Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Coming to Los Angeles in the 1940s after serving in World War II, Fred Otash first joined the Los Angeles Police Department but after clashes with his new boss, quit to become a private detective. Using his connections with the police and relationships he built with many of Hollywood's elite, Otash first worked for a gossip magazine before becoming a sought-after fixer, someone who could keep celebrity indiscretions out of the press and protect both their careers and the studios investing money in them. This biography tells his story along with stories about Hollywood's dark side.   Review: I had a bit of a Hollywood history theme the last time I checked out books from the library and, as part of that, ended up selecting The Fixer simply because it sounded interesting. While I didn't know who Fred Otash was before reading the book, I was familiar with the concept of Hollywood "fixers" and what they did for the studios and figured it would be entertainin...

Synopsis: After being raised by parents who stole from her and becoming a widow at 24, Hollywood star Mary Astor was involved in relationships with multiple men, including playwright George S. Kaufman, while she was married to Dr. Franklyn Thorpe and wrote about her affairs in her diary. In 1936, after agreeing to give Thorpe both a divorce and custody of their daughter, Marylyn because he possessed her diary and threatened to use it to derail her career, Astor took her ex-husband to court to contest the custody arrangement, putting Hollywood on high alert as the case threatened to expose the details of her private journal, including the famous stars she slept with. This non-fiction book gives a play-by-play detail of the trial, the events leading up to it and the aftermath. Review: As a classic movie fan, I am familiar with Mary Astor's work and knew enough about her history to be familiar with her infamous "Purple Diaries," named after the color ink she used to write...

Synopsis: Born in 1902, Lyle Talbot had a long career in entertainment, starting as a hypnotist's assistant, traveling with a carnival and theater troupes and eventually becoming a lead actor in Hollywood movies and television. This book, written by his daughter, tells his story while also providing a history of American entertainment. Review: I am familiar with Lyle Talbot because I've seen probably at least a dozen of his films. In fact, I have chosen films in part because I saw his name in the credits. So, when I came across The Entertainer: Movies, Magic and My Father's Twentieth Century at my library, I decided to check it out. I finished reading the book yesterday evening and thought it was a good pick. Even though I recognize the name, I honestly didn't know a whole lot about Talbot outside his movie roles, and I think I am safe saying this book was a real eye-opener as far as his life goes, just because it seemed so unique from the typical Hollywood fame stor...

Synopsis: The 1980 film Airplane! is a movie that has inspired generations of comedy films despite casting actors that, up until that point, had no comedic experience. This book, written by the men who made the movie, tells the story of how the film came to be along with behind-the-scenes tidbits. Review: I first saw Airplane! when I was too young to understand why a good chunk of the jokes were supposed to be funny. As I got older and re-watched the film easily a dozen or more times, I began to appreciate both the comedy and the cultural impact the movie had. So, when I came across Surely You Can't Be Serious at the library, I decided to check it out. I was not disappointed by this choice. The thing that I like most about this book is how it is how the story is told by the people who were involved with the film instead of someone telling the story second-hand. The anecdotes relating to how the film came to be and what happened when the cameras weren't rolling just hit diff...

Synopsis: Born into poverty but with a gift for curiosity and engineering, Rudolf Diesel took full advantage of his unlikely opportunity for an education and used his gifts to invent, among other things, an engine that was a technological masterpiece, making him a millionaire. However, Diesel's rags-to-riches story ended with a mystery after he disappeared September 30, 1913. This non-fiction book tells his story, the story of those who were impactful in his life and the days following his disappearance. Review: I didn't have any books on hold the last time I was at the library so, after picking out one from an author I was familiar with and a second one that I later discovered I didn't like enough to even make it past the second chapter, I visited the non-fiction section. The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel stood out as I passed one of the shelves, so I figured I'd give it a try. It turned out to be an interesting read. To be honest, prior to reading this book, I d...

Synopsis: First cast as a 15-year-old teenager in a film role that would earn her the nickname of "the Sweater Girl," Lana Turner became a Hollywood sex symbol and went on to a film and television career that lasted from the 1930s until the 1980s. Behind the scenes, however, Turner's life wasn't so glamorous, filled with failed and abusive romances, including to Johnny Stompanato, a mobster working for crime boss Mickey Cohen, a relationship that eventually ended with Stompanato dead on her bedroom floor and her teenage daughter, Cheryl, willingly taking the blame for the stabbing.  This non-fiction book presents an account of Turner's life, how it reached that pivotal point and the impact of the scandal on her career and mother/daughter relationship. Review:   A a classic movie fan, I was well-aware of both Lana Turner's film work and the scandal that nearly completely derailed her career. So, when I came across A Murder in Hollywood at the library, I deci...

Synopsis: In 1907, English aristocrat Elinor Glyn published Three Weeks, a steamy romance novel that while controversial for the time, became a best seller and is credited with helping start a new sexual revolution that carried over into other forms of media, like the growing film industry. This biography discusses Elinor's life, her success and the unsatisfying marriage that inspired her novel. Review: I had heard the name Elinor Glyn before but honestly didn't know much about her other than she wrote a book that I would describe as the early 20th century equivalent of Fifty Shades of Grey, at least as far as impact/controversy are concerned . So, when I happened to come across Inventing the It Girl while searching for another book, I decided to get a copy through my library.  Overall, I would describe this biography as both informative and entertaining. The author does a great job setting the scene for the reader by describing both Elinor's life and England's gentr...

Synopsis: To those closest to him, he was Eddie Farhat, a son of Arab immigrants, a World War II veteran and a card-carrying member of the United Auto Workers union. To the rest of the world, Farhat would become known as The Sheik, a professional wrestler who didn't speak English and a history of goring his opponents with pencils and other foreign objects. This non-fiction book covers his wrestling career, including overseeing one of the most successful wrestling promotions in American history. Review: I don't think I've ever been anything more than a casual professional wrestling fan and, other than putting it on for background noise when there's nothing else on, rarely even watch it today. However, as someone who loves history, I do have an appreciation for the earlier years of the industry, especially the people who both helped it grow into what it is today and went to great lengths to hide the fact it was a scripted sport. So, when I came across Blood and Fire at...

Synopsis: In 1929, legendary director Alfred Hitchcock released the film Blackmail , both as a silent film and a "talkie." While it wasn't his first movie, many believe the film is the first one to show his visionary style. This documentary both discusses the making of Blackmail and compares the movie to Hitchcock's later and better-known classics. Review: I had a list of movies to choose from this morning but picked Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail because it was the one with the shortest runtime and I needed to shovel snow before heading into the office. Overall, it turned out to be a good choice. I've seen a large number of Hitchcock films but not all of them and Blackmail remains one of the films that is still on that "must watch" list. The movie made me want to watch it even more. The "making of" portion of the film was intriguing. At the time Hitchcock made the movie, Talkies were still relatively new, and the film industry ...

Synopsis: This documentary discusses the life of Andre Roussimoff, known to the world as professional wrestler Andre the Giant. Through a series of interviews, the film talks about his rise to fame, the difficulties that came with his large size and his eventual physical decline. Who's in it? Interviewees include Hulk Hogan , Cary Elwes and Robin Wright . Review: I came across Andre the Gian t when scrolling through movies last night and decided to add it to my library. As a professional wrestling fan in the 1980s and early 90s, Andre the Giant was one of my all-time favorites. Not to mention, he is easily one of the reasons The Princess Bride is as memorable as it is. I watched the documentary this morning and it turned out to be exactly what I thought it would be, both in a good way and a bad way. I think the thing I liked best about this movie was how Andre's story was told through first-hand accounts of those who knew him, whether it was a fellow wrestler like Hulk Hog...

Synopsis: Even though Marguerite (Meg) Steinheil didn't consider herself a prostitute, she rose to prominence in 19th century France by performing sexual favors for prominent men in exchange for them purchasing her husband's paintings and even entered a love affair with France's president. When her husband and mother were murdered, and she was found tied to a bed, authorities suspected she was lying about what happened and was possibly involved. However, proving that would result in a scandal that could potentially embarrass the country. Review: This was a book I randomly checked out the last time I was at our local library. It wasn't anything I had heard about previously but looked somewhat interesting, so I figured I'd give it a try. It ended up being an entertaining read. There were a couple things that I found interesting about this book. One of the main ones was how Meg was put in a position where she effectively needed to be the breadwinner because her artis...

Synopsis: Retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis reviews nine specific naval conflicts in our nation's history and the nine heroes that went above and beyond while facing insurmountable odds. Review: This was in the new books section of my local library a few days ago and, mostly because it sounded somewhat unique (especially since it was written by a retired admiral), I decided to give it a try. I finished it last night and think it was a great choice. While the book doesn't give every single detail about the heroes he writes about, it does a great job of giving a solid and detailed summary of who those people were, what they did and why they deserve recognition. Some of the people he writes about, like John Paul Jones, were people who were familiar to me. Others, like Doris "Dorrie" Miller, were complete strangers but, even if I had heard of the person before, I still learned something new. I especially liked reading Miller's story because Stavridis didn...

Synopsis: By the 1940s, Hedy Lamarr was a successful actress in Hollywood, known for her beauty. In her spare time, however, she was an inventor. When World War II broke out, Hedy, along with composer George Antheil, teamed up to invent a weapon that could be used against the Nazis and, instead, invented a technology that is still being used today. Review: I came across this book while walking through the stacks at my local library and, since I am a big fan of Hedy Lamarr and knew a little bit about her inventing hobby, decided to check it out. It turned out to be an interesting read. The book gives a fairly detailed account about both Lamarr and Antheil's lives before their paths crossed and they became a team. It also gives a great deal of detail about their invention (a radio-controlled torpedo that couldn't have its signal jammed), the difficulty they faced getting it approved by the military and how the technology wound up being used with various other inventions, includ...

Synopsis: In 1841, Solomon Northup, a free black man living in New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery. Unable to tell anyone the truth about his origins out of fear for his life, Solomon has his name changed to Platt and spends the next dozen years enslaved by multiple masters with varying levels of cruelty. Review: I'm not really sure why it took me so long to read this book but it wound up staying off my radar, even after someone based a movie off of it (which I also haven't seen). That changed recently when I came across the book at the library and, not currently having anything else in particular I was looking for, I decided to read it.  I now regret waiting so long. It's one thing to learn about slavery in the United States from history books. It's a completely other thing to learn about it from memoirs written by someone who experienced it first hand and, after finally doing so, I don't think I will ever be able to think about that period in our histor...

Synopsis: As silent movies became popular in America, Lon Chaney was able to become a top star due largely to his ability to use makeup to bring various characters to life. This non-fiction book tells about his rise. Review: I've never been a huge silent movie fan and, while I have seen some films, honestly haven't watched as many as I probably could have. As a result of this, while I knew who Lon Chany was, I wasn't overly familiar with his work outside of the Hunchback of Notre Dame . I came across this book at our library a few days ago and, thinking it was interesting, I decided to read it. Overall, I thought the book was very informative. The author gives a good play-by-play of Chaney's career, starting with his start at a local theater and ending with his reluctant transition from silent films to a a movie that had sound. The way his makeup effects both created unique characters and influenced an industry was impressive, especially when considering his relativel...

Synopsis: Getting his start in burlesque, Lou Costello quickly rose to world-wide fame by partnering with Bud Abbott to form Abbott & Costello. However, his personal life was plagued by tragedy, financial issues and health problems. Review: I came across this book at the library last week and, being a big Abbott & Costello fan, I decided to check it out.  Since the book was written by his daughter, with the help of Raymond Strait, I did have some concerns about the book being a bit too slanted. But, after reading it, I did find it was an interesting well-balanced account of a man who was talented and had a big heart, especially when it came to his family but, at the same time, had his flaws too. I think the thing that really surprised me about this book was the way it managed to create a wide range of emotions while I was reading it. Some of the stories were humorous, such as the stories about him sneaking off with movie props while the films were still being made and l...

Synopsis: Biographical book about Reckless, a Korean race horse that was conscripted by the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War and, because of courage under fire, quickly became a hero. Review: I was at the library when my oldest daughter sent me a text saying she needed the science book she left at home and, because I had a limited amount of time before having to get back to the office, I wound up picking out this book pretty much at random. I have no idea why it managed to catch my eye in the first place, but it wound up being a very interesting read. To be honest, when I started reading this, I figured it would be a nice feel-good story about a horse that was nothing more than a mascot. But, as I began reading about her exploits, which included everything from hauling ammunition to rescuing wounded soldiers while avoiding enemy fire, I had a hard time putting the book down. She truly was remarkable, especially when you consider she completed a lot of her missi...

Synopsis: On January 15, 2009, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger successfully completed a water landing on the Hudson River and saved 155 lives after a group of birds struck his plane and knocked out both engines. New York City and the world are celebrating him as a hero. However, behind the scenes, he is in danger of losing his job and everything he worked for because investigators believe he took an unnecessary risk. Who's in it? The movie stars Tom Hanks , Aaron Eckhart , Valerie Mahaffey , Mike O'Malley and Laura Linney . Review : I don't normally watch biographical films because they always tend to be slanted and don't usually give the full story. However, my wife wanted to see this movie and, since I got it as a free rental with my pizza order on Friday, I picked it up. We finally got around to watching it last night and it ended up being much better than I expected. Since it was a relatively recent event, we both remembered the Hudson Riv...