Peter Lawford: The Man Who Kept Secrets
Lawford starred in surprisingly few grade-A films. Nevertheless, the charm he displayed in movies such as Good News (1947) and Little Women (1949), as well as in clubs and television made him a household name. Biographer Spada ( Monroe, Her Life in Pictures , LJ 10/1/82) balances Lawford's professional and personal lives as the ultimately self-destructive actor never could. Spada chronicles Lawford's British heritage, marriages to Pat Kennedy and less famous women, close friendships with Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, and Jackie Kennedy, and his descent into alcohol and drug abuse. This excellently written, thoroughly researched and documented portrait is as compelling as it is distressing. Highly recommended.- Kim Holston, American Inst. for Property and Liability Underwriters, Malvern, Pa.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.