent cinema of the 1910s and 1920s, and the topsy turvy chaos of the first full-length talking pictures. Her rise to fame, her romances, her triumphs, and her relentless perfectionism, fragile health, and increasingly erratic behavior propelled her life to a shocking climax that stunned the entire world.
The Jeanne Eagels enigma has never been fully explained . . . until now. Her name became synonymous with Sadie Thompson in Somerset Maugham’s Rain and her Academy Award-nominated performance as the murderous wife in Paramount Pictures’ film adaptation of Maugham’s The Letter. Broadway theater aficionados and fans of silent films and early talkie films have often wondered about the great star who died prematurely and under mysterious circumstances in 1929. Finally, the truth has been fully told.
Journey through Jeanne’s humble beginnings with a large, supportive family in Kansas City; her celebrity friends, including Clifton Webb; her rival, Gloria Swanson; her famous theatrical contemporaries, such as Maurice Dubinsky, George Arliss, Leslie Howard, and David Belasco; the silent movie pioneers with whom she worked from 1913-1927, such as John Gilbert, Amelita Galli-Curci, Emile Chautard, and Edwin Thanhouser; and her lovers Thomas Chadbourne, Whitney Warren Jr. and Ted Coy.
This richly researched biography draws extensively from the worlds foremost archives and uncovers new evidence that will transform your perception of one of America’s legendary stars.
Sixteen chapters, an Introduction, and illustrated with nearly 150 rare photos—many unseen since their original publication or never before published. Includes Postscript, Index, and Bibliography.
About the Authors
Tara Hanks is the author of Wicked Baby (2004) and The Mmm Girl (2007). She also writes about popular culture for a variety of magazines and websites, and she maintains the Everlasting Star Updates blog, dedicated to Marilyn Monroe. Happily married with two teenage sons, she resides in Brighton, England.
Eric Woodard is the author of Hometown Girl (2004), a photo guide to Marilyn Monroe related Los Angeles addresses and locations, and Film Fashions by Travilla: Paper Dolls – Marilyn Monroe. He has also assisted/contributed to several Marilyn Monroe biographies, art books, and documentaries. Eric has also worked as an archivist and historian for the Estate of award-winning costume and fashion designer, William Travilla.
Tara Hanks 
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