Finding Zsa Zsa: The Gabors behind the Legend
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)
In 1945, after barely escaping Hitler's invasion of Hungary followed by "liberation" of the country by the Red Army, three members of the Gabor family—Jolie, her ex-husband Vilmos, and their daughter Magda—arrived in New York City. In Hollywood, their other daughters,
Zsa Zsa and Eva, had worked feverishly throughout the war years to secure their rescue from the Nazis' plan to exterminate the Jews. Stepping off the boat, Jolie, the iron-willed matriarch, already had a golden future mapped out for her sharp-witted, cosmopolitan beauties.
Over the next six decades, with twenty-three husbands between them (suave All About Eve star George Sanders would wed both Zsa Zsa and Magda), scores of lovers, and roller-coaster rides in film, television, theater, and business, the elegant yet gloriously bawdy, addictively watchable Gabors carved a niche in the entertainment industry that made them world-famous pop-culture icons. But beneath the artifice of Dior and diamonds was another side to the story they never revealed: the whole truth.
This first verifiable history of the Gabors casts a startling new light on these extraordinary women. Finding Zsa Zsa reveals the tumultuous and often unforgiven battles between mother and daughter, sister and sister, wife and husband; Eva's "bearded" romance with Merv Griffin that allowed them both to seek same-sex lovers; Zsa Zsa's involuntary confinement in a mental hospital; her life-long struggle with bipolar disorder; and her last—unconsummated—marriage to the manipulating faux prince Frederic von Anhalt. Here too is the untold story of Zsa Zsa's daughter, Francesca Hilton, a gifted photographer who eschewed the Gabor lifestyle and paid a sad price for her independence. The story of family patriarch Vilmos Gabor, who returned to Hungary only to be trapped behind the Iron Curtain, reads like a Cold War spy thriller.
Culled from new interviews with family, colleagues, and confidantes, and the unpublished memoirs of the author's friend Francesca Hilton, Finding Zsa Zsa finally introduces fans to the Gabor family they never knew, including many never-before-seen photos. It's a riveting, outrageously funny, bittersweet, and affectionately honest read of four women who were vulnerable, tough, charitable, endlessly fascinating, and always glamorous to a fault.
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Sam Staggs. (2019). Finding Zsa Zsa: The Gabors behind the Legend. Kensington Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Sam Staggs. 2019. Finding Zsa Zsa: The Gabors Behind the Legend. Kensington Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Sam Staggs, Finding Zsa Zsa: The Gabors Behind the Legend. Kensington Books, 2019.
MLA Citation (style guide)Sam Staggs. Finding Zsa Zsa: The Gabors Behind the Legend. Kensington Books, 2019.
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- bioText: Sam Staggs is the author of six books, including four biographies of movies: All About "All About Eve"; Close-up on "Sunset Boulevard"; When Blanche Met Brando: The Scandalous Story of "A Streetcar Named Desire"; and Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of "Imitation of Life." He has written for publications including Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, and Opera News. He lives in Dallas, Texas.
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- For decades, the Gabor dynasty was the epitome of glamour and fairy tale success. But as biographer, film historian, and Gabor family friend Sam Staggs reveals, behind the headlines is a true story more dramatic, fabulous, and surprising than their self-styled legend would have you believe . . .
In 1945, after barely escaping Hitler's invasion of Hungary followed by "liberation" of the country by the Red Army, three members of the Gabor family—Jolie, her ex-husband Vilmos, and their daughter Magda—arrived in New York City. In Hollywood, their other daughters,
Zsa Zsa and Eva, had worked feverishly throughout the war years to secure their rescue from the Nazis' plan to exterminate the Jews. Stepping off the boat, Jolie, the iron-willed matriarch, already had a golden future mapped out for her sharp-witted, cosmopolitan beauties.
Over the next six decades, with twenty-three husbands between them (suave All About Eve star George Sanders would wed both Zsa Zsa and Magda), scores of lovers, and roller-coaster rides in film, television, theater, and business, the elegant yet gloriously bawdy, addictively watchable Gabors carved a niche in the entertainment industry that made them world-famous pop-culture icons. But beneath the artifice of Dior and diamonds was another side to the story they never revealed: the whole truth.
This first verifiable history of the Gabors casts a startling new light on these extraordinary women. Finding Zsa Zsa reveals the tumultuous and often unforgiven battles between mother and daughter, sister and sister, wife and husband; Eva's "bearded" romance with Merv Griffin that allowed them both to seek same-sex lovers; Zsa Zsa's involuntary confinement in a mental hospital; her life-long struggle with bipolar disorder; and her last—unconsummated—marriage to the manipulating faux prince Frederic von Anhalt. Here too is the untold story of Zsa Zsa's daughter, Francesca Hilton, a gifted photographer who eschewed the Gabor lifestyle and paid a sad price for her independence. The story of family patriarch Vilmos Gabor, who returned to Hungary only to be trapped behind the Iron Curtain, reads like a Cold War spy thriller.
Culled from new interviews with family, colleagues, and confidantes, and the unpublished memoirs of the author's friend Francesca Hilton, Finding Zsa Zsa finally introduces fans to the Gabor family they never knew, including many never-before-seen photos. It's a riveting, outrageously funny, bittersweet, and affectionately honest read of four women who were vulnerable, tough, charitable, endlessly fascinating, and always glamorous to a fault. - reviews
- premium: False
- source: Charles Busch, Actor and playwright, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife
- content: "Sam Staggs' Finding Zsa Zsa is a meticulously researched and always surprising history of four beautiful and shrewd women who cut a wide swath through Broadway, Film, Television and Cafe Society. Much like his glamorous subjects, Sam Staggs gives his story a witty, breezy style that is delightful and entertaining but tough minded and impossible to resist."
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
June 1, 2019
Living by their own rules, the Hungarian sisters Zsa Zsa, Eva, and Magda Gabor, plus their controlling mother, Jolie, entertained and outraged America and the world for decades. With their heavy accents, quick wit, wigs, and jewels, they were perfect material for talk shows and gossip columns. Staggs (All About All About Eve; Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard), a longtime observer of all things Gabor, offers as truthful a biography of the family as we're likely to get. The women were much married, with 23 husbands among them--Zsa Zsa (born Sári) had nine husbands, including actor George Sanders and hotel tycoon Conrad Hilton, plus countless lovers. As the author sees it, Zsa Zsa lacked the discipline and work ethic to sustain a meaningful career and was hobbled by lifelong bipolar disorder and a later nervous breakdown. Eva was the most serious actress, while Magda, hardened by her wartime experiences, was the most realistic. While the Gabors were frequently hilarious, Staggs doesn't neglect the dark side of their story. VERDICT The Gabors lived full lives, and by the end of this book, readers may be as exhausted as the Gabors must have been. Still, this wild ride is recommended for fans of the actors and lovers of tell-alls.--Stephen Rees, formerly with Levittown Lib., PA
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
June 24, 2019
Celebrity biographer Staggs (Inventing Elsa Maxwell) dishes up an entertaining biography of the glamorous Gabor sisters: Eva, Magda, and Zsa Zsa. Beginning by parsing the contradictory versions of the Gabor family’s days in Hungary before and during WWII-era German occupation, Staggs is unapologetically fond of these three women, who were groomed by their controlling mother, Jolie, to pursue fame above all else. Eva and Zsa Zsa arrived in America shortly before WWII and were pursuing movie careers when, after the war, they were joined by the other Gabors. Magda and Eva strived to be taken seriously as actresses even as they and Zsa Zsa—content to headline B movies, perhaps most memorably in Queen of Outer Space—became better known for their tempestuous personal lives. Zsa Zsa’s ill-fated marriage to hotel magnate Conrad Hilton was tabloid fodder for years. As Hollywood’s studio system faded, Magda worked in regional theater, Eva found a signature role on Green Acres, and Zsa Zsa became a talk show regular. While readers may sometimes lose the narrative thread of Staggs’s painstakingly detailed account, his take on the Gabors—oft-derided in their day as exemplars of style over substance—as hardworking show business survivors is clear and refreshingly admiring. Pop culture buffs will just adore this penthouse view of the Gabors. Agent: Eric Myers, Eric Myers Agency.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
July 1, 2019
A colorful history of the glamorous pop-culture icons of the previous century. In this latest biography of the Gabors, film historian Staggs (Inventing Elsa Maxwell, 2012, etc.) attempts to "set the record straight" in portraying their larger-than-life history and the numerous legends, rumors, and scandals connected to each family member: sisters Magda, Zsa Zsa, and Eva, and mother, Jolie. As the title indicates, Zsa Zsa takes center stage throughout the narrative. "Clichés about this legendary family seem indestructible," writes the author in the preface. "I hope, however, to have punctured two of the silliest. The first is that they were famous for being famous....The other outlandish notion is that they somehow foreshadowed the Kardashians and others of that ilk. This one is nourished by those who know nothing of the Gabors and too much about the Ks, not one of whom has the sophistication...of an Eva or a Zsa Zsa." The Gabors indeed live jet-setting, productive lives and individually achieved a vast array of accomplishments in the entertainment and fashion industries. Yet perhaps their biggest achievement was one of self-invention. As refugees from Hungary landing in the United States, they carefully cultivated their mystique of glittering fabulousness and spent their lives preserving that image. Though certainly more cosmopolitan than the likes of the Kardashians, they frankly did foreshadow the glamorous lifestyles of current celebrity sensations. Ultimately, the book is an old-fashioned Hollywood biography, however respectfully eschewing the malicious Kitty Kelly style of dishing. Staggs diligently references sources and allows their personalities and escapades to come vividly to life, including their numerous love affairs and marriages (more than 20 among the three sisters) and their many career milestones. Beneath all the glitz, these were business-savvy women, and the author misses the opportunity to claim their relevance for contemporary readers, leaving them enmeshed within their long-reigning "camp" status. Theirs is an interesting, occasionally wayward American success story begging for a revisionist approach to the telling. An entertaining yet predictable portrait of a flamboyantly iconic family.COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
June 1, 2019
Living by their own rules, the Hungarian sisters Zsa Zsa, Eva, and Magda Gabor, plus their controlling mother, Jolie, entertained and outraged America and the world for decades. With their heavy accents, quick wit, wigs, and jewels, they were perfect material for talk shows and gossip columns. Staggs (All About All About Eve; Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard), a longtime observer of all things Gabor, offers as truthful a biography of the family as we're likely to get. The women were much married, with 23 husbands among them--Zsa Zsa (born S�ri) had nine husbands, including actor George Sanders and hotel tycoon Conrad Hilton, plus countless lovers. As the author sees it, Zsa Zsa lacked the discipline and work ethic to sustain a meaningful career and was hobbled by lifelong bipolar disorder and a later nervous breakdown. Eva was the most serious actress, while Magda, hardened by her wartime experiences, was the most realistic. While the Gabors were frequently hilarious, Staggs doesn't neglect the dark side of their story. VERDICT The Gabors lived full lives, and by the end of this book, readers may be as exhausted as the Gabors must have been. Still, this wild ride is recommended for fans of the actors and lovers of tell-alls.--Stephen Rees, formerly with Levittown Lib., PA
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
July 1, 2019
A colorful history of the glamorous pop-culture icons of the previous century. In this latest biography of the Gabors, film historian Staggs (Inventing Elsa Maxwell, 2012, etc.) attempts to "set the record straight" in portraying their larger-than-life history and the numerous legends, rumors, and scandals connected to each family member: sisters Magda, Zsa Zsa, and Eva, and mother, Jolie. As the title indicates, Zsa Zsa takes center stage throughout the narrative. "Clich�s about this legendary family seem indestructible," writes the author in the preface. "I hope, however, to have punctured two of the silliest. The first is that they were famous for being famous....The other outlandish notion is that they somehow foreshadowed the Kardashians and others of that ilk. This one is nourished by those who know nothing of the Gabors and too much about the Ks, not one of whom has the sophistication...of an Eva or a Zsa Zsa." The Gabors indeed live jet-setting, productive lives and individually achieved a vast array of accomplishments in the entertainment and fashion industries. Yet perhaps their biggest achievement was one of self-invention. As refugees from Hungary landing in the United States, they carefully cultivated their mystique of glittering fabulousness and spent their lives preserving that image. Though certainly more cosmopolitan than the likes of the Kardashians, they frankly did foreshadow the glamorous lifestyles of current celebrity sensations. Ultimately, the book is an old-fashioned Hollywood biography, however respectfully eschewing the malicious Kitty Kelly style of dishing. Staggs diligently references sources and allows their personalities and escapades to come vividly to life, including their numerous love affairs and marriages (more than 20 among the three sisters) and their many career milestones. Beneath all the glitz, these were business-savvy women, and the author misses the opportunity to claim their relevance for contemporary readers, leaving them enmeshed within their long-reigning "camp" status. Theirs is an interesting, occasionally wayward American success story begging for a revisionist approach to the telling. An entertaining yet predictable portrait of a flamboyantly iconic family.COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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In 1945, after barely escaping Hitler's invasion of Hungary followed by "liberation" of the country by the Red Army, three members of the Gabor family—Jolie, her ex-husband Vilmos, and their daughter Magda—arrived in New York City. In Hollywood, their other daughters,
Zsa Zsa and Eva, had worked feverishly throughout the war years to secure their rescue from the Nazis' plan to exterminate the Jews. Stepping off the boat, Jolie, the iron-willed matriarch, already had a golden future mapped out for her sharp-witted, cosmopolitan beauties.
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