Books by Jeff Lenburg

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Moonwater Press, November 2021, 304 pages, 6 x 9 trade paperback

By Jeff Lenburg

Luke Beckett is anything but your average Hollywood vice squad detective. A cop who refuses to play the game, he is like some Avenging Angel always quick to judge, and to punish with his rock-hard fists those who don’t see his way. Forced to resign after a prostitute bust goes awry, he accepts a police lieutenant position in that God-forsaken place, Palm Springs, where there is hardly enough action to keep his blood circulating. That all changes when his ex-wife Marcia, since re-married to an aging American tycoon and one of Palm Springs’ wealthiest, most influential residents, is found murdered at a swank party under suspicious circumstances with hardly a clue. Assigned to investigate her murder, this short-tempered, superbly trained former big city cop finds more than he expects—a secret romance with a lesbian lover and possible mob connections to her untimely death and assassination attempt on his life—in this original hard-boiled mystery.

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Moonwater Press, March 2020, 408 pages, 7 x 10 trade paperback

By Joe Besser, Jeff Lenburg and Greg Lenburg

For more than six decades, Joe Besser brought gales of laughter to millions—in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio, in motion pictures, and on television—as a childlike sissy who brandished his foils with a flick of the wrist and such hilarious verbal assaults as “Ooh, you crazy you!” and “Not so f-a-s-t!” Once a Stooge, Always a Stooge tells the whole story. Jam-packed with timeless remembrances, Besser vividly recounts it all–the personal ups and downs, the classic skits and routines that became his hallmark, and behind-the- scenes stories of show business icons who enriched his life and career, including Abbott and Costello, Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jerry Lewis, Olsen and Johnson, and many others. Previously unpublished anecdotes incorporated throughout, plus hundreds of new, many rare and one-of-a-kind illustrations and extensive appendices of the legendary funnyman’s stage, film, radio and television appearances, round out this charming, thoughtfully written and fully updated and expanded memoir.

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Moonwater Press, March 2020, 724 pages, 6.7 x 9.7 trade paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg

Revised and expanded, this fully authorized biography, featuring exclusive interviews with Lake’s mother,  friends and co-workers, tells the complete, unvarnished truth of the rise and fall of one of the silver screen's most beloved beauties, disastrous life offscreen and downward spiral due to alcoholism and mental illness. Copious new discoveries, revelations, personal stories and insights; scores of previously unknown unproduced and rumored starring feature films and television projects and undocumented radio and television appearances; and full accounting of her off-Broadway and legitimate stage work illuminate this richly detailed, lavishly illustrated 730-page volume, including many never-before published photographs from private and personal collections, in what is the most complete record ever written about this fallen star’s life and career.

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Moonwater Press, January 2019, 264 pages, 6 x 9 trade paperback.

By Gary Owens and Jeff Lenburg

Now back in print, legendary entertainer Gary Owens draws upon his four decades in radio, TV film and animation to show you how to break into the voiceover business and carve out a million-dollar niche for yourself with your voice. Sprinkled with priceless anecdotes and tips throughout from well-known actors, producers and agents, Owens gives you the inside track on becoming a successful DJ, newscaster, announcer, sportscaster, commercial or cartoon voice, or other type of voice artist.

Along with updated appendices of voice-over workshops and seminars and talent agencies representing voice-over artists, many never-before published illustrations (not included in the first edition) from Owens's personal collection round out this second edition.

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Moonwater Press, February 2019, 148 pages, 6.5 x 6.5 paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg

Everyone is guilty of doing it: Committing an act so outlandish, so stupid that the first thought that comes to mind is, “Duuuuuuuh!” “Duh!” moments happen all the time. They can strike at any moment. At any place, at any time of day, when you least expect them:

You Super Glue a quarter to your forehead betting a friend it won’t stick . . .”Duh!”

Your boss asks you to leave "early" to run an errand and then to stay late . . . “Duh!”

You mother-in-law comes to visit after you buy her a "one-way" ticket. . . double "Duh!" 

This fun-filled treasury features the funniest, most outrageous “Duhs!” of all. Of course, who are we tell you that. You can tell that by the title. “Duh!”

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Moonwater Press, January 2015, 290 pages, 6 x 9 trade paperback

By Jeff Lenburg

Popular twentysomething ex-swimsuit model-turned Los Angeles television news anchor Lori Matrix wants to prove her producers wrong: She can do hard news. The tall, blonde, blue-eyed journalist, hired to boost her station's ratings, gets her chance when legendary actor Rex Hampton turns up dead at the first gathering of six Hollywood movie legends during the screening of his favorite movie. Hampton becomes the first in a series of macabre murders. Three more movie giants from the group drop dead, under mysterious circumstances, at successive film screenings. Something on the screen, something in those movies, made their hearts stop. An unexplained phenomenon? A ghost? What? Believing all four deaths are related, Matrix proves it, as she unmasks the perpetrator behind the evil in this original Hollywood whodunit.

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Moonwater Press, February 2018, 338 pages, 6 x 9 paperback.

By John L. Lenburg, Edited by Jeff Lenburg

June 30, 1944, fifty members of the United States 460th Bomb Group came under heavy attack on their mission to destroy German oil refineries in Silesia, Hungary, when German twin-engine Me-410 fighters blasted seven B-24s out of the sky. Seventeen airmen were killed, twenty-four captured, many of them badly burned, wounded or beaten to death by Hungarian peasants after parachuting to the ground. One survivor, T/Sgt. John L. Lenburg, was among those taken prisoner (his German code name: “Kriegsgefangenen #6410") with the crew of the B-24, "Miss Fortune," never knowing if he would see his homeland again. 

Walk to Freedom: Kriegsgefangenen #6410 - Prisoner of War recounts Lenburg’s tortuous 327 days of captivity in a Nazi concentration camp, and remarkable long walk to freedom in this revised, expanded and copiously illustrated biography.

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BenBella Books, December 2014, 272 pages, 6 x 9 hardcover. 

By Lorenzo Lamas with Jeff Lenburg

Meet the real Lorenzo Lamas.

Lorenzo Lamas has played many roles over the course of his roller coaster career. Star of two major television shows (from Falcon Crest to Renegade), five-time husband, and reality show star, Lamas has been tabloid fodder for decades. Fans can easily believe they have seen every side of Lamas. But the truth is far more interesting-and surprising.
 

Featuring more than 50 rare, never-before-shared color and black-and-white family and personal photo-graphs from  his  private collection, Renegade at Heart is everything Lamas's millions of devoted fans have been waiting for--the unvarnished truth and his side of his remarkable journey and fully-fleshed rumination of the highs and lows of an extraordinary life and survival of an extraordinary man and actor who has seen and done it all.

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Chicago Review Press, March 2012, 368 pages, 9 x 12 paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer

and Greg Lenburg

This updated edition of the bestselling authorized and official history covers the lives and careers of the Stooges like no other. Packed with personal memories and historical facts, new findings and revelations, and archived material from family collections, as well as over 400 photographs and illustrations, this meticulously researched and written edition has it all. Intimate biographies of each Stooge, a complete and accurately detailed team history, and the most comprehensive filmography ever compiled, including production and cast lists, synopses, release dates, working titles, production footnotes, and more for every comedy short and feature and the Stooges' solo film appearances.  Furthermore, it features exclusive interviews with the original stooges and later members of the famed comedy trio--Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, and Joe DeRita--and their family members and friends.​​

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Chelsea House,March 2012. 120 pages, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 hardcover.

By Jeff Lenburg

At the age of seven, Genndy Tartakovsky moved with his family from Russia to the United States, where American cartoons and comic books soon captivated his imagination and inspired him to become an artist. After working as an animator on Batman: The Animated Series, 2 Stupid Dogs, and The Critic, Tartakovsky began to work on his own ideas. Known for fast-paced, action-packed stories and a distinctive animation style, he created the animated sensations Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack and worked on the breakout hit, The Powerpuff Girls. He then directed the animated microseries Star Wars: The Clone Wars and created the original series Sym-Bionic Titan.

Genndy Tartakovsky: From Russia to Coming-of-Age Animator explores the unique talents of one of the most influential animators working today.

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Chelsea House, February 2012, 120 pages, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 hardcover.

By Jeff Lenburg

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the world's most respected Japanese animation filmmakers. He is known for creating compelling characters, engaging stories, and breathtaking animation, all of which have earned him international acclaim while setting box-office records.

Miyazaki, who began his career in 1963 as an in-betweener for Toei Doga studio, soon found his true calling as an anime and manga artist, working on classic Japanese features and television series and writing the best-selling manga, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. In 1985, he cofounded Studio Ghibli, and in 1989, wrote and produced its breakthrough hit animated feature, Kiki's Delivery Service. Since then, Miyazaki has directed some of the most successful and popular anime features of all time, including Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, and Spirited Away​​, entertaining audiences around the world and raising the bar for the art of animation.

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Chelsea House, March 2012, 136 pages, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 hardcover.

By Jeff Lenburg

A two-time Academy Award-winning director and animator, John Lasseter is a founding member of and the creative force behind Pixar Animation Studios and responsible for ushering in the age of computer-animation and revolutionizing the industry, having produced blockbuster features such as Cars, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., and Wall-E.

Beginning his career at Walt Disney Feature Animation, he soon became fascinated by the potential for creating animation using computer-generated images. After a move to a division of Lucasfilm that would become Pixar, Lasseter wrote, directed, and produced many computer-animated short films and television commercials, including the first completely computer-animated short to win an Oscar, Tin Toy. He then began work on  the  first  computer-animated feature  film,  the  landmark  Toy Story, which forever changed the animation industry.

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Chelsea House, March 2012, 136 pages, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 hardcover. 

By Jeff Lenburg

Ten-time Oscar-nominated Walter Lantz was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors and producers of animation. Over six decades, his studio produced more than 800 cartoons, including over 600 theatrically released cartoons, more than any other Hollywood animation studio, and set high standards for the art of animation in its fledgling years.

Lantz is renowned for producing cartoons starring the world-famous Woody Woodpecker, whose distinctive laugh is enshrined in the Smithsonian Institute, but he began his career during the silent picture era when he directed, animated, and starred in the landmark ani-mated series, Dinky Doodle. Influencing generations of animators, Lantz also created and/or produced a family of popular characters, including Andy Panda, Buzz Buzzard, Chilly Willy, Gabby Gator, Inspector Willoughy, and Wally Walrus.

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Chelsea House, March 2012, 134 pages, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 hardcover. 

By Jeff Lenburg

Matt Groening is a cartoonist, animator, and producer best known for creating The Simpsons, television's longest-running primetime animated series. Although it debuted as a series of cartoon shorts for another television show in 1987, The Simpsons launched on its own in 1989, making the dysfunctional family of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie famous almost overnight. At the time, Groening was already a successful cartoonist, whose Life in Hell comic strip appeared in underground newspapers and book collections. The Simpsons became a cultural phenomonenon, and Groening's characters soon appeared in a wide range of products and venues. Groening went on to create the animated science-fiction series Futurama, launched a Simpsons-based publishing company called Bongo Comics, and produced The Simpsons Movie.

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Chelsea House, May 2011, 168 pages, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 hardcover.  

By Jeff Lenburg

The seven-time Oscar-winning team of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera created or produced some of film and television's most beloved cartoon characters, including Tom and Jerry, the Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Jonny Quest, the Jetsons, and Scooby-Doo. They also pioneered and revolutionized television animation with a less-expensive style of animation that allowed them to produce the hundreds of memorable cartoon series still shown today around the globe. Through the 1960s and 1970s, Hanna-Barbera was a top producer of television animation, and the team also produced numerous animated features and television movies. The 50-year partnership between William Hanna and Joseph Barbera resulted in the creation of some of the most memorable and popular characters in 20th-century animation and pop culture. Readers will gain an understanding of how this multiple award-winning team worked together to become animation legends.

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Chelsea House, May 2011, 142 pages, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 hardcover. 

By Jeff Lenburg

Best known for creating Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney is one of the 20th century's most honored and important icons of animation. After producing animated shorts and launching his own animation studio, Disney introduced Mickey Mouse to the world in 1928, and released the first American animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1937. During his career, Disney worked as an animator, director, producer, and screenwriter and expanded his business to include the world-famous theme parks Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida. Nominated for 63 Academy Awards, he produced many cartoons and feature films considered classics today.

Walt Disney: The Mouse That Roared delves into this man's colorful life, explaining the inspiration for his classic creations and revolutionary animation techniques.

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Chelsea House, May 2011, 126 pages, 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 hardcover. 

By Jeff Lenburg

Tex Avery is considered the father of screwball animation and one of the most influential animators of all time. He created or perfected many classic characters, such as Bugs Bunny, Chilly Willy, Daffy Duck, Droopy, Elmer Fudd, George and Junior, and Screwy Squirrel. While directing 135 theatrical cartoon shorts at Warner Bros., M-G-M, and Walter Lantz Productions, Avery was nominated six times for an Academy Award. Although blind in one eye, Avery developed a unique style based on the idea that the artist could do anything in a cartoon and that cartoons did have to be based in reality.

 

Tex Avery: Hollywood's Master of Screwball Cartoons offers an illuminating look at the life and career of this pioneering legend whose legacy continues to influence animators today.

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Ferguson Publishers, January 2012, 7 3/8 x 9 1/4 hardcover and paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg. Foreword by Bob Kurtz

Animation is everywhere from the internet to the silver screen due to rapid growth in virtually every field and industry, so are animation jobs.With the high demand for qualified individuals, there has never been a better time to start or advance a career in animation. Career Opportunities in Animation describes 60 careers in many fields of animation, including art, backgrounds and layouts, design, directing, engineering, film and television animation, game and Web design, painting and texturing, performing, producing, technical production, and writing. Appendixes in this comprehensive new resource include Educational Institutions; Major Trade Periodicals, Newsletters, and Other Publi-cations; Professional, Industry, and Trade Associations; Guilds and Unions; Recommended Animation Industry Web Sites; and U.S. Animation Studios and Production Companies.

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Facts on File, 2010, 756 pages, 6 x 9 hardcover and paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg

The Facts On File Guide to Research, Second Edition  is the most comprehensive guide available to conducting thorough and accurate research. It includes detailed lists of thousands of resources and explains general research methods and proper citation of sources. This expanded and updated edition contains new information on Internet research, including up-to-date discussions of Google and other search engines, subject-specific keyword search strategies, a cautionary note about Wikipedia, and much more. Furthermore, it helps students and general readers prepare for research papers and class studies. Valuable appendixes cover style guides, including APA, MLA, and The Chicago Manual of Style.

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Facts on File, 2009, 752 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 hardcover and paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg, Foreword by Chris Bailey

The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons, Third Edition remains the definitive source on this entertaining subject. This edition of the "ultimate cartoon fan bible" adds copious amounts of new material, bringing the book up to date and broadening the scope of its coverage. Arranged in an A-to-Z format and separated into five major sections--Silent Cartoon Series, Theatrical Sound Cartoon Series, Full-Length Animated Features, Television Cartoon Series, and Animated Television Specials--this comprehensive encyclopedia includes an extensive historical overview of animation, complete information about Academy and Emmy award winners, and a chronology of animation milestones. Coverage of increasingly popular anime has been added and expanded.

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Applause Books, June 2006, 412 pages, 9 x 12 paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg

This first-of-its-kind biographical reference chronicles the amazing careers of nearly 300 of animation's most honored and recognized animator-directors and animator-producers from around the world.

From Max Fleischer (Betty Boop, Popeye) to Brad Bird (The Incredibles), Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat) to Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), they are all here. With more than 70 never-before published photos and illustrations, including a full-color section of animation art, culled from private and personal collections, this fact-filled, fun-to-read, A-to-Z reference, brimming with colorful stories, fascinating facts, and tantalizing tales, is sure to delight animation fans of all ages.

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Facts on File, July 2005, 560 pages, 6 x 9 hardcover and paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg

The Facts On File Guide to Research is the most comprehensive guide available to conducting thorough and accurate research. It includes detailed lists of thousands of resources and explains general research methods and proper citation of sources. This expanded and updated edition contains new information on Internet research, including up-to-date discussions of Google and other search engines, subject-specific keyword search strategies, a cautionary note about Wikipedia, and much more.

This indespensible resource ​helps students and general readers prepare for research papers and class studies. Valuable appendixes cover style guides, including APA, MLA, and Chicago Manual of Style.

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iUniverse, April 2005, 208 pages, 6 x 9 trade paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg

What is meant to be a time of satisfying nostalgia and camaraderie bringing together each month at their private “film club” meetings the greatest screen legends that had ever lived to screen their favorite movies turns into the unexpected. Death. Something unexplainable has wrenched the last breath from these legendary actors. Something on the screen, something in those movies made their hearts stop. But what?

Witnessing these mysterious movie star murders, Los Angeles TV news anchor Lori Matrix makes it her business to find out. Racing against time, she tries to solve the unsolvable before another life of a great movie legend is claimed.

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McGraw-Hill, August 2004, 236 pages, 6 x 9 trade paperback.

By Gary Owens and Jeff Lenburg

World-renowned vocal personality Gary Owens, who gained national fame on TV's Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, shares the inside scoop on how to break into the voice business and how to succeed. Peppered with entertaining anecdotes, How to Make a Million Dollars with Your Voice (Or Lose Your Tonsils Trying) offers an irreverent entrée into this often overlooked but lucrative entertainment career. Voice-over hopefuls will learn about everything from developing a demo to finding an agent to improving their pipes. With over 30 never-before-published illustrations and a foreword by comedian Jonathan Winters, this book gives you the goods on parlaying your voice into an exciting entertainment career.

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Facts on File, July 1999, 576 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 hardcover/paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg, Foreword by June Foray

The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons, Second Edition is the most complete and up-to-date reference on animated cartoons ever compiled and will delight and inform the casual reader and the cartoon enthusiast. Spanning 1911 to the present, this encyclopedia provides more than 2,200 entries on silent cartoon series, theatrical sound cartoon series, animated television specials, television cartoon series, and full-length animated features, detailing everything from the production history and dates of release, to director, producer and voice credits​. Beautifully illustrated and completely revised and expanded, this book is a rich resource of information about the history of this lively art.

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Thomas Nelson, June 1998, 303 pages, 6 x 9 hardcover/paperback.

By Larry Gatlin with Jeff Lenburg

All the Gold in California and Other People, Places & Things is a remarkable read about an extraordinary  life  of  Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Larry Gatlin. Rich with reminiscences, humor, insight, and honesty, this 303-page tome tells the story of his fall from grace and remarkable return to faith and freedom from drug and alcohol addiction. Featuring 50 never-before published illustrations and a foreword by the late Johnny Cash, Larry talks about it all--his humble gospel music beginnings, his early musical success, and Roger Miller, and his meteoric rise to the top that made him a household name.

AWARDS: Nominee, ECPA's "Gold Medallion Award" (Best Autography/Biography). PAPERBACK RIGHTS: Sold to Eakin Press.

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DaCapo Books, April 1993, 272 pages, 7 x 10 trade paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg

The Great Cartoon Directors, Revised Edition is dedicated to the most prominent cartoon short directors from the 1930's and the 1940's, many still popular today: Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Chuck Jones, Walter Lantz and others.

Each chapter singles out these directors' finest cartoons, analyze their style of cartoon-making, and provide valuable insights and biographical material as well as complete filmographies.

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Facts on File, Nov. 1991, 466 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 hardcover and paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg, Foreword by Gary Owens

The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons is the most definitive guide to animated cartoons ever produced, documenting every production from 1911 to the present. From Betty Boop to Mr. Magoo to the Flintstones and the Simpsons, this completely revised and updated volume contains over 1,000 entries describing all of your favorite cartoons, along with information on their creators, directors, producing studios, voices, episode titles (more than 50,000 in all), dates of release and much, much more. Lavishly illustrated, this tome will delight and inform cartoon fans and film buffs alike interested in popular culture.

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Roundtable Publishing, May 1988, 288 pgs, hardcover and paperback.

By Joe Besser with Jeff Lenburg, Greg Lenburg

Illustrating a passing age of American humor, Once A Stooge, Always A Stooge is Joe Besser's written legacy to Three Stooges fans. This timeless and entertaining remembrance chronicles the comedian's life and career in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio, in motion pictures, on television and in animated cartoons, as well as behind-the-scene stories of his years with the Stooges and numerous Hollywood notables, including Abbott and Costello, Jack Benny , Milton Berle and Jerry Lewis. Wonderfully funny anecdotes fill every page of this richly illustrated volume, featuring more than 70 never-before- published illustrations from the comedian's private collection, and a foreword by comedian Milton Berle.

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McFarland & Co., October 1986, 223 pages, hardcover and paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg

Baseball's All-Star Game: A Game-By-Game Guide brings to life the thrills, drama, and excitement of baseball's annual "midsummer classic."  Written in lively prose, this well-researched and authoritative reference provides complete game narratives and accounts of every All-Star game, from 1933 to the present.Captured in this long overdue history are the milestone games, the memorable moments and the greatest players ever to play the game. Sprinkled throughout are stories, stats, memorable quotes, comments by players and managers, box scores, individual records, and never-before published photos bound to delight baseball fans of all ages.​

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Excelsior Books, October 1984, 248 pages, 5 x 8 trade paperback.

By Joe Besser with Jeff Lenburg, Greg Lenburg

Not Just a Stooge is the autobiography of comic Joe Besser, the sissy-taling member of the Three Stooges comedy team. More than a show business autobiography, it is a sentimental and entertaining journey through every phase of show business history with the beloved comedian as readers' self-appointed tour guide. Featured throughout is more than 70 never-before-published illustrations from his private collection, with a foreword by comedian Milton Berle.

AWARDS: Nominee, Theatre Library Association Award ("Best Performing Arts Book). REPRINT RIGHTS: Sold to Roundtable Publishing, hardcover edition, and Knightsbridge Publishing, mass market paperback, as Once A Stooge, Always a Stooge. BOOK CLUBS:  Movie/Entertainment Book Club selection.

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St. Martin's Press, July 1983, 253 pages, 6 x 9 hardcover.

By Jeff Lenburg

Peekaboo: The Story of Veronica Lake tells the shocking, true story of this Hollywood heartthrob and star of 27 motion pictures (best known for her screen pairings with Alan Ladd) and her disastrous life offscreen--a controlling mother, four failed marriages, and downward spiral due to alcoholism and mental illness--ending up broke and destitute. Fully authorized, this powerful, revealing account, featuring exclusive interview with Lake's mother and friends and co-workers who knew her best, tells why.

FIRST SERIAL RIGHTS: Sold to the National Enquirer. BOOK CLUBS; Selection of the Movie/Entertainment and Nostaglia Book Club.

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McFarland & Co., March 1983, 190 pages, 6 x 9 hardcover.

By Jeff Lenburg

The Great Cartoon Directors profiles the remarkable careers of Hollywood cartoon "legends" Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Chuck Jones, Walter Lantz and others whose unique humor has entertained people around the world for seven decades. Featuring exclusive interviews with many of the directors, illustrations from their private collections and complete filmographies of their work, the book critically examines the films of these award-winning directors and is a fun trip into the past when cartoons were truly king.

FOREIGN TRANSLATION RIGHTS: Sold to Griffithiana. PAPERBACK REPRINT RIGHTS: Sold to DaCapo Press. BOOK CLUBS: Movie/Entertainment Book Club selection.

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Delilah Books, April 1983, 143 pages, trade paperback, 82 illustrations.

By Jeff Lenburg

His acting was often compared to Chaplin and Keaton, critics lauded his music and virtuosity and his sidesplitting comical performances set new standards for fun. Dudley Moore: An Informal Biography examines the life and work of this comic genius and world-famous classical pianist. Lavishly illustrated, this first-ever biography nails down all the details of Moore's long, tough climb to fame and fortune, his triumphs and failures on the British stage (including Beyond the Fringe and Good Evening with straight man Peter Cook) and BBC network (Not Only...But Also), his offscreen romances and marriages, his early and his dramatic fall from the top as Hollywood's "hottest sex symbol." Filling the gaps are dozens of never-before-published photos to illuminate this famous entertainer's life.

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DaCapo Press, March 1983, 190 pages, trade paperback, 170 illus.

By Jeff Lenburg, Foreword by Norman Maurer

“Highly recommended for reference collections, nostalgia buffs and movie

fans.” -- Library Journal

“A valuable reference for film scholars and film fans alike.” -- Los Angeles Times

This revised trade paperback second edition of The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoon Series catalogs every animated series produced since 1911 within three categories: silent, theatrical sound, and television cartoons. Each entry details the creators, directors, producing studios, voice credits, starring characters and history, including filmographies and episodic listings.

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St. Martin's Press, January 1983, 205 pgs., hardcover/paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg

“Roses to Lenburg for not pulling any punches…He gives all of Hoffman, the good, the bad and even a tad of the ugly. As biographies go, Lenburg’s detail sketch of Hoffman is a nifty effort.” -- Los Angeles Daily News

Dustin Hoffman: Hollywood's Antihero is the first biography ever written about this talented, contradictory actor whose brilliant career has won him numerous awards (including six Academy Award and six Golden Globe nominations), two coveted Oscars and ecstatic popular acclaim and worldwide fame.

PAPERBACK RIGHTS: Sold to Zebra Books (U.S.), General Publishing (Canada). TRANSLATION RIGHTS: Sold to Heyne Publishing, Germany.

FIRST SERIAL RIGHTS: Sold to the New York Post.

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Citadel Press, Fall 1982, 288 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 hardcover and paperback.

By Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer, and

Greg Lenburg

This official, authorized book, co-written by Moe Howard's daughter, is the definitive history of this classic comedy trio. Featuring exclusive interviews with the Stooges, their friends and co-workers, this book covers everything Stooge fans want to know: biographies of the Stooges, a complete and accurate team history, detailed chapters on Stooges merchandise, comic books, television appearances and their fans, plus a comprehensive filmography of the group and their solo work and much, much, more.

Profusely illustrated with rare, never-before published illustrations, The Three Stooges Scrapbook is the ultimate guide to these comedy legends, and is a must-book for Stooge fans of all ages.

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Arlington House Publishers, 1981, 190 pages, 9 x 12 hardcover, 170 illus.

By Jeff Lenburg, Foreword by Norman Maurer

Nominated for  the American Library Association's "Best Non-Fiction Award," The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoon Series is the most comprehensive book and first authoritative reference ever published about the history of animated cartoon series. This copiously illustrated volume offers the inside-stuff on every animated cartoon series ever made. They're all here--all your favorites, along with detailed information about their creators, directors, producing studios, series and character descriptions, voice credits, filmographies and episode titles, and little-known facts about the origins of some of the world's most beloved cartoon stars.

AWARDS: Nominee, American Library Association "Best Non-Fiction Award." PAPERBACK REPRINT RIGHTS: Sold to DaCapo Press. BOOK CLUBS: Nostalgia Book Club selection.

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St. Martin's Press, October 1980, 139 pages, mass market paperback..

By Greg Lenburg, Randy Skretvedt, and

Jeff Lenburg

Steve Martin: An Unauthorized Biography tells the complete story of this famed comedian's rise to the top as "king" of zany comedy. This book covers everything fans want to know, from the comedian's early days memorizing every skit on "The Red Skeleton Hour" to his summers working in a magic show at Disneyland to his sold-out comedy records and concerts and to his long haul to superstardom and respectability and to success as a one of Hollywood's top box-office stars.

Factual, informative and expertly written, this book provides a charming and entertaining look at America's favorite funnyman and one and only "wild and crazy guy."