Reynolds pairs up with Dandola's main amateur sleuth, a barber named Tony Del Plato; as in Dandola's previous book, Del Plato helps the eccentric (and real) millionaire, John Hays Hammond, Jr. Why did John borrow Reynolds' real persona as a fictional version of herself? He cites her plentiful charm, and the fact that his story takes place in Old Hollywood:
"The dynamics between characters, just like real people, change over the years. Enter Marjorie Reynolds. From everything I’ve learned about her through research and interviews, the late Miss Reynolds wasn’t just pretty and charming on-screen; she seems to have been a breath of fresh air off-screen. I thoroughly enjoy writing about her. She has become absolutely real on every page she occupies, and she just clicked with the barber character. What’s more, the trajectory of her career can easily be understood by anyone in the outside world who has suffered from indifferent bosses and bureaucratic mindsets. That is a tremendously humanizing element in her appeal—even beyond her 1940's movie star looks.”
And by the way--couldn't Katherine Heigl be a double for Reynolds if they cast her in a Reynods bio-pic today?
Check out John Dandola's books at www.johndandola.com
(Image: wikipedia)
1 comment:
John's newest novel offers rare glimpses into the idiosyncrasies of inventor John Hays Hammond and Thomas Edison, yesteryear vignettes about West Orange, New Jersey, as well as a murder mystery that involves Hollywood starlet Marjorie Reynolds and her bodyguard, Tony Del Plato. There are stories within stories, and mysteries within mysteries. It is a charming, period novel. John certainly can weave the tales. As a fan and a visitor to Hammond Castle, where part of the story takes place, I found a wealth of historical fiction from cover to cover. Mary Beth
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