The Whole Truth and Nothing But

Long before celebrity websites, Hedda Hopper was the columnist that Hollywood both courted and dreaded. Her syndicated gossip reached a vast readership, and her trademark wide-brimmed hats were nearly as famous as the feuds she reported. In this memoir, she looks back over the studio era, recalling the stars, producers and deal-makers she knew, the rivalries she stirred up and the careers she helped or harmed. Her account moves between wit and sorrow, turning personal memories into a portrait of a film industry at the height of its power. Written by someone who was inside the machine rather than watching from a distance, it offers a vivid view of the glamour and the back-room wrangling behind it.