You Must Remember This by Robert Wagner

Film and television star Robert Wagner delighted audiences for more than sixty years, and his many fans flocked to bookstores when he began to record his memories on the page. In his second New York Times bestseller, You Must Remember This, Wagner shared stories of Hollywood life behind the scenes from the 1930s through the 1950s. As poignant as it is revealing—and filled with magical moments like Judy Garland singing Gershwin at a dinner party thrown by Clifton Webb and golf games with Fred Astaire—You Must Remember This is Wagner’s tender farewell to a legendary era. Having read this book at the beach this summer, I have to confess this was one of the most entertaining and fascinating books I have read in quite a while. 

A few yers ago, Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers were among the celebrity guests at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention. On stage they talked about Hollywood and answered questions from the audience. Robert Wagner discussed the evolution of Hollywood as he confessed he came in during the tail end of the studio system, and the early days of television. His talk was fascinating and prompted me to buy his books and read them. I Love Her in the Movies was more autobiographical, demonstrating the alchemy of the camera and how the studio system could transform the attractive into the stunning. Along the way, he revealed the transformation as actresses were empowered to become aggressively sexual beings in a way that black-and-white films had only hinted at. 

With You Must Remember This, Wagner (with the assistance of Scott Eyman), is more sociological. From a tour of famous Hollywood restaurants, to the homes of art directors... from the celebrities who liked to golf, to dealing with the press, this book is a historical time capsule of the fashion and style both in front and behind the camera. This book is a walk down memory lane... or, I should say, Hollywood Boulevard.

This book has been available for years so you can probably get it for a bargain. Worth seeking out and reading.