Sandra Grabman: Biographer of Albert Salmi, Peggy Ann Garner, and Pat Buttram

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MY PUBLISHED BOOKS

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For over four decades, Albert was a very familiar presence in our lives. He often played authority figures - some villainous, others the epitome of goodness. But what was he really like? It seems this was a question that needed to be answered, so I went to his family, friends, neighbors, and co-stars to get the low-down. He was a sweet, loving man, with a great sense of humor and a pride in his family, they say. If that's so, then why did Albert and his wife Roberta die in a murder-suicide, with him designated as the bad guy? What was that all about? These questions and more are answered in this frank and loving tribute that includes Salmi's own never-before-published memoirs.

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Coming into our lives first as the young Jane Eyre, 12-year-old Peggy Ann Garner then proceeded to give an Oscar-winning performance in the 1945 film A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. This little girl was chock full of talent and had a delightful personality. Consequently, she made newspaper headlines occasionally. But guess what. Her flamboyant mother made more. Strong-willed Mrs. Garner's ambitions for her little girl resulted in the Hollywood career she craved, but also caused what was once a loving mother-daughter relationship to take on nightmarish overtones. She went too far, and pain and estrangement was the end product. Were Peggy's inner strength enough to enable her to overcome this handicap? Would she ever achieve contentment in life? This is a loving, but even-handed portrait of Peggy, gleaned from family letters and personal interviews with her relatives, friends, and co-stars. Once you get to know her as a human being, you'll fall in love with Peggy Ann all over again.

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This man has been the source of laughter and joy to us since the 1930s. The tension caused by Gene Autry's pursuit of the bad guys in movies, radio and television was broken by his yodel-y voiced sidekick, Pat, who had the wonderful ability of turning our frowns into smiles. On Green Acres, he did it again, this time as the lovable con-man, Mr. Haney. What was he really like? Was he the typical comedian who was the embodiment of merriment on stage, but glum when the cameras weren't rolling? Were all his hilarious lines written for him, or did he "think funny"? His family, friends, and cronies in showbiz reveal to us the Pat they knew and loved, and we discover that he was even funnier offstage! He wrote not only much of his own material, but that of some of his friends, as well. Interspersed through this book you will find many of Pat's original jokes for your enjoyment. If they make you laugh, their goal will be achieved.

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That's right! Can you imagine flubbing your line in front of the whole country without a chance to try again to make it right? That's what it was like back in the 1940s and 1950s. Week after week, we saw these brave actors and actresses take on the challenge, and they did an amazing job. Wright King was there on our screens in such shows as Studio One, Robert Montgomery Presents, and Kraft Television Theatre, and has fond memories of those exciting days. He and his fellow actors tell us the circumstances that led them to their first live television production, what it was like on the set as the time of the broadcast drew nigh, how they handled the inevitable bloopers, and the reactions they got from people on the street when they left the studio. So come on in and relive with us the days of yore when everything we saw on television was being broadcast live and absolutely anything could happen.

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FAVORITE BOOKS

The Holy Bible
Who's That Lady in the President's Bed?, by B. K. Ripley
Mustang on the Matterhorn, by Shel Lytton
Mustang Nonstop in London, by Shel Lytton
Harpo Speaks, by Harpo Marx
Son of Harpo Speaks, by Bill Marx

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