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Cliff Aliperti
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Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue: Rediscovering a 1930s Movie Star and Her 32 Films Paperback – December 13, 2015

by Cliff Aliperti (Author), Dan Van Neste (Foreword)
4.4 out of 5 stars 21 ratings
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Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue
Rediscovering a 1930s Movie Star and Her 32 Films

At her peak, Helen Twelvetrees was leading lady to legends like John Barrymore and Spencer Tracy. Other early co-stars who were billed below her included Joan Blondell, John Wayne, and Clark Gable. Twelvetrees broke out in Her Man (1930) and affirmed her stardom in Millie (1931). Her ten-year Hollywood career is highlighted by a run of starring roles in pre-Code era melodramas, but Helen Twelvetrees kept working long after movie audiences had forgotten her.

She lost momentum for a variety of reasons. External factors such as typecasting, studio anarchy, and Production Code enforcement, combined with an independent attitude that spurred inconvenient headlines and whispers of temperament are among those that kept her career from progressing. At her peak she chose to follow natural impulses and start a family, but in terms of her career, her pregnancy couldn’t have come at a worse time. When she returned to the screen it was with a new studio, and the types of films she was known for were not as popular as they had been before her maternity leave. Afterward, time itself may have been Helen Twelvetrees’ greatest enemy: one can only remain an ingenue for so long.

Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue is one-half biography, one-half film retrospective. Presented here are the life, loves, and career of an unexpectedly modern woman. An extensive collection of notes supports corrections and new findings about Twelvetrees, including her accurate birth-date and a previously unreported marriage, while also supplying additional background about each of her thirty-two movies: the good, the bad, and the lost.

Foreword by Dan Van Neste, author of The Whistler: Stepping Into the Shadows.

Illustrated with still photographs from the author's personal collection.

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  1. Print length
    362 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    December 13, 2015
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.82 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1518736114
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1518736117
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 13, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 362 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1518736114
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1518736117
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.07 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.82 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

About the author

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Cliff Aliperti

Cliff Aliperti

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Cliff Aliperti is a Long Island, New York based writer and classic film buff. He operates multiple nostalgia websites about vintage collectibles and old movies, including the first fan site dedicated to pre-Code cad Warren William (est. 2007), and Immortal Ephemera, a more general classic movie site about unheralded film stars and movies of the 1930s (est. 2002).

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
21 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a good read. They appreciate the information content, with one customer noting it's full of plenty of details about the actress.

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4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a good read.

"...I found this easy to read, interesting and thoroughly enjoyable...." Read more

"Good Read. Learned a lot about this movie star." Read more

"The book itself is terrific. However the printing of the photographs is mostly terrible...." Read more

"Good book. Plenty to learn about the actress, Hollywood and that period of time in which she lived." Read more

3 customers mention "Information content"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the information content of the book, with one customer noting it is full of plenty of information, while another describes it as a serviceable biography.

"...Having said this, the author did a tremendous job...." Read more

"Good book. Plenty to learn about the actress, Hollywood and that period of time in which she lived." Read more

"While not the best biography I've ever read, thus one is full of plenty of information, and the film synopses are very good...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jerseygirl
    5.0 out of 5 stars A classic star remembered with care
    Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A well crafted and engaging portrait of classic star Helen Twelvetrees. I found this easy to read, interesting and thoroughly enjoyable. Mr. Aliperti brings his considerable writing talent to a subject that he obviously cares a great deal about and that helps the reader to get a deeper insight into the woman behind the unique name. Ms. Twelvetrees forged her own path in Hollywood when actresses still had to fight to be recognized and she more than deserves this loving portrait. I would recommend this book both for fans of the lady herself and those who are new to her work. It's a wonderful way to meet a true Hollywood original!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Elizabeth Thomas
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Good Read. Learned a lot about this movie star.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Philip L. Evans
    5.0 out of 5 stars biography
    Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    this book arrived on time, well packaged and was just as described. I am very pleased with this seller.
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  • James Stettler
    3.0 out of 5 stars Helen Twelvetrees Biography-Career and Personal
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The book itself is terrific. However the printing of the photographs is mostly terrible. Half of the page is dark and the other half light with a line going through some of the best pictures. Is this book printed to order? I have a book about Ann Blyth with the same problem. Having said this, the author did a tremendous job. I was slightly disappointed not to find several photos of Helen Twelvetrees in Streetcar Named Desire. I saw those on line. This will undoubtedly be the only book about Helen Twelvetrees so buy it if you are interested.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Joe Wasson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good copy, good seller
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I always wanted to know about Helen and now I do.
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  • vivila
    4.0 out of 5 stars Helen Twelvetrees
    Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting story about her
    One person found this helpful
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  • Rache
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Good book. Plenty to learn about the actress, Hollywood and that period of time in which she lived.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Le Bibliothécaire
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting look at a forgotten actress of the 1930s.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Wingate
    3.0 out of 5 stars Sob sister of early talkies
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The author is to be thanked for bringing back to life this star of the early sound era.He has very little to work with and has done a fine job of research.The problem for me came with the second half.Here he reviews as many of her films as possible giving full synopsis.I found this rather boring and ended up skipping through most of this half of the book.
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  • OZ
    4.0 out of 5 stars I'm very happy with the service and this product.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I'm very much looking forward to reading this book.
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