The Purple Diaries

Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s

By: Joseph Egan

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

1936 was a great year for the movie industry - the financial setbacks of the Great Depression were subsiding, so theater attendance was up. Americans everywhere were watching the stars, and few stars shined as brightly as one of America's most enduring screen favorites, Mary Astor.

But Astor's personal story wasn't a happy one. Born poor and widowed at 24, Mary Astor had spent years looking for stability when she met and wed Dr. Franklyn Thorpe.

The marriage had been rocky from the start and both were unfaithful, but they did not divorce before Mary Astor gave birth to little Marylyn Thorpe.

What followed was a custody battle that pushed the Spanish Civil War and Hitler's 1936 Olympics off the front page all over America. Although Astor and Thorpe were both ruthless fighters, Thorpe held a trump card: the two diaries Mary Astor had been keeping for years. In these diaries, Astor detailed her own affairs as well as the myriad dalliances of some of Hollywood's biggest names. The studio heads, longtime controllers of public perception, were desperate to keep such juicy details from leaking. At risk from the information in those diaries was an entire fledgling industry. With the support of the Astor family, including unlimited access to the photographs and memorabilia of Mary Astor's estate, Joseph Egan presents a portrait of a great film actress in her most challenging role - a determined mother battling for her daughter, regardless of the harm that her affairs and her most intimate secrets could do to her career, the careers of her friends, or even Hollywood itself.

©2016 Joseph Egan (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Great fror fans of Old Hollywood

Where does The Purple Diaries rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would place this book in the top third of all of the books I have listened to.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Purple Diaries?

Listen to lawyers fight was amusing. The sounded like 2 blowhards in the audio version. I bet they must have been quite a spectacle at the time of the trial.

Which scene was your favorite?

Not really a scene, rather just the final chapters. the author does a really nice job of answering the reader's logic question, "...and then what happened?"

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I had a strong reaction to Dr. Thorpe and Mary Astor. They both came across as childish and somewhat unlikable.

Any additional comments?

This author does a very good job of wrapping up loose ends and letting the reader know what happened to everyone mentioned in the book long after the trial ended.

Great read.

A story I knew nothing about but a a real page turner. Terrific narrator. Give it a go ....you'll enjoy.

Very Good!

Totally interesting and very descriptive. made me wanna read what she wrote after she became an author.

Fascinating

This is a very well-written book about actress Mary Astor's front-page sensational legal battle with her physician husband in 1936. At the heart was the custody of their only child, and Astor's diary which her husband stole from her in the hope of using it against her. It is a fascinating tale of Hollywood royalty put on display in the courtroom and the papers as each parent fought frantically for custody. The performance is also quite excellent.

Purple Diaries: Mary Astor

Loved the book, gives not only the info of the trial, but also an interesting look at the background of Ms Astor. Two things: WATCH THE MOVIE "DODSWORTH FIRST!" The movie seems to correlate with the way Mary carries herself throughout the trial, and last, this book left me thinking of the old saying, "Don't judge a person until you've walked in their shoes!" (It's black and white)

court room drama

It's not as interesting as I imagined. It's mostly a back and forth between jaded lovers.

Mary Astor

Who knew? Mary Astor is just a name Assoc many lives in the past. We know of their celebrity but rarely know the person. I love biographies!

very well read and seemingly well researched but .

What made the experience of listening to The Purple Diaries the most enjoyable?

Fascinating re-hash of a true Hollywood scandel . But why no mention of two of Mary Astor most enjoyable films Midnight with John Barrymore in one of his finest late performances.... he had been very important to Mary in the 1920s and Preston Sturges The Palm Beach Story , two wildly funny gems .

Gripping court room drama

The book relates Mary Astor's life but focuses on her custody battle for her daughter. The lead up and the trial itself are a gripping read. Highly recommended.

Extremely detailed - perhaps too detailed

While I enjoyed the first half of this book, it gets very, very slow-moving when it comes to the notorious child custody trial Mary Astor is mostly remembered for (as well as her appearance in "The Maltese Falcon.") I tend to use audiobooks for listening to during workouts and meal preparation, and I found I was dreading turning this one on again. It is very, very, detailed when it comes to the trial. Perhaps too detailed for my taste.