{"product_id":"mary-wickes-i-know-ive-seen-that-face-before-9781496807854","title":"Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before","description":"Moviegoers know her as the housekeeper in \u003ci\u003eWhite Christmas\u003c\/i\u003e, the nurse in \u003ci\u003eNow, Voyager\u003c\/i\u003e, and the crotchety choir director in \u003ci\u003eSister Act\u003c\/i\u003e. This book, filled with never-published behind-the-scenes stories from Broadway and Hollywood, chronicles the life of a complicated woman who brought an assortment of unforgettable nurses, nuns, and housekeepers to life on screen and stage. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Wickes (1910-1995) was part of some of the most significant moments in film, television, theatre, and radio history. On that frightening night in 1938 when Orson Welles recorded his earth-shattering \"War of the Worlds\" radio broadcast, Wickes was waiting on another soundstage for him for a rehearsal of \u003ci\u003eDanton's Death\u003c\/i\u003e, oblivious to the havoc taking place outside. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e When silent film star Gloria Swanson decided to host a live talk show on this new thing called television, Wickes was one of her first guests. When Lucille Ball made one of her first TV appearances, Wickes appeared with her--and became Lucy's closest friend for more than thirty years. Wickes was the original Mary Poppins, long before an umbrella carried Julie Andrews across the rooftops of London. And when Disney began creating \u003ci\u003e101 Dalmatians\u003c\/i\u003e, Wickes was asked to pose for animators trying to capture the evil of Cruella De Vil. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The pinched-face actress who cracked wise by day became a confidante to some of the day's biggest stars by night, including Bette Davis and Doris Day. Bolstered by interviews with almost three hundred people, and by private correspondence from Ball, Davis, Day, and others, \u003ci\u003eMary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before \u003c\/i\u003eincludes scores of never-before-shared anecdotes about Hollywood and Broadway. In the process, it introduces readers to a complex woman who sustained a remarkable career for sixty years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSteve Taravella\u003c\/b\u003e is a longtime journalist and communications specialist. He has received eleven writing awards, including the Dag Hammarksjold Award for Human Rights Advocacy in Journalism and the Society of Professional Journalists' Mark of Excellence Award.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University Press of Mississippi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50566585090322,"sku":"9781496807854","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_59937208-62bd-42b3-b0ef-05d93d9e653c.jpg?v=1731902660","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/mary-wickes-i-know-ive-seen-that-face-before-9781496807854","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}