Book Review--Strictly Dynamite: The Sensational Life of Lupe Vélez, by Eve Golden

Strictly Dynamite: The Sensational Life of Lupe Vélez 

Eve Golden 

University Press of Kentucky, 2023 

As a biographer, Eve Golden has a knack for clearing the fog around her subjects. In previous books about Jayne Mansfield, Jean Harlow, and John Gilbert, she dug for the truth behind the scandals that overshadowed these stars while also revealing the real person beyond the marquee. She does that once again for Lupe Vélez, a multi-talented, vivacious star who desperately needed a reputation adjustment. 

The Mexico-born Vélez was one of those people who was born to be seen. Her ability to delight audiences extended from the stage to the screen, though she never had the great films to match her talent. I’ve long appreciated Golden’s thorough research and respect for her subjects. She is dedicated to finding the truth while retaining a sense of fairness and decency. The humanity of her subject always appears to be top-of-mind. Here it is easy to see how Vélez got the reputation that she did, but that this flirtatious, outrageous, and temperamental woman was a lot more professional and grounded than rumor would have it. 

Vélez was a spitfire, and it is understandable why the seemingly effortless comedy of her Mexican Spitfire series brought her her greatest fame, but she was far from being only a fiery Latin stereotype. She was a strong dramatic actress, which she demonstrated in the early talkie Resurrection (1931), but studios and audiences didn’t wish to see her this way. As a result, Vélez often had more offers for work than she could accept, but rarely had the opportunity to show the full extent of her talents. 

While Vélez lived a vibrant life full of adventure, friends, lovers, and ultimately lasting prosperity, there’s always the feeling of what she really wants being out of reach. She can’t be alone or sit still and while that can be chalked up to personality in some respects, there’s also the impression that some of the restlessness comes from the constant struggle to reach her full potential professionally and personally. She knows her worth and she can’t degrade herself by settling. 

The book tells this story with a clear eye, aware of Vélez' flaws, but also revealing her strong work ethic, a common touch with almost entire lack of star attitude, and great intelligence in financial matters. It has an easy flow, with a few asides to fill out the big picture as far as the people in Vélez’ life and the times she lived in, but good overall pacing and focus. I love how Golden uses light humor and wry comments to give the narrative the feeling of a good conversation. She finds a solid balance between respect of the subject and a sort of lightness of tone that makes the story as entertaining as it is informative. 

And yes, she explains in full detail why Vélez couldn't have drowned in her toilet. This book rescues her reputation from the dismal gossip around the circumstances of her death, though ultimately it offers a story much richer than the rumors that have overwhelmed her legacy.

Many thanks to University Press of Kentucky for providing a copy of the book for review.

Book Review--Clarence Brown: Hollywood's Forgotten Master, MGM Director of Garbo, Crawford and Gable

Clarence Brown: Hollywood's Forgotten Master
Gwenda Young
University Press of Kentucky, 2019

Unlike his more celebrated contemporaries, such as Ford, Wyler and Cukor, the name Clarence Brown can draw a blank face from even classic film fans. It’s only until you consider the stars the MGM director worked with: Valentino, Garbo, Crawford, and Gable, or the films he made: Flesh and the Devil (1926), National Velvet (1944), The Yearling (1946), and Intruder in the Dust (1949), that you realize he was a giant in his own, less celebrated way. In a new biography by Gwenda Young, the filmmaker finally gets his due.

Brown was a complicated man, both personally and professionally. A trained engineer, he was drawn to the movies for their technical aspects, and yet he also had the ability to draw emotionally rich performances from his stars. On the set he could be subtle in his direction, pulling stars aside to whisper directions, but he had a reputation for coldness and unrelenting perfectionism. As a friend and business associate he cultivated long-term relationships and could provide much-needed support to those in need, but his multiple marriages often ended because of distance and emotional abandonment.

As a director, Brown didn’t have a distinctive style, which is probably as much the reason he hasn’t been remembered as an auteur as his reputation for being a company man at the behest of Louis B. Meyer. While it is true the director knew how to play the game, it did not prevent him from finding artistically fulfilling work and maintaining control over his career path. He cut his cinematic teeth under the silent film director Maurice Tourneur and the visual skills he acquired alongside him would inform his own work well beyond the silent era. Director Jean Renoir saw this knack for visual poetry and was among the few who found him to be an underrated filmmaker.

Young explores the often deeply intertwined personal and professional aspects of Brown’s life with a steady eye, noting the many contradictions he embodied. Especially compelling is her account of the production of Intruder in the Dust (1949), a profound rebuke against racism which the director made to address the ghosts from his own southern past. While he showed social consciousness in pursuing the project, he insisted that a young black actor play like a “coon” in a graveyard scene, rolling his eyes in fear while the white actors remained calm.

In addition to the satisfying examination of Brown as a man, the book is also full of the reflected glory of his association with the most glittering of the MGM stars. He is famous for being Garbo’s frequent collaborator, but worked just as much with Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. He nurtured the youthful talents of Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Butch Jenkins and Claude Jarman Jr. and adeptly managed big personalities like Norma Shearer and Spencer Tracy. As a result, there are lots of entertaining on-set stories here.

This is a solid, much-needed tribute and an enjoyable read.


Many thanks to University Press of Kentucky for providing a copy of the book for review.