A Private View

A Private View

My Dad is a Sausage wins Audience Choice Award at the Providence Children’s Film Festival!

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My Dad is a Sausage
Mijn vader is een saucisse

A Private View bvba | A. Baeyensstraat 134n | 9040 Gent – Belgium | +32 9 240 10 00 | info@aprivateview.be
“My Dad is a Sausage wins Audience Choice Award at Providence Children's Film Festival!“
A Private View is a Ghent (Belgium) based, independent production company that develops, produces and co-produces feature films, drama series and animated series. We focus on strong story content and contemporary themes, giving a private view on the world – discrete but inspiring glimpses of recognizable yet surprising universes. We strive to build long-term relationships with both emerging and established writers and directors. We believe in a hands-on approach and are closely involved in every step of the filmmaking process, from writing over developing to releasing high-quality and artistic pieces of intimate cinema. A Private View produced or co-produced about fifty feature films among which Filmfest Ghent winner ZAGROS (2017), EFA best comedy nominee VINCENT AND THE END OF THE WORLD (2016), Montreal Grand Prix winner OXYGEN (2010) and Cannes Critics’ week laureate MOSCOW, BELGIUM (2008).

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by Irene Mayer Selznick

Published
May 12th 1983
by Knopf

0394401921
(ISBN13: 9780394401928 )

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Aug 24, 2011

Greta

rated it
really liked it

Engrossing autobiography of the woman who was David O. Selznick's wife and Louis Mayer's daughter before escaping from them and becoming a theatre producer. Despite her affectionate tone, it's clear that Selznick was a freaking lunatic. Perhaps she could stand it for so long because her father was a freaking lunatic, so maybe she thought that was normal behavior. Anyway, it seems to have given her a talent for dealing with difficult people, which stood her in good stead in her later career deali
Engrossing autobiography of the woman who was David O. Selznick's wife and Louis Mayer's daughter before escaping from them and becoming a theatre producer. Despite her affectionate tone, it's clear that Selznick was a freaking lunatic. Perhaps she could stand it for so long because her father was a freaking lunatic, so maybe she thought that was normal behavior. Anyway, it seems to have given her a talent for dealing with difficult people, which stood her in good stead in her later career dealing with such jerks as Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando for whom, surprisingly, she also professes fondness.
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Oct 29, 2020

Mary Narkiewicz

rated it
it was amazing

Excellent autobiography. I loved her clear steady voice. And her book completely changed my view of Louis B. Mayer (her father).. I had read so many horror stories about him over the years told by this and that movie star.. but she humanized him for me completely.. I actually grew to like him.. He and Mrs. Meyer sure raised a good daughter! All the little tidbits about Hollywood stars were illuminating.. loved the story of meeting the very young Greta Garbo in an elevator in Germany.. before she
Excellent autobiography. I loved her clear steady voice. And her book completely changed my view of Louis B. Mayer (her father).. I had read so many horror stories about him over the years told by this and that movie star.. but she humanized him for me completely.. I actually grew to like him.. He and Mrs. Meyer sure raised a good daughter! All the little tidbits about Hollywood stars were illuminating.. loved the story of meeting the very young Greta Garbo in an elevator in Germany.. before she came to America. Irene was right there at the start of so much.. Hollywood history told by someone who was there.
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Gave up on this book about 2/3 of the way through as it was due at the library and really not worth renewing. Poorly written and edited. Seemed to go all over the place. Although Irene was raised very strictly, which lasted until her marriage to David Selznick, she was given all the advantages of the very wealthy, especially when her family moved to Hollywood. I could not relate to the poor little rich girl. That, and the excesses of Hollywood in the up and coming movie industry -- and this at a
Gave up on this book about 2/3 of the way through as it was due at the library and really not worth renewing. Poorly written and edited. Seemed to go all over the place. Although Irene was raised very strictly, which lasted until her marriage to David Selznick, she was given all the advantages of the very wealthy, especially when her family moved to Hollywood. I could not relate to the poor little rich girl. That, and the excesses of Hollywood in the up and coming movie industry -- and this at a time when most of the country was suffering in the Depression -- was sickening, really. The picture plates were cool, tho.
...more

May 06, 2020

Mick Meyers

rated it
liked it

An ok book dealing with the marriage of Irene and david selznick.never really caught my attention but the ratings prove different,horses for courses I suppose.

An utterly charming and interesting memoir. A must read for those interested in 20th Century Hollywood.

Shelves:
english ,
non-fiction ,
bios

I loved this book. It's written with grace and gives a good and faithful inside to the golden era of Hollywood. Mrs. Selznick or Ms. Mayer guides us through her life with honesty and humor. We learn how Louis B was as a father, a tycoon and a husband. Her main reason to write this book, I think, was to clear her father's name of those accusations her sister had spread about him. Also, we can get an insight to her life with DOS, her struggle of providing him a cozy and quiet backround, of handlin
I loved this book. It's written with grace and gives a good and faithful inside to the golden era of Hollywood. Mrs. Selznick or Ms. Mayer guides us through her life with honesty and humor. We learn how Louis B was as a father, a tycoon and a husband. Her main reason to write this book, I think, was to clear her father's name of those accusations her sister had spread about him. Also, we can get an insight to her life with DOS, her struggle of providing him a cozy and quiet backround, of handling his gambling problems and of standing by him even in the toughtest times. I like her being very honest about her life and about ppl whom she interacted: nobody is a saint, nobody is evil. However, there are subjects she treats with delicacy and points out that she does it for not to violate the person in question. This is a highly entertaining book I recommend to everyone who is interested in old Hollywood. It was so comforting reading her speaking of Ingrid Bergman, my hero. Finally, i have to say that as a non-English speaker sometimes i had problems with certain expressions to understand but i've learned some funny and useful ones as well while reading the book.
...more

"The 1983 biography of a woman best known for being daughter and wife to two of classic Hollywood’s most powerful moguls. Both Louis B. Mayer and David O. Selznick come across as sympathetic and stubbornly human men who influenced Irene’s life in countless ways. Irene is an excellent writer with a gift for observation and a pragmatic viewpoint, traits that especially shine in the earlier chapters of her book. Unlike many other bios where childhood memories make up the dullest parts, Irene shows
"The 1983 biography of a woman best known for being daughter and wife to two of classic Hollywood’s most powerful moguls. Both Louis B. Mayer and David O. Selznick come across as sympathetic and stubbornly human men who influenced Irene’s life in countless ways. Irene is an excellent writer with a gift for observation and a pragmatic viewpoint, traits that especially shine in the earlier chapters of her book. Unlike many other bios where childhood memories make up the dullest parts, Irene shows herself to have been a remarkably poised and precocious little girl almost from birth. She’s a stark contrast to her vain and impetuous older sister, Edith (who is by far the least likable person in the book). After Irene divorced Selznick in the ’40s, she went on to forge a thriving career in the New York theatre scene as producer of A Streetcar Named Desire and several other plays. It’s a fitting coda to an uplifting book." - Scrubbles.net review, August 3, 2008.
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Mar 06, 2016

HalKid2

rated it
liked it

As a fan of old Hollywood, I was looking forward to some good behind the scenes gossip about Louis B. Mayer, his daughter Irene, and Irene's husband, David O. Selznick -- the man behind Gone With The Wind. And yes, there was SOME of that. Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Jennifer Jones (Selznick's second wife), Cary Grant, Howard Hughes and others do show up -- but honestly, what you learn about them is not that interesting. So much so, that I skimmed sections. Irene really doesn't address her
As a fan of old Hollywood, I was looking forward to some good behind the scenes gossip about Louis B. Mayer, his daughter Irene, and Irene's husband, David O. Selznick -- the man behind Gone With The Wind. And yes, there was SOME of that. Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Jennifer Jones (Selznick's second wife), Cary Grant, Howard Hughes and others do show up -- but honestly, what you learn about them is not that interesting. So much so, that I skimmed sections. Irene really doesn't address her husband's philandering - only his drinking and gambling. What does come through is her transition from Louis's dutiful daughter, to David's trophy wife, and finally to successful Broadway producer. If you can think of this more as a story of emerging feminism, ahead of it's time, rather than a Hollywood, tell off -- you'll likely enjoy it more.
...more

Shelves:
2016 ,
library ,
favorites

This was such a great read! Irene tells her life story with openness and humor. Yes, her father cared for his family, but he ruled his family, much in the way he ruled MGM, in his own vision. As an example, his daughters stayed home instead of going to college because he decided it would suit them and the family better. Irene keeps her emotions and desires under wraps and it isn't until she meets David O. Selznick, who talks and talks and wants to hear her talk, too. The book is filled with insig
This was such a great read! Irene tells her life story with openness and humor. Yes, her father cared for his family, but he ruled his family, much in the way he ruled MGM, in his own vision. As an example, his daughters stayed home instead of going to college because he decided it would suit them and the family better. Irene keeps her emotions and desires under wraps and it isn't until she meets David O. Selznick, who talks and talks and wants to hear her talk, too. The book is filled with insights and gossip about early Hollywood and Broadway of the 1960's. Did you know that when Ingrid Bergman first got to Hollywood, she stayed with the Selznicks? Or that Irene was best friends with Kate Hepburn? Really, this is worth the read!
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Dec 30, 2010

Jennifer

rated it
really liked it

I loved this book. I picked it up on a whim at a used bookstore, giving into my curiosity (a Mayer and a Selznick!)and was surprised at how moving the book was. Initially I was interested in the transition from early early Hollywood to the star system 30s, but I became fascinated with Irene Mayer (daughter of MGM mogul L.B. Mayer) and David Selznick's marriage. Irene Selznick is never less than gracious but her sharp perceptions of her family and associates reveal much.
I loved this book. I picked it up on a whim at a used bookstore, giving into my curiosity (a Mayer and a Selznick!)and was surprised at how moving the book was. Initially I was interested in the transition from early early Hollywood to the star system 30s, but I became fascinated with Irene Mayer (daughter of MGM mogul L.B. Mayer) and David Selznick's marriage. Irene Selznick is never less than gracious but her sharp perceptions of her family and associates reveal much.
...more

Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in screen/stage

Interesting insights on Ms. M-S's own life, but also intriguing views on her father (Louis B. Mayer) and husband (David O. Selznick) and the movies and theater events and people of the 40s and 50s. Fascinating.
Interesting insights on Ms. M-S's own life, but also intriguing views on her father (Louis B. Mayer) and husband (David O. Selznick) and the movies and theater events and people of the 40s and 50s. Fascinating.
...more

Apr 07, 2013

Karen

rated it
liked it

An enigmatic personality living in fantastic surroundings. IMS was accomplished in her own right, but I found her a little bit of a void in the center of the story. She does a much better job of delineating the men around her than letting us in to her own psyche.

Shelves:
autobiography ,
history-movies

If you love Classic Hollywood and American Theater, A PRIVATE VIEW is for you. Irene Mayer Selznick was an amazing woman with a fabulous life story.

Shelves:
all-things-hollywood

Superb autobiography from a woman who was the daughter of legendary LB Mayer and the wife of legendary David O. Selznick.

Didn't want this book to end.
Didn't want this book to end.
...more

Jan 11, 2013

Linden

rated it
really liked it

Memoir of Louis B. Mayer's daughter and David O. Selznick's ex-wife.
Memoir of Louis B. Mayer's daughter and David O. Selznick's ex-wife.
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Dianne

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liked it

Dec 19, 2008

Aneurysm

rated it
it was ok

Aug 24, 2012

Diane

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May 06, 2012

Lisa

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Jun 18, 2020

Kayla

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it was amazing

Nov 11, 2013

Joan

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May 19, 2013

Lirazel

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Jul 03, 2017

Elizabeth Rubens

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Jun 02, 2015

Nick Rylance

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it was amazing

May 08, 2016

Jeaellen

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really liked it

Apr 21, 2009

Eleanor

rated it
it was amazing

Apr 29, 2013

Linsey

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liked it

Nov 26, 2007

Jennifer

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Mar 14, 2021

AK

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Apr 25, 2009

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