Today I have a special treat for my film book loving readers! Here's your chance to win an autographed copy of The Girl on the Balcony by Olivia Hussey. Yes you read that correctly. Autographed!
I reviewed Hussey's new memoir back in September. You can read the full review here. But to recap here is an excerpt of that review:
At the tender age of 15, Olivia Hussey landed the role of a lifetime: Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968). Alongside newcomer Leonard Whiting, the duo captivated audiences around the world breathing new life into Shakespeare's renowned play. In Olivia Hussey's memoir The Girl on the Balcony, she takes readers on a journey of her entire life from her early days in Argentina to the present day. Hussey recounts in wonderful detail the making of Romeo and Juliet. I was especially pleased by this because like many others that is one of the reasons I was drawn to the book. The reader settles into to the world of 1960s Cinecitta. I particularly loved reading the passages of the sweet bond she developed with Whiting, they remained friends for decades, and the mutual admiration between her and director Zeffirelli. He could be a tough director but she acknowledges that he knew what he was doing and could bring out the best performances from her. The two would later work on Jesus of Nazareth together.
Hussey is a gentle soul who wears her heart on her sleeve. You can tell this from her book. We follow the ups and downs of her life. Her marriages to Dean "Dino" Paul Martin (her first great love who died tragically in a plane crash), Akira Fuse (the Japanese rock legend) and her current husband David Glen Eisley with whom she's been in a loving and supportive marriage since 1991. We learn about her children Alex, Max, and India. There are also the various films and TV shows she worked on over the years which culminated with another role of a lifetime, Mother Theresa in the TV movie Madre Teresa. She discusses moving to LA, living in the Tate-Polanski home just weeks after the Manson murders, her abusive relationship with Christopher Jones (Ryan's Daughter), and her tender bond with the Dean Martin clan. We learn about the classic Hollywood legends that entered her world over the years including Robert Mitchum (he was a good cook), Frank Sinatra (helped her out with Dino Martin was arrested), Elizabeth Taylor (Burton once said Hussey was like Taylor), Bette Davis ("working with her was its own kind of suffering), David Niven ("like me he was a giggler"), Burt Lancaster (she was in awe of him) and many more.
The Girl on the Balcony
Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo & Juliet
by Olivia Hussey
Kensington Publishing
320 pages
Thanks to the good folks at Kensington Publishing one winner will receive an autographed copy of Hussey's memoir.
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CONTEST IS NOW OVER
Congrats to winner DKoren!
Congrats to winner DKoren!
To enter:
1) Leave a comment below describing your favorite scene from Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968)
2) Include your e-mail address in the comment so I can contact you if you win. Addresses will be removed after the contest is over.
* Open to US only.
* Must be age 18 or over.
* One entry per person.
* Entry must be complete based on criteria above to qualify.
* Contest ends October 28th at 11:59 PM EST.
* One winner will be selected, contacted via e-mail, and announced here.
* Must be age 18 or over.
* One entry per person.
* Entry must be complete based on criteria above to qualify.
* Contest ends October 28th at 11:59 PM EST.
* One winner will be selected, contacted via e-mail, and announced here.