Movie Books: Romance

BACK STREET (Movie Edition)
by Fannie Hurst. Movie cover - Susan Hayward and John Gavin. Condition: Good+, 1961 Holt, Rinehart paperback, first printing. Small edge wear with binder's glue strings down spine. Interior is clean with dark tanning to top of page edges and lighter tanning to the bottom of the pages. It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway), this is an old book. Content: Reviewer: "Ambitious but thwarted, Rae Smith meets handsome Marine Paul Saxon, (of the Saxon department store chain), as he passes through Lincoln, Nebraska, on his way home from World War II. There's a definite spark between them but circumstances intervene and he leaves town without her. Later she learns he's married. Determined to make it as a fashion designer, Rae moves to New York and becomes a great success. One day she happens to meet Paul again and again there's that spark but he's still married so, as a form of escape, Rae moves to Rome to set up shop. Once again she meets Paul and finally they begin an actual affair since Paul's shrewish, drunken wife, Liz, won't give him a divorce. Time passes, the affair continues whenever time and place permit, but then, Paul's young son finds out about Rae and Rae's back-street world begins to crumble." This 1961 remake of Hurst's novel was directed by David Miller and starred Susan Hayward, John Gavin, Vera Miles, Charles Drake, Virginia Grey, and Robert Eyer. The 1932 film was directed by John M. Stahl and starred Irene Dunne, John Boles, and Zazu Pitts. And, the 1941 remake was directed by Robert Stevenson and starred Margaret Sullavan, Charles Boyer, Tim Holt, Richard Carlson, and Frank McHugh. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN: Story To Screenplay
story by Annie Proulx. Screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. Condition: NEW 2005 Scribner Trade Paperback, 4th printing. B&W movie stills section. Content: Annie Proulx has written some of the most original and brilliant short stories in contemporary literature, and for many readers and reviewers, "Brokeback Mountain" is her masterpiece. It was originally published in The New Yorker and won the National Magazine Award. It also won an O. Henry Prize. Included in this volume is Annie Proulx's haunting story about the difficult, dangerous love affair between a ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy. Also included is the celebrated screenplay for the major motion picture Brokeback Mountain, written by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. All three writers have contributed essays on the process of adapting this critically acclaimed story for film. [Put away any prejudice and see the movie! Spectacular performances from the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.] The movie was directed by Ang Lee and also stars Randy Quaid, Valerie Planche, David Trimble (III), and Michelle Williams. Questions welcome [1 copy available]
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CASANOVA IN LOVE: A Novel
by Andrew Miller. Condition: NEW 1999 Harvest Trade Paperback, first printing. Very pale shelf wear diagonal crease bottom front cover tip. Content: This is not the Giacomo Casanova we have come to expect. Miller gives us a 38-year-old Casanova, soul-sick (midlife crisis, they'd say today), gone to England in 1763 to try to revive. There he is befriended by the great lexicographer Samuel Johnson and thrown under the spell of young, beautiful Marie Charpillon. Casanova's maddening attempts to win her continuously fail despite money owed him by her family; frustrated, he tries life as an onion-eater (that is, a laborer), a Grub Street hack, and a squire of a dank country estate. Sometimes funny, sometimes grim, these side trips are the best parts of the book; the section on the underclass would have done Dickens proud. A framing device that allows Casanova hindsight works less well and seems appended only for its rhetorical purpose. On the whole, though, as a trip back in time with a celebrity cast, this is a winner. The 2005 movie is loosely based on this book. The movie was directed by Lasse Hallström and starred the late Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, Oliver Platt, Jeremy Irons, and Omid Djalili. Questions welcome [1 copy available]
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THE CUTTING EDGE (DVD)
by MGM. Skating choreo by Robin Cousins. Condition: NEW (shrink-wrapped) c. 2000 release of the 1992 movie. Content: I love this movie! This romantic movie is one of the best about ice skating, thanks to utterly charming performances by underrated actors D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly. The couple play, respectively, a washed-up hockey player and a prima-donna skater who end up in doubles figure skating together at the Winter Olympics. Of course, the mismatched pair fall in love. In between, there's a lot of verbal sparring, talk of toe picks, and surprisingly skillful directing by Paul Michael Glaser. Direction here is critical--unlike in Flashdance, where the dancing was done in the shadows, face and feet obviously shot separately--and credibly highlights the actors and their professional stand-ins. This is such a fun, sweet story that the facts the film takes liberties with--including the alacrity with which a hockey player takes to Olympic-level figure skating--are easily forgivable. To get some surprising background on this movie, read the autobiography of Gold Medalist Robin Cousins. [1 copy available]
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DANIEL'S DAUGHTER (DVD)
by Genius Entertainment. Movie stills both covers. Condition: NEW (shrink-wrapped) c. 2009 release of the 2008 TV movie. Content: Laura Leighton stars as Katherine, a successful New York magazine editor who is about to marry a wealthy businessman in what is set to be the biggest society event of the year. When her estranged father dies, and she finds that his last request was for her to spread his ashes in her tiny Massachusetts hometown, she reluctantly leaves her job and wedding planning to handle the annoyance, bringing along her tireless assistant for support. Once there, she begins to learn that there may have been more to her father than she believed, and that there may be more for her in life than what she thought she wanted. Directed by Neill Fearnley with a supporting cast of Sebastian Spence, Martin Doyle, Brendan Wall, and McKenzi Scott. Questions welcome. [1 copy left]
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HANOVER STREET
by Maureen Gregson. Based on the screenplay by Peter Hyams. Condition: Good 1979 Bantam paperback, first printing. Minor edgewear with a near-break at page 99. Top fore edges show a light discoloration. Content: Although this is a movie about war, it is also a love story. Amid war-shattered London, three extraordinary people play out their lives in a haunting novel of love, passion and violence. The 1979 movie starred Harrison Ford, Christopher Plummer, and Lesley-Anne Down. [1 copy available]
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ICE CASTLES FOTONOVEL
by Columbia Pictures - Fotonovels. Condition: UNREAD, but NOT PERFECT, 1978 Fotonovel paperback, first printing. Problems: rubbings along front hinge, small edge wear, stain inside front cover and it appears it has had a rubber band around it at one point. However, the interior is clean & tight. Content: This book is complete made of color movie stills with movie dialogue on the stills. A young girl is on top of the world until a tragic accident dashes her hopes and dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater. Only with the help of those who love her can she prove to the world -- and herself -- that she still has the potential to realize her dreams. One of the most popular skating films ever made, the 1978 movie starred Lynn-Holly Johnson, Robby Benson, Tom Skerritt, Colleen Dewhurst, David Huffman, and Jennifer Warren. [1 copy available]
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THE JEWEL OF THE NILE (Movie Novelization)
by Catherine Lanigan writing as Joan Wilder. Based on screenplay by Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner. Kathleen Turner & Michael Douglas cover. Condition: UNREAD 1985 Avon paperback, first printing. Tny edge wear with pale diagonal near-crease top front cover corner. Pale tanning to page edges. Content: Reviewer: "This is the sequel to "Romancing the Stone" where Jack and Joan have their yacht and easy life, but are gradually getting bored with each other and this way of life. Joan accepts an invitation to go to some middle eastern country as a guest of the sheik, but there she is abducted and finds her- self involved with the "jewel". Jack decides to rescue her with his new partner Ralph. They all go from one adventure to another. The 1985 movie was directed by Lewis Teague and starred Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, the always delightful Danny DeVito, and Paul David Magid. Not as good as the original, but still fun! [1 copy available]
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LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances and Home Remedies
by Laura Esquivel. Cover art by Cathleen Toelke. Condition: UNREAD 1992 Doubleday small hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), 20th printing. Light edge wear to DJ edges. Content: Each chapter of screenwriter Esquivel's utterly charming interpretation of life in turn-of-the-century Mexico begins with a recipe--not surprisingly, since so much of the action of this exquisite first novel (a bestseller in Mexico) centers around the kitchen, the heart and soul of a traditional Mexican family. The youngest daughter of a well-born rancher, Tita has always known her destiny: to remain single and care for her aging mother. When she falls in love, her mother quickly scotches the liaison and tyrannically dictates that Tita's sister Rosaura must marry the luckless suitor, Pedro, in her place. But Tita has one weapon left--her cooking. Esquivel mischievously appropriates the techniques of magical realism to make Tita's contact with food sensual, instinctual and often explosive. Forced to make the cake for her sister's wedding, Tita pours her emotions into the task; each guest who samples a piece bursts into tears. Esquivel does a splendid job of describing the frustration, love and hope expressed through the most domestic and feminine of arts, family cooking, suggesting by implication the limited options available to Mexican women of this period. Tita's unrequited love for Pedro survives the Mexican Revolution the births of Rosaura and Pedro's children, even a proposal of marriage from an eligible doctor. In a poignant conclusion, Tita manages to break the bonds of tradition, if not for herself, then for future generations. The 1992 movie was directed by Alfonso Arau and starred Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos, and Regina Torné, [1 copy available]
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MR. AND MRS. SMITH
by Jane and John Smith as told to Dr. Mark Wexler. (Actually written by Cathy East Dubowski.) Screenplay by Simon Kinberg. Color movie stills section. Condition: NEW 2005 HarperCollins Trade Paperback, fist edition, first printing. Neat cover approach with Pitt on the front cover and Jolie on the back (depending on how you look at the covers). The cover is also it's own DJ. Content: Jane Smith is charming, sexy, successful, and intelligent, a rare combination of domestic goddess and savvy businesswoman. John Smith is wealthy, daring, athletic, and smart, a guy who drinks his scotch the way he's climbed to the top of the construction business: straight up. Although he and his equally perfect wife seem to be the ideal couple, the spark has faded from their marriage. That is, until they win free sessions with a counselor. What they keep hidden from their therapist and each other, they confide in the journals they've been coaxed to keep. Jane and John Smith are actually hired assassins working for rival organizations -- and their next assignments are ... each other! And so begins the kind of cat-and-mouse game that attracted Jane to John in the first place -- a roulette dangereuse that will either lead to a rekindled passion most married couples can only dream about ... or to cold-blooded murder. If you missed the hype for this movie, well, you must have been serving in Iraq. This 2005 movie was directed by Doug Liman and starred, of course, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Vince Vaughn [a neat acting turn for an actor I don't care much for], Adam Brody, Kerry Washington, & Chris Weitz. [1 copy available]
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK (Movie Edition)
by Earl Mac Rauch. Minelli & De Niro movie cover. Condition UNREAD 1977 Pocket paperback, first printing. Light edgewear with light tanning to page edges. Content: Reviewer: "The day WWII ends, Jimmy, a selfish and smooth-talking musician, meets Francine, a lounge singer. From that moment on, their relationship grows into love as they struggle with their careers and aim for the top." The 1977 movie was directed by Martin Scorsese and starred Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro, Lionel Stander, Mary Kay Place, and Clarence Clemons. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMEN (Special Collector's Edition, DVD)
by Paramount. MOvie stills both covers. Condition NEW (shrink-wrapped) 2007 Paramount DVD release of the 1982 movie. Content: One of the most romantic movies ever made. Period! Once in a great while a movie comes along that truly grips and uplifts its audiences. This is such a movie, a timeless tale of romance, friendship and growth. Loner Zack Mayo enters Officer Candidate School to become a Navy pilot and in thirteen tortuous weeks he learns the importance of discipline, love and friendship. Louis Gossett, Jr. won an Academy Award* for his brilliant portrayal of the tough drill instructor who teaches Zack that no man can make it alone. And while Gossett tries to warn the young officer about the local girls who will do anything to catch themselves pilot husbands, Zack eventually learns to love one while his fellow candidate, a memorable character portrayed by David Keith, struggles with a very different fate. An Officer And A Gentleman is a rich and satisfying story with moving performances that will stay with you long after the film has ended. The movie was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Richard Gere, Debra Winger, David Keith, Louis Gossett, Jr., Robert Loggia, Lisa Blount, Lisa Eilbacher, and David Caruso. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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PORTRAIT OF JENNIE
by Robert Nathan. Condition UNREAD, but not perfect, 1981 Laurel Leaf paperback, 6th printing. Although the interior is clean and tight (with light tanning to page edges), the cover has a very pale near-crease top front cover and tiny edgewear. Bookstore stamp inside front cover - why do they do that? Better than it sounds. Content: This story of strange young girl from out of the past who brings inspiration to an artist down on his luck exhibits the kind of full on romanticism one rarely encounters these days. This is a novel of pure mysticism, yet you needn't be a mystic to thoroughly enjoy it. One winter night in 1938, a down and out Eben is in Central Park, having been unsuccessful in selling his paintings. There, he encounters a very young girl named Jennie Appleton, who is mysteriously in the park by herself, playing hopscotch. Thus, begins Eben's acquaintance with Jennie. Eben sketches a picture of Jennie, which to his surprise, he is able to sell. Periodically, Jennie begins appearing in his life at odd times, always swathed in mystery as to her origins and always appearing somehow older than expected each time he sees her. Eben continues to sketch her, finding that he can sell those sketches with ease. Inspired by his muse, he paints her portrait, a masterpiece that eventually lands in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is puzzled, nonetheless, by the anomaly and mystery that surrounds Jennie, who has an air of being from another time. Yet, an unusual bond is developing between them, one that not even the vagaries of time can break. It is also one that becomes increasingly romantic over time, as Jennie quickly grows into womanhood. The fates, however, Eben finds, can be cruel. The 1948 movie was directed by William Dieterle and has an all-star cast: Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, Cecil Kellaway, and the wonderful David Wayne. If you liked Somewhere in Time, you'll love this one even more. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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ROMEO AND JULIET (Movie Edition Play)
by William Shakespeare. Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting movie cover. Condition UNREAD, but not perfect, c. 1968 Scholastic paperback, 19th printing. Light edge wear with light to moderqte tanning to page edges. Interior clean & tight. Content: Shakespeare's famous play - intact - the only difference being the movie cover. The 1968 movie was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starred Hussey, Whiting, John McEnery, Milo O'Shea, Michael York, and Robert Stephens. This movie is considered the best of the R & J movies. [1 copy available]
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SAYONARA
by James A. Michener. Condition Gently pre-read, if at all, c. 1980 Fawcett Crest paperback, no priting given. Tiny edgewear and pale water stain bottom fore edges. Interior clean & very tight. Content: One of the great romance books! A brilliant tale of love and war, SAYONARA tells the story of Major Lloyd Gruver, son of an army general stationed in Japan, dating a general's daughter, and happy with his life. He didn't understand the soldiers who fell in love with Japanese girls. Then he met Hana-ogi. After that nothing mattered anymore. Nothing but her. This book delves into the postwar prejudice against the Japanese by Americans and the difficulties and sometimes tragedies involved when American servicemen wished to marry a Japanese national. The excellent 1957 movie was directed by Josh Logan and starred Marlon Brando, Red Buttons (Academy Awarad), Miyoshi Umeki (Academy Award), Miko Taka, James Garner, and Ricardo Montalban. A true American classic. [1 copy available]
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SEND ME NO FLOWERS (Movie Novelization)
by Robert W. Krepps. Based on the play by Norman Barasch and Carroll Moore. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1964 Gold Medal Books paperback, first printing. Day & Hudson movie stills both covers. Tiny edgewear with very pale shelfwear hinge crease and tanning to interior pages. Content: Now why in the world would a girl complain because she can't get Rock Hudson out of bed? Only Doris Day has the answer -- in the merriest madness since Pillow Talk. The 1964 movie was directed by Norman Jewison and starred that great trio, Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall. Supporting actors: the great Paul Lynde, Hal March, and Clint Walker. A very cute movie. A 50s movie made in the 60s. [1 copy available]
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THE STERILE CUCKOO
by John Nichols. Movie stills illustrate front and back covers. Condition: Good only 1971 Avon paperback, 10th printing. Pale creases top and bottom front cover corners. Heavy tanning to page edges. Content: Reviewer: "John Nichols' 1965 novel "The Sterile Cuckoo" is a universal tale about the pangs of first love during the important coming-of-age years of college. While the story is almost 40 years old, most readers should be able to relate to the awkward romance of protagonist Jerry Payne, an 18-year-old introvert, and the free-spirited and eccentric Pookie Adams, an extraordinarily complex, if not lovable character. Jerry fatefully meets Pookie one fternoon at an Oklahoma bus stop, and both eventually embark on a year-long romance during their underclassmen years at neighboring universities in the east. While much of the youthful slang is dated by today's standards, readers will recognize the multiple college roommates, impulsive road trips, sweaty make-out pits and trashed hotel rooms. The early years of college life have been almost perfectly recreated by Nichols, and several situations should immediately strike a chord in most readers who have lived on a college campus." The 1969 movie starred Liza Minnelli and Wendell Burton and lives up to it's billing as a "bittersweet love story." [1 copy available]
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TIM
by Colleen McCullough. Condition: UNREAD 1982 Warner Books paperback, second printing. Tanning to white cover edges. Interior perfect. Content: Mary Horton is content with her comfortable, solitary existence . . . until she meets Tim. A beautiful young man with the mind of a child -- a gentle outcast in a cruel, unbending world -- he illuminates the darkness of Mary's days with his boyish innocence. And he will shatter the lonely, middle-aged spinster's respectable, ordered life with a forbidden promise of a very special love. The 1974 Australian movie was directed by Michael Pate and starred a beautiful, young (pre-drunken-mess) Mel Gibson and made him an instant sex symbol. It also stars the great Piper Laurie, Alwyn Kurts, Pat Evison, Peter Gwynne, and Brian Barry. Is this a great movie? Absolutely not, but it is one of the great romantic (chick-flics) movies of all times. [1 copy available]
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CHICK FLICKS: The Romance, the Glamour, the Tears, and More!
by Kim Adelman. Great B&W movie stills & photos ilustrate. Condition: NEW 2005 Broadway Books Trade Paperback, 4th printing. Content: A must-have guide to the most underrated films of all time: chick flicks! Categories ae: A full year’s worth of chick flicks; Cinema’s most memorable fashion statements; Hundreds of DVD recommendations; Little-known gems waiting to be discovered; The best sequels to your favorite films; A chance to test your chick-flick IQ; Recipes for disaster, heartbreak, and fried green tomatoes; The inside dirt on Hollywood hunks; The chick flick Hall of Fame; And much, much more. Great fun. [1 copy available]
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