Steven Helmer Publications

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: From the time she was a little girl, Wong Liu Tsong wanted to be an actress and gets an opportunity to do so as a teenage when she is discovered while working as a movie extra. Going by the stage name Anna May Wong, she quickly rises to international fame. However, her Chinese American heritage and skin color continue to provide an obstacle to her dreams of being a leading lady who isn't typecast by racist Hollywood while her chosen profession creates a rift between her and her father. Review: To be perfectly honest, I had a lot of doubts about The Brightest Star when I reserved a copy of it through my local library. While I am, as I've mentioned in the past, a fan of old movies and Hollywood history, I wasn't sure what to expect from a book that is based on the life of a real celebrity but told in a way that even the author describes as fiction. Still, I gave it a shot while hiding indoors from the cold this weekend and it turned out to be a book I couldn'...

I decided to retire my series It Happened on Hump Day after 275 episodes. There were a number of reasons for that, but the main one was I wanted to be able to focus on my newest series. Heroes, Villains and People You May Never Heard About is now live on Kindle Vella. This is a history/biography series focusing on people who had some sort of impact on the world, whether it was a large impact or a small one.  There are currently four live episodes, the first three are free to read. So far, I have discussed the man who invented microwave popcorn, the founder of the world's first empire, a professional wrestler who inspired a popular Halloween mask and the first person to be paid to play American football. Please feel free to visit, like and subscribe. And, if you haven't checked it out before, It Happened on Hump Day is still available to read as well as my first Kindle Vella series, Life Lessons from Horror Movies.