From Drags to Riches: The Untold Story of Charles Pierce (Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.46 (516 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1560233869 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 280 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-07-10 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
The best chapters recount Pierce's rise from struggling actor dabbling in drag to headliner at such clubs as Finocchio's in San Francisco. He clearly admires Pierce's wit, talent, and energy, but he knows too much about Pierce's foibles, narcissism, sex life, and tendency to slight collaborators. He also settles a few old scores; for instance, he says he deserves writing credits for some of Pierce's most popular routines. An old friend of Pierce's--they met as acting students at the Pasadena Playhouse--Wallraff is very ambivalent about Pierce, and his mixed feelings erupt at odd times throughout the book. Time and again, Wallraff deflates Pierce with a catty observation or wicked recollection of bad behavior. From Booklist Wallraff on female impersonator Pierce is fascinating and infuriating. All rights reserved. Jack HelbigCopyright © American Library Association. Wallraff's inconsistent prose merely accentuates his ambivalence about Pierce; chapter
Peice of Trash, a terrible injustice to the memory of Charles I knew Charles personally for almost 30 years and this book is pure science fiction, a pathetic memoir. It is basically a rehash of printed material anyone can find from newspaper and magazine accounts, hardly anything original, and is tasteless and unfair to Charles' memory. He claims Charles wanted to reveal the "real" Charles. Charles would not have disclosed his personal life nor wanted it to be after his death. He was always a gentleman, very caring an. Amateur Night at the Drag Show A Customer Written by a long-time friend and fellow performer who seems to have serious unresolved issues about laboring in Pierce's shadow, this amateurish look at the famous entertainer isn't so much a cohesive biography as it is a haphazard memoir cobbled together from press clippings, boozy reminsces of barroom nights, transcripts of Pierce's act and excerpts from an autobiography Pierce never completed. Adding to the "kitchen sink" effect are a number of "fly-on-. "charlie lives on !" according to Stanley Warmbrodt. one has to have seen Charles to fully appreciate him. this volume is a happy substitute although i wish it had been a better quality book, paper and photo wise.
Learn how Charles Pierce achieved stardom and became one of the most famous female impersonators of all time!Charles Pierce (1926--1999) was an internationally known and highly successful female impersonator, known for his vivid portrayals of Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, and Mae West. In this insightful and moving volume, Pierce’s friend John Wallraff offers valuable insights about the little-known man behind the makeup and captures the essence of what drag stardom is really like. This informative, imaginative, and sexually provocative book contains: stories of how famous Hollywood icons shaped Charles Pierce’s life and his act Pierce’s history, from his humble beginnings at the Pasadena Playhouse to his sold-out shows in San Francisco and beyond a look at Pierce’s private life an examination of the price