Books published by BearManor Media

This is the HARDBACK version. Larry Cohen: The Stuff of Gods and Monsters traces the extraordinary career of the legendary writer/producer/director responsible for such cult and classic films as Black Caesar, It's Alive, God Told Me To, The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover, Q - The Winged Serpent, The Stuff, Maniac Cop, and Phone Booth. Creator of some of the most diverse and thematically rich genre films that have been made in American independent cinema, Cohen's oeuvre has embraced horror, science fiction, thrillers, Westerns, comedies, the biographical film, and blaxploitation gangster movies. At turns provocative, disturbing, and humorous, his distinctly personal works in film, television, and theater are distinguished by their ferocious intelligence, biting satire, and powerful emotionalism. Over the course of 28 chapters, this in-depth career-length interview is an entertaining, enlightening, and gripping account of the singular career of a true American original. "For those of us who love the works of Larry Cohen, this is the most revealing and informative material ever published about him. And if by some chance you don't know about Larry's remarkable career, take this opportunity to learn how one maverick writer/director/producer has been able to survive and flourish in the ever changing madhouse of show biz." -- Joe Dante, director of The Howling, Gremlins and The 'Burbs

Allan Lane has been a mystery almost as long as he's been seen on screen.Some know him as the never officially recognized voice of TV's famous talking horse, Mister Ed. Others remember him as Red Ryder, the comic book Western hero come-to-life at the Saturday afternoon matinee. And even more remember him as Rocky Lane, yet another Western good guy, and a name which became synonymous with his own.Less well-known is that Allan Lane also had an earlier movie career, before he became a fast-riding cowboy. He began in films in 1929, often playing suave and debonair gentlemen that women could not resist. Over the years he worked with such leading ladies as Barbara Stanwyck, Loretta Young, and Joan Fontaine.Then there was Allan Lane the businessman. At a young age he became something of a vagabond, moving from place-to-place, often living on his own in a boarding house. This was how he got his education, and ultimately made his way in the world. Allan Lane owned his own successful photography agency when he was only twenty-four. Years later, when his Hollywood career was fading, he would return to what he knew best...his business background.In I Am Mister Ed... Allan "Rocky" Lane Revealed, Linda Alexander finally exposes the full scope of this enigmatic man and his complicated life.Finalist for The Marfield Prize, aka The National Award for Arts Writing, from the Arts Club of Washington

This is the hardback edition. "Your father is the American Chaplin."- Groucho Marx (speaking to Gary Hall)"Huntz Hall was a complicated person: extremely generous and loving on the one hand, scarily angry and violent on the other....As I get older I understand my father much better-he was emotionally deprived as a kid, and then he was unprepared for fame and money when they arrived in his teenage years. So he didn't have the skills to be a parent. He did the best he could with the emotional equipment he had." - Rev. Gary Hall (Huntz Hall's son)"I was nuts...Actually, I got into worse trouble than Sach...The cops would say to me, 'We don't want to lock you up, Huntz. You lock yourself up.' I'm lucky that I made it this far." - Huntz Hall, Entertainment Weekly interview"Huntz Hall, I loved him. [He] kept us laughing all the time. He was so funny."- Julie Gibson, actress, Bowery BuckaroosBehind Sach: The Huntz Hall Story presents the life of the man who made us laugh with his unforgettable and unique persona of Horace DeBussy Jones, best known as "Sach." This is the story of Huntz Hall, who played the zany character in forty-eight Bowery Boys motion pictures from the 1946 thru 1958. Perhaps some day Hall will be lauded as surely a comic genius as Chaplin. This biography is based upon never before revealed information provided by his only son. It offers a respectful portrait and appreciation of Hall's personal life and an examination of the comedy moments of his beloved Sach.Jim Manago has authored Love Is the Reason for It All: The Shirley Booth Story (BearManor Media, 2008) and For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth and Bill Baker Story (Jim and Donna Manago Books, 2010). He holds a Master's degree in Cinema Studies from the College of Staten Island/City University of New York.

For the first time ever, here is the ultimate biography, encompassing Noel Blanc's unpublished biography, with an introduction by Bugs Bunny, plus a complete (and huge) credit list and discography.

My journey 'From Hollywood to Michael Dante Way' has been a long and winding road. I share my experiences in this book as I dreamed and struggled to reach my goals. With luck, good timing and divine guidance most of my dreams did come true. I lived, worked and was a part of an electrifying period in Hollywood's history with many great and talented people who enriched my life. I hope my journey so far, inspires you to reflect on your own ambitions with the same appreciation for success as I have. "Michael Dante is that rare and laudable professional athlete that doesn't need physical prowess or prior fame to achieve success in motion pictures. His acting stands and shines on its own. He never falls back on a familiar, successful personality, but inhabits the unique personality of each of the many varied characters he portrays - and does so with commitment, truth and excellence. His life, his art, is well worth perusing."Don Murray - Academy Award & Emmy Award honored actor/writer/director "Never have I worked with an actor so well prepared. His Winterhawk was extraordinary, not only his performance, his horsemanship was magnificent. His character was a visual wonder. Michael is a lovely man as well and a joy to share his screen."Dawn Wells - Actress, producer and philanthropist "When I think of ideal role models for Americans of all ages, one figure stands tall, both figuratively and literally-that individual is my friend and great patriot, Michael Dante. Michael has earned international and national recognition and respect as a talented TV and film star, radio talk show host, entertainment personality and professional baseball player. As an all-around versatile athlete, he was able to participate in countless sporting events to raise funds for charitable causes. What you see is what you get. Strong, handsome, honest and humble in his beliefs and deeds, a true "straight shooter" in the vernacular of Western American lore; a man who has excelled in all his endeavors. You can always count on Michael as a friend and industry representative to stand up to what is right and just. Michael is a man of integrity and action as the reader will appreciate throughout his book."John Bianchi - American Legend, 50 Years of Gunleather, Retired Army Major General "When I came to Hollywood, Michael was my first friend. I thoroughly enjoyed his company. I loved sports and we talked a lot about baseball. I love movies too and I'm so proud of Michael's accomplishments in the movie and television industry. I was always impressed with his intelligence and versatile talent; Michael has had a magnificent life. I'll be waiting by the mailbox for a copy of his book."Robert Morse - Multi-Tony award winning actor: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Tru and Mad Men

"Butcher" Benton, a crook who pulled a Los Angeles armored car robbery, trudges to San Quentin's gas chamber filled with loathing for his double-crossing partners in crime. Things take a turn for the weird when his corpse is carted off to the laboratory of a medical researcher who gives it a 287,000 volt zap, unintentionally restoring Benton to life and making his skin as hard as armor plate. The Butcher's psychopathic itch, also reborn, still needs scratching so he returns to L.A. a volatile mix of super-strength and white-hot rage. Benton is murder looking for a place to happen: Inhuman! Invincible! Inescapable! Horror legend Lon Chaney puts his considerable all into his performance as the Indestructible Man in this sci-fi/action drive-in favorite. On the 60th anniversary of its 1954 production, the thriller gets the full Scripts from the Crypt treatment: a lengthy "Making Of" essay, quotes from its writers and its producer-director, cast members memories, Production Code correspondence, a dissertation on the music, release information, pressbook and the ultra-rare script.

Bette Davis answered, "George Brent" whenever asked to name her favorite co-star. Her longtime crush on the actor (they teamed in eleven films) culminated in an off-screen affair while filming Dark Victory (1939) for which she won an Oscar nomination and Brent gave what many consider his "finest performance." Hollywood's top stars clamored to play opposite Brent, who infused his easy-going warmth into such blockbuster films as 42nd Street (1933). Before long, Garbo demanded that MGM cast him opposite her in The Painted Veil (1934). Brent was perfect foil for cinema's leading ladies: Ruth Chatterton (his second wife), Ginger Rogers, Loretta Young, Claudette Colbert, Barbara Stanwyck, Myrna Loy, Kay Francis, Olivia de Havilland, Joan Fontaine, Hedy Lamarr, Merle Oberon, and Ann Sheridan (his fourth wife). Not to be pigeonholed Brent's perfection as the dissipated Englishman in The Rains Came (1939) and surprise turn as the heavy in The Spiral Staircase (1946) fueled the longevity of his career. The personal life of George Brent remained undercover. Upon signing with Warner Bros., studio publicity fabricated a back-story for Brent: a graduate of Dublin University (he dropped out of school at 16); a player in the Abbey Theatre (for which no record exists); a dead mother (who was very much alive); and, a dispatcher for Michael Collins during the Irish Revolution (this . . . was true). Brent's biography offers a fascinating look into the life of Hollywood's elusive lone wolf. Scott O'Brien, whose biography on Ruth Chatterton made The Huffington Post's "Best Film Books of 2013," abetted by Irish filmmaker Brian Reddin, sheds new light on Ireland's gift to Hollywood and its leading ladies: George Brent. (Foreword by Wesleyan University's Chair of Film Studies, Jeanine Basinger.) 331 pages with 125 illustrations capture the glamour and private world of Hollywood's Golden Age.

This is the hardback version. Kansas City's KMBC was home to many country and western artists during radio's golden age but few could match the popularity and longevity of the Texas Rangers. Debuting in 1932, the Texas Rangers entertained America by radio, records, tours, motion pictures and television before finally disbanding in the 1950s. With few commercially released singles, the Texas Rangers were soon forgotten after their heyday except by the most devoted fans of the genre. Now, nearly six decades after the end of their performing years, The Texas Rangers: Two Decades on Radio, Film, Television, and State offers an in-depth history of the Texas Rangers. This book provides a rare look into the personalities and business dealings that kept the group performing before the public for more than twenty years.

This is the hardback version. "Judy - you are hysterical!" - Joan Rivers"Judy Tenuta is a force of nature. So are hurricanes andfloods, but don't let that scare you. She occupies a stagebetter than we occupied Korea, and her show is a lot shorter.And she makes sense of pop culture, which only the trulydemented can. You'll have fun thumbing through her."- Bruce Vilanch"I haven't read a single word yet, and already I can tell youthat it's my favorite book ever!" - "Weird Al" Yankovic

Character Kings 2 continues to examine the careers of the busiest men in Hollywood, featuring 15 all-new interviews with the industry's most recognizable actors. Filled with behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the making of movies and TV shows, tips on how to prepare for auditions, the techniques that bring a character to life and the secrets to earning a living in a highly competitive industry, Character Kings 2 offers more instructive lessons about the art and business of acting. "For those of us who live and breathe the movies, Character Kings 2 is a must-read that weaves a fascinating overview of what it takes to be a successful working actor in Hollywood." -- David Del Valle, Films In Review"Scott Voisin draws terrific insights from an impressive assortment of our finest character actors, managing to deepen a movie lover's appreciation of these phenomenal talents. The book is a revelation for all fans of great acting." -- Jamey DuVall, host of Movie Geeks United!"Character actors are a prized species in Hollywood, and Scott Voisin's book selects the cream of today's crop. The actors regale us with some marvelous stories of blood, sweat and fate." -- Tim Lucas, editor of Video Watchdog"Scott Voisin's Character Kings book series is full of lessons for the filmmaking artist and fan; from its rare perspective on the profession to the survival of the actors who are as important to a movie as its stars." -- John Huff, CultMachine.com

This is the HARDBACK version. Fistfights. Cars careening off cliffs and exploding. Running on a bridge. Dodging a helicopter. The dune buggy roll. Iconic convertibles. Signature sports jackets. 17 Paseo Verde. L.A. at its coolest-and then there was Peggy. For generations, throughout the world these have brought a smile to the face and a single word to mind-Mannix.With such style up-front, the substance behind the character of Joe Mannix has been overlooked-until now. Mannix ran on CBS-TV from 1967-1975 during the Golden Age of Television, the last production of Desilu (the legendary studio owned by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz) following Star Trek and Mission: Impossible. It was syndicated in over 70 countries during its first run, won Golden Globe and Emmy awards, and innovated the concept of the personalized crime-fighter. Star Mike Connors, who embodied his alter ego, wanted Joe Mannix to have emotion, a departure from type. And now, back to mannix is not a TV log book, or even a behind the scenes book, but a behind the myth book, making the case that some TV characters have singular power to make societies and individuals better, interspersed with discussion of the richness of character, symbolism, and scenes in the series. The book includes a Foreword by Mike Connors and a Prologue by David Breckman, writer and co-executive producer of the highly successful USA series, Monk. JoAnn M. Paul, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her childhood hero was shot, drugged, poisoned, beaten, tortured, and dumped down hillsides to be left for dead. Nothing could have prepared her better for life.

This is the HARDBACK version. Translated by Edward Baxter; Notes by Garmt de Vries-Uiterweerd, Volker Dehs This adventure is for everyone who has thrilled to The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Tale of Two Cities, or Scaramouche. A nobleman, the Count of Chanteleine, leads a rebellion against the revolutionary French government. While he fights for the monarchy and the church, his home is destroyed and his wife murdered by the mob. Now he must save his daughter from the guillotine. This exciting swashbuckler is also a meticulous historical re-creation of a particularly bloody episode in the Reign of Terror.The Count of Chanteleine is the first English translation of this Jules Verne story, the fourth volume in the Palik series published under the auspices of the North American Jules Verne Society. Expert translation is by Edward Baxter, with critical commentary by an international team of Verne experts. Commentary by an international team of experts supports Edward Baxter's translation.Translated by Edward Baxter; Introduction by Brian Taves; Notes (including maps), by Garmt de Vries-Uiterweerd; Afterword by Volker Dehs.

This is HARDBACK version. "I have looked for a book on Marie Prevost for a great many years and never found one, so I am thrilled that Richard Kirby has put pen to paper and written what I believe to be the first biography of this tragic star. I am a big fan of Richard's work and I'm sure that fans of the silent screen will be just as pleased as I am to have this very special book in their collection."- Michelle Morgan, author of Marilyn Monroe: Private and Confidential Desperately Seeking Marie Prevost takes a look back at the life and work of a beautiful, talented, yet ill-fated actress, who was one of Hollywood's biggest stars of the 1920s.Richard Kirby was born in York in 1964, and this is his second BearManor Media publication.

A retrospective of Italian auteur Dario Argento's films; The Argento Syndrome is an examination of a career marked by such genre classics as Suspiria, Deep Red, Tenebrae, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Opera.The Argento Syndrome is part academic study, with essays on every film, and part personal memoir, detailing the author's time in Italy on a trip to visit the set of Sleepless.Also included are several full-length interviews with such personalities as John Carpenter, Tony Musante, Luciano Tovoli, Leigh McCloskey and Asia Argento.Derek Botelho holds a B.A. in Cinema from Columbia College, and is a regular contributor to dailydead.com and has had work published with Dark Discoveries, Little Shoppe of Horrors, Moviement, and Fangoria.

This is the hardback version.In the world of adult cinema, one name stands out above all others: John Holmes. For nearly 20 years, from 1967 to 1987, Holmes reigned as the undisputed king of X-rated lms, having appeared in a record 2,200 plus productions, from the landmark Johnny Wadd movies (one of which became the first adult motion picture to gross over $1 million) to the legendary Insatiable with Marilyn Chambers. To a legion of fans world-wide, he was known as "Mr. Big." To industry insiders, he was "Mr. Nice Guy." Yet for all of his fame and notoriety, Holmes remained an intensely private person and a mystery man. - that is, until now. In a startlingly frank autobiography, PORN KING was written in large part prior to his death (with new material added by his widow, Laurie).Holmes tells the story of his incredible life. This is not a typical celebrity story, filled with bright lights and glamour, giant sound stages and movie moguls. It is, instead, a rare portrait of a young man drawn into an unknown Hollywood, a secret, forbidden Hollywood, and the parallels between his astounding career and the sexual revolution in American films. Holmes knew his subject better than anyone. Holmes candidly tells of a lucrative but often harrowing "other" life as a male prostitute to the rich and famous, a shattering fall into drugs and his side of the grisly Wonderland Murders and his desperate crosscountry right afterwards. From start to finish, in this newly revised edition, complete with never-before-seen candid photos of Holmes in his private life, PORN KING is a sizzling, sensuous, fast-paced story laced with controversy.If ever there was an untold story, PORN KING is it.

THIS IS THE HARDBACK EDITION. Thunder was the last silent film for Lon Chaney. His health was not good during the shoot and for the first time in his career he held up production while he recuperated. He plays Grumpy Anderson, a near retirement, old workhorse of a train engineer. It is said that a piece of artificial snow, used in the production, lodged in his throat causing an infection that led to his untimely death at age 47 on August 26, 1930. Only a few fragments exist. The novel was published in 1930 in France and has been translated by Eric McNaughton. "The 1929 audiences were up on their feet and cheering Chaneyat the exciting climax of Thunder."- Chauncey Haines - Silent Film Organist

The Time Tunnel was by no means a superb product of Friday night entertainment. If the plot holes were not as large as the tunnel itself, viewers noticed the same props from Allen'sother television programs popping up on the show.Fan boys to this day still debate whether the futuristic episodes involving space aliens were better than the historic adventures, but few would deny that Lee Meriwether made a lab coat look sexy. Meriwether herself recalled how the cast received letters from school teachers who used The Time Tunnel to stimulate interest in history in the classroom.This 546 page book documents the entire history of the program, the origin and conception of the series, why it never ran a second season, almost 200 never-before-published behind-the-scenes photographs, and a detailed episode guide including dates of production, music cues, episode budgets, salary costs, deleted scenes that were filmed, memories from cast and crew, bloopers, trivia and much more!

This is the hardback version. Golden Goddesses vibrantly casts light upon twenty-five significant women involved in the erotic film industry during its Golden Era, between the years 1968-1985 when participation in adult productions was illegal. Profiling performers, directors, scriptwriters and costumers, Golden Goddesses is a palate of insights, intimacy, vulnerability and strength, as it immerses readers into the lives of these celebrated and audacious females. Featuring the author's own interviews with Marilyn Chambers, Seka, Kay Parker, Rhonda Jo Petty, Serena, Georgina Spelvin, Juliet Anderson, Candida Royalle, Sharon Mitchell, Gloria Leonard, Annie Sprinkle, Ann Perry, Jody Maxwell, Barbara Mills, Veronica Hart, Kelly Nichols, Ginger Lynn, Kitten Natividad, Amber Lynn, Laurie Holmes, Christy Canyon, Julia St. Vincent, Roberta Findlay, Nina Hartley and Raven Touchstone, Golden Goddesses also includes film highlights and more than 300 photos.These fascinating women of classic adult film are presented with depth, sensitivity, and historical scope while capturing the quintessence of a rebellious spirit from days gone by.