As Ellenberger's approach mines detail after detail and anecdote after anecdote, from Hopkins's echt southern beginnings to every zigzag of her life afterward, the woman who emerges is complex and compulsively compelling.
~Sheila Benson, former chief film critic for the Los Angeles Times and writer for the National Society of Film Critics
The too often underrated and overlooked Miriam Hopkins is finally getting the spotlight she deserves. Allan Ellenberger has excavated the nuances and fascinating complexities of the woman Tennessee Williams thought he was complimenting when he said she was "the quintessence of the female, a really magnificent bitch." It turns out that Hopkins life off camera was as dramatic as any role she played.
~Cari Beauchamp, author of Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood
Outstanding for its authoritative research, Allan R. Ellenberger's Miriam Hopkins: Life and Films of a Hollywood Rebel is a lively, interesting book about a lively, interesting woman.
~Emily W. Leider, author of Myrna Loy: The Only Good Girl in Hollywood
This thoroughly researched and well-sourced work is riveting and gives an in-depth examination of Hopkins's screen, stage, radio, and television performances. Ellenberger has crafted a fascinating portrait of a multidimensional actress and woman.
~Christina Rice, author of Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel
Screen/stage star Miriam Hopkins has long deserved a full-length biography covering her extensive career. This meticulously researched book does the actress complete justice. The author presents a vivid study of a high-strung talent who, professionally and romantically, was often her own worst enemy. A great read!
~James Robert Parish, author of Hollywood Divas
Allan Ellenberger's thorough, empathetic biography captures the passionate, full-blooded life of celebrated actress Miriam Hopkins, revealing the idiosyncratic and complex life of one of Hollywood's most intelligent women.
~Mary Mallory, author of Hollywood at Play: The Lives of the Stars Between Takes
Tennessee Williams called her a 'Magnificent Bitch.' There's probably no better label to summarize the forceful hurricane known as Miriam Hopkins, whose professional achievements both on Broadway and in Hollywood were as notable as her feuds with Bette Davis, Edward G. Robinson, Samuel Goldwyn, Warner Bros. head Jack Warner, and other luminaries of the studio era. Allan Ellenberger's Hopkins bio is a must-read for those interested in getting to know this complex, contradictory, and immensely talented 20th century personage who dared to rebel against conventional 'woman roles' both on and off screen.
~Andre Soares, Alt Film Guide
Ellenberger offers all of the details regarding Miriam's life and work, positive and negative, without any judgment or editorializing. Each fascinating new bit of info further illustrates this very complex woman whose talents were frequently utilized to their fullest, but too often underappreciated. During a year that has included some top drawer film-related biographies, Miriam Hopkins: The Life and Films of a Hollywood Rebel is among the very best. It is most passionately recommended to all fans of Hollywood's golden age.
~James L. Neibaur Books Blog
Ellenberger chronicles Hopkins' career, more diverse than most of us recognize, in ample detail.
~Shepherd Express
Allan Ellenberger's biography of Miriam Hopkins is a nuanced and in-depth look at one of the most dazzling and provocative personalities from Hollywood's Golden Age. His book is full of rich details that bring us as close as possible to understanding this complex, accomplished actress. A meticulous and fascinating biography of a complicated, yet undeniably talented artist, as well as a woman who was nothing short of captivating.
~Los Angeles Public Library
University Press of Kentucky's stellar string of show-biz biographies continues with Allan R. Ellenberger's Miriam Hopkins, the first full-length volume devoted to the actress. Hers was a fascinating life and career, and it's all to be found in the pages of (this book).
~YES! Weekly
A compelling actress who was equally at home in heavy dramas and sophisticated comedies, Miriam Hopkins is due for rediscovery and this book may serve as a linchpin. With pages of sources to verify his extensive research, Ellenberger has tried to bring the public and private Miriam Hopkins to life in this welcome biography.
~Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy