I was really excited when I picked up this book at the library. I've had a thing for Edith Head for a long time, so I was looking forward to finding out more about her.

Reading it was a mixed experience. There were parts that were fascinating - the intrigue and machinations behind the scenes were great fun to read about. At the same time, a better editor (or perhaps just a final edit?) is needed - there are 5 or 6 passages that are used almost verbatim several times, in separate places in the book. Also, the flow of the book is a little scattered. At times, it seemed to be almost more like a string of stream of consciousness vignettes than a coherent story. I frequently found myself having to go back several paragraphs or pages to figure out who a particular person was. The nature of the book is such that many of the names were unfamiliar to me - not being a Old Hollywood geek, I don't know the names of all of the designers/assistants/minor starlets right off hand. That being said, I completely understand that it's not a book guaranteed to appeal to everyone - so the intended audience might be much more familiar with these people than I am.

There was a nice set of color picture inserts, along with some sketches of particular outfits interspersed throughout the book. It would have been nice to have a lot more of these - but there well might have been copyright/legal issues with that.

Overall, pretty solid. I'm considering getting Edith's own book, The Dress Doctor, as it was referenced in this book. Apparently you're to read it with a grain of salt, as a bunch of stuff was made up. ( )

If you love movies, this is a good book. Gives you a good idea how a movie was made in the golden age of movies. ( )