Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood

by Kimberly Lindbergs | November 4, 2007

Categories | News, Books, Actresses

Tom Lisanti’s latest book Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood has just been released and it’s definitely one of his best. Tom has written numerous books featuring sixties-era film starlets such as Drive-In Dream Girls, Film Fatales and Fantasy Femmes of 60’s Cinema, and his latest effort offers readers a fascinating look at many of Hollywood’s most beautiful and overlooked talents. These “decorative actresses” often began their careers as beauty queens, fashion models, showgirls and centerfolds, who ended up as eye-candy in countless genre films. They were often given thankless roles as strippers, beach bunnies, airline hostesses or sexy secretaries in movies that tended to focus on their earthy assets instead of their acting abilities, but occasionally some of these women were able to get more substantial roles that made use off all their talents.

Inside Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood you’ll find detailed profiles of 75 beautiful actresses from spy films, horror movies, popular television shows, as well as buxom starlets from many of Russ Meyer’s best films. Some of the actresses profiled in the book include Edy Williams, Lee Meredith, Melodie Johnson, Lisa Seagram, Dolly Read, Tura Sutana, Susan Denberg, Sharon Tate, Beverly Adams, Victoria Carroll, Thordis Brandt, Inga Neilson, Yvonne Craig and Ann Morell. Many of the insightful profiles also include interviews, which offer readers an insider’s look at what it was like to work as a “glamour girl” in films and television during the sixties. These interviews contain lots of juicy Hollywood gossip, which makes the book an entertaining as well as informative read.

Top: Edy Williams and Susan Denberg
Bottom: Sharon Tate and Beverly Adams

One of my favorite interviews in the book is with the lovely actress Thordis Brandt who appeared in films such as The Swinger (1966), Spinout (1966), Nevada Smith (1966), In Like Flint (1967), Funny Girl (1968), The Witchmaker (1969) and Myra Breckinridge (1970). Brandt talks about her romantic flings with Bruce Lee who she met on the set of The Green Hornet, and James Arness who she met on the set of Gunsmoke.

Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood is a real treasure trove of information about many talented and beautiful women that have often been forgotten, and it reads like a celebration of their worthwhile accomplishments. Tom Lisanti clearly loves his subjects and shares that passion with his readers. This hardcover book contains 242 pages, plus many stunning black and white photographs and an interesting introduction written by Tom.

You can currently order Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood from Amazon or you can order the book directly from the publisher McFarland. Last but not least, if you’d like to learn more about Tom Lisanti and his latest book please visit his terrific website Tom Lisanti’s Sixties Cinema.

Left: Thordis Brandt

Update: Read my interview with author Tom Lisanti!