Riskin is generous with the beautiful story of her wonderful life with her mother, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 96. And equally as generous with details of her brief life with her dad, Robert Riskin ... bountiful ... Victoria Riskin’s lovely style of alternating entire chapters between Fay Wray and Robert Riskin remained through a good portion of the book, up until Wray met Riskin at a 1940 Christmas Eve party in Hollywood. And the rest, as they say, is history. Chapters and their subjects merged as Fay and Robert became a couple ... A comprehensive work of the formation of Hollywood studios’ labor unions, politics, the post-WWII communism scares, personal and professional photos, the many movie posters from, as well as information about, every film both Fay Wray and Robert Riskin ever made, grace this memoir ... an abundant account of what it’s like to be the daughter of Hollywood’s original power couple, and a must-read for fans and others with celebrity stars in their eyes.
Fascinating ... necessarily a deeply personal story, informed by the author’s affection for her parents, but it’s also a revealing story about Hollywood in its early years, as the movie business took over the world and turned its players into not just celebrities but also icons ... This, of course, is hardly the first Hollywood bio written by a child of the subjects, but it’s one of the most refreshing: a story about love and respect, not secrets, dirt, and lies.
Riskin remembers her parents with warmth and a perceptible touch of melancholy ... Wray’s diary entries, along with the adoring love letters Riskin wrote her when he was engaged in his war work, constitute the raw, mournful heart of their daughter’s touching memoir.
Researching and writing this book has given Victoria Riskin — and her readers — two related pleasures: getting to know the man who championed the little guy on film and remembering the woman who screamed life into a Fay Wray doll.
Researching and writing this book has given Victoria Riskin – and her readers – two related pleasures: getting to know the man who championed the little guy on film and remembering the woman who screamed life into a Fay Wray doll.
Captivating ... In alternating chapters, the author traces their careers and shares lively stories of their personal journeys. The narrative is enhanced by richly detailed descriptions of that period, as the author offers fresh insights into the studio system and many of the key players. Much has been previously written about Capra as well as studio moguls such as Harry Cohn; Riskin provides further nuance and context for how these and other industry talents operated ... In this engrossing tribute to her parents, the author provides a thoughtfully documented portrait of early Hollywood. A must-read for fans of this era of film history.
Heartfelt ... Riskin writes with thoughtful reflection about her mother and father’s strong bond: particularly powerfully conveyed is Wray’s courage in single-handedly supporting the family after Riskin’s debilitating stroke in 1950. But the most intriguing chapters are about Wray and Riskin’s separate prenuptial lives ... This nostalgic and reverent—if somewhat dryly written—remembrance of Riskin’s famous parents and their Golden Age Hollywood milieu will appeal to classic movie fans.
