Joi Lansing: A Body to Die For (audiobook)
(This audiobook will be sent as 52 chapters in one zip file)
A colorful chronicle of the personal and intimate details of the last four years of the talented 1950s blonde bombshell star’s fascinating life.
An American model, film and television actress, and nightclub singer, Joi found popularity with her pin-up photos and roles in B-movies, such as the sci-fi Queen of Outer Space (1958) and The Atomic Submarine (1959). Many small roles in television followed between 1952-1970, including The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Perry Mason, The Beverly Hillbillies, and an often seen role where she beat Lois Lane to marry Superman in the "Superman's Wife" episode of The Adventures of Superman (1958).
After three decades of successful TV and movie appearances and Las Vegas singing, Joi always verged on making it big, but when the curtain came down and the audience was gone, she struggled with suicide, self-image, and a deadly drug problem.
Her friendship with Rachel, the one relationship where she was loved as the sweet, gentle woman she was, ended when Joi died of breast cancer at the far too young of 43. Though her funeral was attended by luminaries of the day (Frank Sinatra sent a huge floral display), her light went out relatively unceremoniously.
Joi’s friend, author Alexis Hunter, was the only person who knew her struggles.
“Stunning black and white photos of Lansing by Maurice Seymour, the era’s Superstar Photographer, make this book a collectors dream.” -Kate Porter-Avery
“Dear Alex, The press you are getting for your book just keeps getting bigger and better. I am so happy for you, and you know that your beloved Joi is, too. I have told you more than once that yours is an important work, and I mean it just as much today. Somehow, it is more than just the story of your and Joi's love and life together. it is much, much more than that. Maybe the full meaning and the full importance of the book will not even be known right away. But, rest assured, it WILL stand the test of time. It is a breakthrough book, a singular story that to my knowledge, has never been quite told the way you have told it. I hope you are warmed and fulfilled by every glowing tribute to your work, and to your and Joi's love. Please keep sharing these wonderful reviews with me. I am proud of you, and happy beyond measure for you, too.” -John O'Dowd, author of Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story.
"Having lived a lifetime in the Hollywood spotlight, it’s always interesting to read about other actors and actresses who followed the same path. I never met Joi Lansing, and I don’t recall ever seeing her, although I was familiar with her name. This new biography of Lansing is very readable, and provides another peek behind the curtain of a Hollywood star’s life. It always appears so happy, problem-free, and glamorous looking from the outside in. Most of the time, it is just as difficult, challenging, lonely, and discouraging as anyone’s life might be. Sometimes, it’s even worse. This is a fascinating story about a very beautiful actress, and I think readers will be delighted and quite surprised." -Diane McBain