I have always appreciated seeing Piper Laurie on screen whether it was her early roles at Universal International in easy going fare co starring alongside Tony Curtis in Son of Ali Baba or with Rock Hudson in The Golden Blade to her great performance in The Hustler forward to her TV roles in films like Promise opposite James Garner she has always been a joy to watch. Her autobiography titled Learning To Live Out Loud takes us right from her childhood struggles to her early days in the studio system, traveling overseas to entertain troops and fighting to become an actress as opposed to just another pin up model in B films with the likes of future president Ronald Reagan. From The Hustler and working with Newman and George C. Scott to her re-emergence in Carrie and working with a young Aussie actor named Mel Gibson through to Twin Peaks, Piper is very candid and at times brutally honest about herself both privately and career wise. It’s a good read for film buffs but also for those wanting to read about a woman’s journey through a male dominated profession and her struggles to overcome a childhood of silence.
Mike's Take On the Movies 