In the early days of film, women did everything from writing to filming to acting … and any necessary stunts. Then sound was added, men took over and women became too frail and stupid to participate. Stuntwomen: the Untold Hollywood Story by Mollie Gregory is the history of the long road back. The discrimination against women and minorities was appalling. Men wore wigs and dresses, or were ‘blacked’ if the role required it. If women were actually used in stunts, they might be in skimpy clothing offering no way to wear the padding and protection the men wore. When one women complained that the cars for the chase scenes were delivered with no seat belts, and no brakes, she was told not to return to the set. And lets not get into the difference in pay for the same stunt! A depressing and powerful read.

I had mixed feelings about Secret Stories of Extinct Disneyland: Memories of the Original Park, by Jim Korkis. On the one hand, I loved the topic, remember some of the early rides, and enjoyed the interviews with folks who had worked at the park ‘way back then.’ On the other hand, pictures would have been nice (I know, I know, there’s copyright concerns);-), and the text could have benefited from a more careful proof reading. I chuckled over that fact that at one time, there was an intimate apparel shop on Main Street! Manikins in the windows wore costumes from the 1800’s, with curtains behind them to keep children (and men, who would have been embarrassed) from glimpsing anything they shouldn’t.

Reading Hermit With Dog