Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

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moira finnie
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

Post by moira finnie »

Thanks for the quick answer. I realize that a few members have seen Ann B. in person at the TCM Festival, but wondered if you or any people you talked to for the book had seen her perform on the stage?

( I always thought she would have been an ideal Magnolia in Show Boat and would have been quite touching in The Glass Menagerie).

Before reading your book I had enjoyed Ann Blyth in a variety of movies, but had never known that she was of Irish descent. Has she been able to visit Ireland and was she popular there during her career?

Based on the rapport between Joan Crawford and Ann during Mildred Pierce, did the two ever plan on another project that you uncovered in your research?

Thanks again.
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

Post by Jacqueline T. Lynch »

I think the La Jolla Playhouse, founded by Mel Ferrer, Gregory Peck, and Dorothy McGuire, deserves a book in itself, particularly about those years under their watch.

Thanks for your questions, TopBilled. ANN BLYTH: ACTRESS. SINGER. STAR. can be purchased either eBook or paperback from Amazon, ( or the paperback can be purchased directly from CreateSpace (the printer):

https://www.createspace.com/5216153.


For signed print books, you have a few different options. You can go through my Etsy store and pay by credit card or PayPal. The link is here:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/236907615/ ... e_active_1

Or, you could go on the PayPal site directly and send a payment to my ID - [email protected] -- and let me know any specific instructions on the space that allows for that. The link is here:

https://www.paypal.com/home

Or, you can send me a check or money order to:

Jacqueline T. Lynch
P.O. Box 1394
Chicopee, MA 01021.

If you want me to inscribe the book to a particular person, let me know the name. Otherwise, I'll just sign my name.

The books are $25, plus $5 for postage, for a total of $30.

Massachusetts residents must also add 6.25% sales tax on top of the $25 (or $1.56, for a total of $26.56 plus $5 postage).

By the way, the book has over 275 photos. There were only a handful of color photos, so I chose print them in black and white in the paperback to keep the cost low. The eBook, however, shows the color photos in color.

Thanks so much again.
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

Post by Jacqueline T. Lynch »

moira finnie wrote:Thanks for the quick answer. I realize that a few members have seen Ann B. in person at the TCM Festival, but wondered if you or any people you talked to for the book had seen her perform on the stage?

( I always thought she would have been an ideal Magnolia in Show Boat and would have been quite touching in The Glass Menagerie).

Before reading your book I had enjoyed Ann Blyth in a variety of movies, but had never known that she was of Irish descent. Has she been able to visit Ireland and was she popular there during her career?

Based on the rapport between Joan Crawford and Ann during Mildred Pierce, did the two ever plan on another project that you uncovered in your research?

Thanks again.
Moira, I had never seen her perform on stage, though I do have a treasured playbill of her performing near my hometown, incidentally, as Magnolia in Show Boat. I agree, she probably would have been very touching in The Glass Menagerie.

I did speak to a couple people who saw her on stage, and stagehands, and the child actress who played with her in Wait Until Dark. Also a gentleman who performed with her in a few stage musicals and operettas.

Ann traveled to England to film I'll Never Forget You, which we discussed earlier. They flew her there on four days' notice upon firing the original actress. Her uncle and aunt, with whom she lived after the death of her mother, were Irish immigrants, as her mother was. They came to England to join Ann on her film shoot, and when the job was done, they toured Europe for a few weeks, and visited Ireland and all the relatives there. I understand Ann made an appearance at the Abbey Theater in Dublin and was well received by the public. Years later, President Eisenhower invited Ann to the White House on St. Patrick's Day to sing for the visiting President of Ireland. I imagine she had a following.

As far as I know Joan Crawford and Ann Blyth never planned another project together, but the trajectories of actors' careers are like the orbits of planets and satellites -- they may cross once in a while but mostly as a matter of coincidence.
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

Post by Jacqueline T. Lynch »

Sorry, TopBilled, I forgot to answer your question on whether I plan to write anymore film star biographies. The short answer to that is no. I have a lot of other irons in the fire as regards writing projects, and I'm eager to get back to them. That said, I could see myself writing another film star bio someday if a subject came along who I found as engrossing as Ann Blyth. I suspect she's one in a million, though.
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

Post by moira finnie »

Why do suppose that Blyth was not a part of any of the That's Entertainment movies?

Singing and acting with three musical talents--Bing Crosby in Top o' the Morning, Mario Lanza in The Great Caruso and Howard Keel in Rose Marie and Kismet must have pretty daunting. Did Ann make a conscious effort to match her musical studies to fit the roles and complement her co-stars?

Have any of Ann Blyth's children enter show business?
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

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Jacqueline, this has been a fabulous time for us here at the SSO with your visit. Thank you so much for your time and consideration! :D
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Jacqueline T. Lynch
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

Post by Jacqueline T. Lynch »

moira finnie wrote:Why do suppose that Blyth was not a part of any of the That's Entertainment movies?

Singing and acting with three musical talents--Bing Crosby in Top o' the Morning, Mario Lanza in The Great Caruso and Howard Keel in Rose Marie and Kismet must have pretty daunting. Did Ann make a conscious effort to match her musical studies to fit the roles and complement her co-stars?

Have any of Ann Blyth's children enter show business?
I'm not sure why the Blyth musicals were omitted from That's Entertainment, except that The Student Prince and Kismet were not great money-makers. The Great Caruso, however, was a smash success, and played at Radio City Music Hall - sure bell weather sign of importance.

I wouldn't say she matched her vocal styles to compliment her co-stars. In Top O' the Morning, made through Bing's production company, most of the songs went to Bing, and though her singing parts were pleasant to hear, they were no great vocal challenge. The Great Caruso gave her only one song, a non-operatic recycled waltz with new words that, surprisingly, was the hit of the movie, so much that Lanza scrambled to record it himself afterward. Rose Marie was her greatest vocal challenge, but she and Howard Keel had no duets in it. Their most lively and spirited duet in Kismet was dropped from the movie, unfortunately, "Rhymes Have I," but happily it exists in a CD collection of her movie songs.

None of Ann's children ever entered show business, beyond the three younger children appearing with her in the Hostess cupcake commercials in, I think, 1972. I think they might have been paid in Twinkies.
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

Post by Jacqueline T. Lynch »

Sue Sue Applegate wrote:Jacqueline, this has been a fabulous time for us here at the SSO with your visit. Thank you so much for your time and consideration! :D
Thanks very much. This has been a lot of fun.
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

Post by moira finnie »

Hats off for your in-depth answers to all that we asked about in the last two days, Jacqueline. When all the work surrounding your book launch abates a bit, I hope you'll stop back occasionally since, as many members know, our guest author has been a part of this board for some time.

BTW, i suspect that Ann Blyth would be pleasantly surprised if she received a copy.
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Re: Q & A with Jacqueline T. Lynch, Biographer of Ann Blyth

Post by Jacqueline T. Lynch »

Thanks, Moira.

I've really been more of a lurker here than a contributor, and have enjoyed reading the discussions in the other topics and threads. If I get a chance to be more vocal in future, I will. But as you see, interesting questions and comments evoke long responses from me. If you put a steak dinner in front of me, I'll analyze it.

This visit has been such fun, and I'm grateful to you and the SSO gang for having me as a guest.
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