With a Cast of Thousands: A Hollywood Childhood

New York: Stein and Day. Near Fine in Very Good+ dj. 1963. First Edition. Hardcover. [nice clean copy with just a touch of wear at the spine ends; the jacket shows a bit of wear at the edges and corners, but is still bright and attractive]. One of the best, most perceptive "child of Hollywood" memoirs ever written: "What is it like to be a Hollywood princess, to grow up in a mansion, the daughter of the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, surrounded by the stars and celebrities other little girls dream about?" The author was the daughter of Dore Schary, who began as a playwright and screenwriter, later became a producer, then (briefly) was head of production at RKO and (not quite so briefly) at MGM -- before getting fired in 1957, whereupon he came full circle by writing and producing the Broadway hit "Sunrise at Campobello." Ms. Zimmer, whose first book this was, went on to a notable career as a notable career as a memoirist, novelist and teacher, writing primarily under a later married name, Jill Robinson. .