from Funny Face to Eloise

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Kay Thompson

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The Talk of the Town A KIRKUS REVIEWS “BEST BIOGRAPHIES OF THE YEAR” SELECTION A THEATRE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AWARD FINALIST “The greatest gift my parents ever gave me was my godmother, Kay Thompson. No one was as brilliant or as funny, and Sam Irvin's book manages to capture that lightning in a bottle. Hang onto your hair!” – LIZA MINNELLI “Kay Thompson was the most important influence on me and my musical career.  Sam Irvin's wonderful book is right on the mark. It brought back many memories of how brilliant she was and how far ahead of her time she really was. She was one of a kind.” – ANDY WILLIAMS “Kay Thompson never ceased to amaze. It is high time someone wrote a comprehensive book about her extraordinary life and Sam Irvin has done just that. It is positively loaded with fascinating stories and details.” – ANGELA LANSBURY “Isn’t it wonderful that Sam Irvin was able to capture this fantastic lady on paper?  She was a true genius, overflowing with talent and humor which was so incredibly unique. It was my great privilege to have known her and to have loved her.  She was a very special lady.” – ROBERT WAGNER “I couldn’t put it down! Kay Thompson’s energy leapt up off the pages and got inside me. It’s hilarious, jaw-dropping, and hugely inspiring. Sam Irvin’s magnetic writing style and his meticulous attention to detail are so powerful, I was swept aboard, like being on a train: The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Kay!” – TOMMY TUNE “A spooky medium I met through Shirl MacLaine told me that I was Kay Thompson in a former life. It was a wonderful revelation and explains why I have always adored her… and why I love Sam Irvin’s book.” – DAME EDNA EVERAGE “It takes a dazzlingly written book to properly capture the incandescent life of Kay Thompson. This is one of the best showbiz bio's I've ever read, meticulously researched and filled with captivating stories!” – MICHAEL FEINSTEIN “Sam Irvin was smart enough to choose a wildly entertaining subject, but it’s his innate feeling for drama that separates this book from other show business biographies. This is a compelling and ultimately moving book, and it could make a really good movie musical someday. But who could possibly play Kay as well as she did?” – BILL CONDON, DIRECTOR AND OSCAR-WINNING SCREENWRITER OF GODS AND MONSTERS; DIRECTOR-SCREENWRITER OF DREAMGIRLS; OSCAR-NOMINATED SCREENWRITER OF CHICAGO “Oh my God, Kay! She was so important in my life. She meant so much to me and I wouldn’t be here today without her. She was motherly, delicious, and made it all happen.” – DONNA KARAN “Sam Irvin’s book on the wonderful Kay Thompson is a must-read. Kay was a friend of mine and yet I learned so much more about her in this astonishing page-turner.” – CHINA MACHADO “Kay was a force of nature who kept the laughter in our lives. My mom adored Kay for her genius, sense of humor, and vulnerability. I loved reading Sam’s wonderful book because it brought my childhood with Kay roaring back to life. I didn’t want it to end.” – LORNA LUFT “This informative book details Kay’s and my collaboration. Like some very special unions it produced a child: the ageless, guileless, indomitable and endearing Eloise. Thank you Kay and especially Sam Irvin for this astounding story.” – HILARY KNIGHT, ILLUSTRATOR OF ELOISE Read more star-studded blurbs and review quotes

As Seen on TV... Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne has endorsed Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise on two separate occasions during his introductions to Good News (MGM, 1947), the classic musical that featured rousing vocal arrangements by Kay Thompson. See Mr. Osborne's endorsements here!

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A VANITY FAIR MAGAZINE “HOT TYPE” SELECTION The larger-than-life story of the showbiz legend, written by Hollywood director Sam Irvin and published by Simon & Schuster. Exclusive extras on this website: Endnotes and Kayographies.

Sam Irvin fearlessly gives Eloise some facts that even she wasn’t aware of from his new bio Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise (Simon & Schuster). Vanity Fair published this illustration of Sam Irvin and Eloise, drawn by the incomparable Hilary Knight (illustrator of Kay Thompson’s Eloise books). In the sketch, Irvin is reading from his Kay Thompson book, Chapter 8: “A Star is Born,” referring to the period when Eloise became an overnight sensation. The flag on the candle reads: ME ELOISE. The cake reads: NOVEMBER 1955—the month the first Eloise book was published. See the entire Hilary Knight spread