Leading Lady; Sherry Lansing and the Making of a Hollywood Groundbreaker
Author Stephen GallowayFTC Reviewed for Blogging for Books
Amazon Description
The definitive biography of movie executive and philanthropist Sherry Lansing traces her groundbreaking journey to become the first female head of a major motion picture studio, shares behind-the-scenes tales from movie sets and Hollywood boardrooms and explains what inspired her to walk away from it all to start the Sherry Lansing Foundation.
When Sherry Lansing became the first woman ever to be named the president of a major studio, the news ricocheted around the world. That was just the beginning of an extraordinary run that saw her head two studios, make hundreds of films produce classic pictures such as Fatal Attraction and rule for twenty-five years as the most powerful woman Hollywood has ever known.
Award-winning writer Stephen Galloway takes us behind the scenes of Lansing's epic journey—inside the battles; up close with the stars; and into the heart of a creative world populated by the likes of Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise. He shows us the velvet touch that masked the iron hand, and the roller-coaster drama behind such movies as Titanic, Forrest Gump, Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan.
Above all, he takes us into the mind of Lansing, creating a revealing portrait of a dynamic, driven woman who overcame unimaginable odds, pushed boundaries and left Hollywood at the peak of her power to achieve the life she wanted.
My Review
Anybody involved with a book club has probably seen the prompt for discussions on an "Off the Shelf Covers: Famous Person, Place or Thing". And, I figured Leading Lady; Sherry Lansing and the Making of a Hollywood Groundbreaker seemed like a good book to fit these criteria.
Author, Stephen Galloway was able to talk with Sherry Lansing's close friends and research her life to put this story together so readers see that there are a lot of twists and turn in the movie negotiation process.
I do admit I was a little hesitant at first, not knowing what to expect. It is not every day that you get to read about the first female head of a major motion picture studio. And, the first female movie studio head to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I read Meryl Streep and Michael Douglas comments and thought if she can win them over, it would be worth the read.
It was interesting to get an inside scoop on many of the movies I have seen. It was somewhat amusing that no one believed her when she told them what she did for a living. Her pace seemed hectic. But, there was a sweet pause when we are presented with the details of her shared love with husband William Friedkin, whom she married in 1991. Their date walks through Muir Woods I imagined as enchanting. And, I could empathize with her during the scare of William's surgery, and loss of those people close to her.
It is certain that Sherry Lancing's hard work, drive, and determination helped in the making of award-winning films. And, this story delivers that this work was forged by a confident, gracious and approachable woman, making it in an industry that was dominated by man. And adding her own touch of class, in the process.