Brooklyn Baby: A Hollywood Star's Amazing Journey Through Love, Loss & Laughter (paperback)
Steiger. The name conjures images of Rod Steiger, Academy Award Best Actor-winner for his role as a bigoted police chief in In the Heat of the Night (1967), but the woman behind the man was Joan. They were married until his death in 2002. She lost the man she loved, but she maintained a contagiously upbeat and positive outlook throughout the rest of her life.
Joan’s life reverberated as a star in her own right. Best-known for her role as Edith Fairchild on General Hospital (1963), her credits included appearances in films, on stage, and in television roles, including work on Butterfield 8 (1960), The Bob Newhart Show (1972), Candid Camera (1960), Fantasy Island (1977), Get Smart (1965), Love American Style (1969), Hogan's Heroes (1965), and The Steve Allen Show (1951).
Even the most imaginative Hollywood screenwriter would be challenged to compose a story like Joan Benedict Steiger, a Brooklyn girl, trained first in ballet, then graduating to the Actor’s Studio, where she not only honed talents that thrilled audiences but learned to follow a dream. From the stark reality of life as an elite member of the entertainment industry to the tragic loss of the men in her life, Joan’s captivating story proves ultimately inspiring.
Discover the inside scoop about hilarious, tragic, and behind-the-scenes Hollywood and the people she encountered: Don Adams, Steve Allen, Julie Andrews, Bridget Bardot, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Tom Berenger, Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, Pierce Brosnan, Glen Campbell, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Tim Conway, Bob Crane, Tony Curtis, Sammy Davis Jr., Richard Dreyfuss, Carrie Fischer, Henry Fonda, Judy Garland, James Garner, Hugh Hefner, Florence Henderson, Katharine Hepburn, Charlton Heston, Bob Hope, Dennis Hopper, Shirley Jones, Quincy Jones, John F. Kennedy, Don Knotts, Burt Lancaster, Jack Lemon, Ann-Margaret, John Myhers, Elvis Presley, Burt Reynolds, Eric Roberts, Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Jeremy Slate, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Wagner, Denzel Washington, John Wayne, and Jonathan Winters.
Celebrate one courageous woman's battle to transcend misfortunes. Not your typical Hollywood tell-all, Joan’s memoir springs from her unique behind-the-scenes perspectives on surviving personal loss and overcoming adversity.
14 chapters, Index, and illustrated with nearly 200 rare candid and scene photos from her appearances in films, television series, and stage productions. Plus personal letters from US Presidents and noted entertainers, such as Quincy Jones, Tony Bennett, and Jonathan Winters, and love letters and unpublished poems written by Academy Award-winning Rod Steiger.