The social “adventures” of today’s Hollywood celebrities is a subject that millions of people are privy to every single day. Rarely do the actors and models get to experience a real private life outside the exploits of the paparazzi and the droves of entertainment reporters that surround nearly all of their public activities.
However, back in the waning days of Hollywood’s “Golden Era,” there were no such things as cable channels dedicated strictly to entertainment news or paparazzi jumping out of bushes with extended lenses to capture an A-list star stepping out on the patio for a cigarette. In the late 1960s/early 1970s, there were all sorts of stories among big players in Hollywood that remained largely untold.
One such starlet by the name of Barbara Leigh (Vampirella, Junior Bonner) had an especially unique adventure during her years in Hollywood; one such that few, if any, actresses can match. In 2002, the world-class model and actress finally put her memoirs in print in an autobiography entitled The King, McQueen and the Love Machine. In her autobiography, Ms. Leigh tells the fascinating details of her simultaneous relationships with three of the entertainment industry’s biggest players: Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen, and MGM President James Aubrey.
The 2008 audiobook adaptation, directed by Paul Kyriazi, features the beautiful Ms. Leigh both narrating and playing herself and also features a talented supporting cast, featuring veteran actor David Hedison (The Fly, Live and Let Die) as Aubrey, Tim Thomerson (Trancers, Uncommon Valor) as Steve McQueen, and top Elvis tribute artist Paul Casey as the King himself. This ensemble tells an amazing, sincere story about life and love in the fast lane during a nostalgic time in Hollywood history.
Ms. Leigh’s sultry but honest voice gracefully guides the listener through these intimate experiences with three of the most powerful men in entertainment, and lets us in on surprising details about them that only the closest personal friend or lover could ever know. Far from being an exploitive tale about what it was like under the sheets, Ms. Leigh’s story is surprisingly deep and powerful, and she instantly draws the listener into feeling the weight of the inevitable tribulations that she faced while at the same time uplifting the listener with her indomitable spirit. Make no mistake, this is an unforgettable work that will leave the listener with a deeper appreciation for the life of one of Hollywood’s most beautiful starlets, and will forever change the listener’s comprehension of the lives and personalities of the famous men who loved her.
Ms. Leigh’s audiobook is available at her website, BarbaraLeigh.com, and at Amazon.com. FelixLeiter.com would like to graciously thank Mr. Paul Kyriazi for providing us with an autographed copy of Ms. Leigh’s autobiography for this review.
Stay tuned, as FelixLeiter.com will be conducting a telephone interview with actor David Hedison and posting the transcript on our main page. Mr. Hedison will be answering questions about his experience on the audiobook, as well as a few questions related to his portrayal of Felix Leiter in EON Productions’ James Bond 007 films!
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