Press - Kendra Bean

Ava: A Life in Movies

“In their gorgeously illustrated biography, Ava: A Life in Movies, authors Kendra Bean and Anthony Uzarowski balance the scales by giving the star her due as both an actor and cultural figure.” – Palm Springs Life

“With their new book, Ava Gardner: A Life in Movies, Kendra Bean and Anthony Uzarowski present a compelling, photograph-rich portrait of a complex, talented actress.” – L.A. Weekly

“The young and very enthusiastic authors of this book seek to synthesise previous information on their subject and supplement it with letters from correspondents ranging from director George Cukor to priapic author Henry Miller. What emerges is a portrait of a liberated woman and free spirit who had a helluva good time, as she might have phrased it, and fairly willingly paid the price for that.” – Sight & Sound

“Ava: A Life in Movies” is worthy of the lady. I cannot recommend it too highly. If you’re interested — and I demand that you ARE interested!” – Liz Smith

“Either way and whatever your current level of Ava awareness, there is an abundance of fascinating material in Ava: A Life in Movies to guarantee any reader’s enjoyment and edification.” – Paula Guthat, TCM Party

“Ava Gardner: A Life in Movies is a sumptuous feast for the eyes, beautifully presented in a format sure to resonate with fans of classic film. As such it is a treatment that Ava Gardner ultimately and finally richly deserves.” – Molly Bugamelli, Dreaming in the Balcony

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Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait

“Reading Kendra Bean’s portrait will aid in understanding the woman as well as the actress and will enhance appreciation of those enduring films.” – Washington Times

“Bean’s expansively illustrated biography, published to commemorate the centenary of the actress’s birth, draws on revelatory documents from Olivier’s files, along with Leigh’s own archives of letters, telegrams and photographs detailing events of her life.” – The Oklahoman

“Engagingly written, and demonstrating an innate and careful understanding of the famous actress, Kendra Bean’s Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait is a lovely, immensely readable tome filled with genuine heart and the utmost respect for its brilliant subject. It is a fitting tribute to a woman who, more than forty years after her death, remains a genuine cinematic treasure. Highly recommended.” – True Classics

“Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait is a wonderful treat for any Vivien Leigh or old Hollywood fan…Although there is so much beauty in this biography, it is quite a powerful read in a most respectful way. A beautiful tribute to a beautiful woman.” – Movie Critical

“More than an organized compilation of facts, Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait takes its reader wholly into the past and showcases Vivien’s life in an explosion of colorful detail. There’s a quality to the book that could be described as atmospheric, raising the bar not only for how illustrated biographies are presented, but also for how they make us feel. In the case of An Intimate Portrait, a gorgeous and thoughtfully-rendered letter of admiration and affection, the reader can expect to find themselves fully immersed in Vivien’s stratosphere, a passenger in the life of a tremendous woman who left an unprecedented mark on theater, cinema, and the world at large.” – Literary Inklings

Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait “gives a clear-sighted, compelling and nicely updated glimpse of a life that surely needs to be studied more, not less, as the years go by.” – Broadway World