I have never heard of Diana Dors. Therefore, this biography shed light on a little known star! The biography is very comprehensive and balanced! Therefore, I recommend this fans of show business!

Learning more about Diana Dors was an amazing. She has captivated me like so many other old Hollywood stars that I had to read. What a fascinating and crazy life she has lead. Thank you for allowing me to review.

Diana Dors was often referred to as the British Marilyn Monroe, both of whom were blonde curvy bombshells who rose to fame like a rocket and often we’re fated to suffer the excesses of stardom. Diana, originally born Diana Fluck, a name discarded by the first theatrical agent she met, is probably not that well known this side of the big pond except fir a few publicity photos, but in Britain she was the queen of publicity long before Madonna or the Kardashians.

This biography chronicles her career, which started as a early developed fifteen year old who often passed herself off as much older. She played roles that were quite risqué for her years and struggled her whole life to be taken seriously as an actress, not just as the sex symbol she quickly became. She lived into her early fifties, working for decades in show business, first as an up and coming starlet in the fifties, then cabaret, then television, then horror movies and sex comedies in the Seventies. Her resume is quite long.

Alongside her career we learn about Diana’s personal life which was almost always fodder for the British press. She fell for every handsome man she met, choosing men who would squander her earnings on extravagant things, husbands who wielded shotguns, including an incident with Rod Steiger at a Hollywood Studio, and husbands who wielded bottles of booze. Her house was the scene of wild parties, including a secret two-way mirrored bedroom where seductions at parties were watched. Her estate teetered on the edge of bankruptcy quite often, forcing her to take pretty much whatever roles she was offered. Scandal swirled around her constantly, including widely public affairs before that became normal for stars.

This biography manages to encapsulate her life and put it in perspective as one of a complex interesting -never boring- movie star. Much of her work though is not well known in America and, although the author does a great job of summarizing various movies and tv series, they remain mostly unfamiliar.

I really enjoyed this biography on Diana Dors, it was so well done and I enjoyed going through this biography. I had enjoyed Diana Dors' movies and am glad I was able to read this book.

Many people believed Diana Dors to be the British Marilyn Monroe and I have to agree. She was a beautiful woman both inside and out, and this book gives a lovely insight into her life from childhood through fame.

I really enjoyed getting to know this lovely lady. thank you NetGalley.

A well -written biography on a star who was popular in British Movies and was often compared to Marilyn Monroe. even when she wanted to be taken seriously as an actress. I had heard of her since I am a huge movie buff and even remembered that she was married at one point to Richard Dawson (yes of Hogan's Heroes and Family Feud!) She acted in everything from Oliver Twist in the 1940's to Deep End in 1970 which I just saw recently, and also Theater of Blood with Vincent Price (a great absurdist horror film by the way).. IF you look at her IMBD page, you will see many television shows as well -- she definitely was a working actress through many decades. Her estrangement from her children brings real sadness to her story. I am glad I read this -- I did not know much about her life and career so it was overall an enjoyable read for all movie fans!

An informative, well researched book
Diana Dors for me is up there in my mind’s eye as an icon, glam, a bit of a ‘one’, big hearted, a great laugh and with a tumultuous romantic and personal life
Yet this was mostly based on what I had conjured up or briefly read or my visions of her in Adam Ant’s Prince Charming video, someone I ‘knew’ yet really didn’t, there was much to learn
Having not read her 2 autobiography’s I really did learn a lot about the legend, where she came from, her young life, her desire to succeed, her many passions and her acting career plus of course the many scandals ( some true ) that followed her throughout life
The book, very chronologically takes you through all this and it is mostly in a clinical time stamped way but for me this was great, every show and every actor listed was not a chore to read but enjoyable
Personal life wise there were some shocks, disappointments even in her decisions re various things but then the same could be said for all of us, I kept reminding myself of this
Quite humorous at times, desperately grim at others but at all times intriguing and I would say my view of Diana Dors after reading it as stated above is exactly the same, she remains totally fascinatingly alluring

9/10
5 Stars

I really loved this look at the life of Diana Dora, I knew a little about her but not a great amount and I found this book to be a really interesting and well presented biography. It really draws you in and covers Dors' career and life in the film industry, but also covers her personal life and goes into detail of her happiness and her troubles. Interesting and definitely recommended for movie fans, especially of the British film industry, as it really covers a lot of insight too here.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I knew very little about Diana Dors when I picked up this book, I was aware that she was something of a sex symbol in the UK ("The British Marilyn Monroe"), that she had a good bit of scandal in her background and that she had died fairly young. After reading this book I know a lot more about the British film industry than I would have imagined, I have a vague understanding of the place that Dora holds in that industry, and I learned a moderate amount of information about her life and career.

I also felt that there were huge holes in the overall discussion. The author seems intent on portraying Dors as a victim of her own sex symbol status. There are a lot of excuses made for some of her more "questionable" behaviors while at the same time characterizing her as a strong-willed, career driven gal. It doesn't quite mesh.

There's also the subject of the legendary (even I've heard of them) parties she would have that involved outrageous acts of all kinds and kinks and whatnot. Those get sort of glossed over as parties where her friends were known to engage in "salty" behaviors - with no real explanation of what that means except that we are assured that Diana Dors herself was more of a hostess figure who didn't really indulge; hence her great memory of events. I wasn't looking for salacious details but a basic idea of exactly what was meant by "salty behavior" would have been helpful, as it is there's no real foundation for what in the world is being discussed.

At times the analysis of individual films goes in depth to the point where I found it dull, my lack of familiarity with her work probably had something to do with it. The final chapter does a great job of reviewing the life and works of Diana Dors and makes me wonder if this whole subject might have been better served as a lengthy essay of just that chapter.

All in all I found The Real Diana Dors by Anna Cale interesting but not all that definitive.

***I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley.

I had heard of Diana Dors but i only knew she resembled Marilyn Monroe and that she had been married to Richard Dawson until reading this book.

She was in many movies and TV shows for most of her life and also sang and had a cabaret show to bring in money when she wasn’t acting. She also had a lot of trouble with men and husbands. Unfortunately, she died fairly young, in her 50s.

The book was an easy read with Diana’s life being told sequentially. There were a few parts that went into too much detail for me, such as movie plots and the history if British TV, but that’s my personal preference. Overall, a great informative book. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I was wanting to learn about the actress Diana Dors, so I picked up this book on her. It tells about her ups and downs as she began working towards her early goal of being a star. She started as a teenager, learning the ropes, studying acting, and went on to get a start in the industry. Her love life certainly didn’t help her career any. This is an interesting book on her, sharing what she went through. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Anna Cale, and the publisher.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pen And Sword for a copy of “ The Real Diana Dors” for an honest review.

I love a good autobiography and ,even though I had read books about Diana Dors in the past ,
I found this book really interesting and entertaining.
I had forgotten just how dramatic her personal life was and how popular she was ,the” uk’s Marilyn Monroe”.I think it will be. Interesting for those who remember her and for those who might only know her from her films.

The author Anna Cale gives a fascinating insight into the life of Diana Dors, the ‘blonde bombshell’ and Britain’s sweetheart, with inevitable comparisons to Marilyn Monroe. Diana’s story has many highs and lows but her ambition and determination result in a long and successful acting career, becoming a household name. Her glamour girl image at times belies a traumatic private life and personal tragedies. It is a story well written and very well worth reading. Highly recommended.

Having been introduced to Diana Dors, via the music of Morrissey, I had no prior knowledge of her career, at all. This made Anna Cale's book a perfect starting point, and I now feel suitably educated. Anna Cale has quite the talent in telling Diana's story; from her middle-class upbringing to drama school, becoming a film / TV star, and her chequered relationships with a stream of unsuitable men. Diana Dors was probably the first film star to succumb to 'celebrity' and Britain's notorious print media. Although courting them for publicity, Diana's colourful and often chaotic lifestyle gave them column inches by the bucketload. I hadn't realised that she very nearly broke Hollywood, nor that she never really had a singing career. The 'Swinging Dors' album, recorded in 1960, and re-released in 2007 is a definite listen! I can recommend this book. Britain's 'answer to Marilyn Monroe' was certainly a lot more than that!

I’m not really an autobiography reader but Diana is a little different. She was a curvy platinum saucy icon. If you say Diana Dors everyone seems to have a view of her being that person. She is so much more. A really interesting read and has been read by all the family. I think she does resonate with lots of age groups too. Excellent interesting read.

Anna Cale, The Real Diana Dors, White Owl, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2021.

Thank you NetGalley for this uncorrected copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this story of Diana Dors’ life. While reading I wondered if her life was significant enough to sustain a full-length book and must admit to feeling a sense of despair as the love affairs, marriages, money troubles rolled out, seemingly unendingly. I have looked beyond these to try to see what was remarkable enough for Anna Cale to argue that there is a ‘real’ Diana Dors we do not know. The feature of the book that sustained my interest was the history of the British film industry in the period in which Dors made her early career. In addition, Cale’s perceptiveness in her discussion in Chapter 12 ends the book well.

The early part of the book sets the scene for Dors’ seemingly equal pursuit of love and fame. Her school days, early romances, relationship with her parents and early forays into the entertainment world, not only inform the reader about Diana Dors and foreshadow her future but convey a real sense of the British film industry. The Rank Charm School, instruction at LAMDA, her early films (one directed by Charles Crichton, the director of the well-known The Lavender Hill Mob, another Rumer Godden’s Black Narcissus, a British ‘Western’, Diamond City, and her famous role of Mary Hilton in Yield to the Night) showed a range of talent, of which the reader whose knowledge of Dors is limited to her physical appearance would be unaware. Dors’ move to America, the world of contracts and money spent on parties and glamorous living show how another film industry worked in the period. Again, an interesting read.

Dors’ personal life, as revealed by Cale, has some unpleasant aspects, providing an uncomfortable read at times. Sympathy with her reliance on the men in her life is simple; not so easy is accepting her role in the parties it is said she hosted with her first husband. Fortunately, Cale does remind the reader of Diana Dors’ age throughout the book, perhaps excusing some of her excesses. Reference to her age also underscores the huge amount of experience packed into a relatively short time. Her later career is also covered, fascinating in its variety.

Chapter 12 draws together all the information that I would have liked to have seen illuminating the writing about Dors’ behaviour throughout the book. It is a very worthwhile read and insight into Cale’s assertion that there is a real Diana Dors to be revealed. The photographs are also illuminating – a brunette who became a blond, promoting the image for which Dors is largely remembered, and which Cale is seeking to replace. Again, it is a pity that some photographs are not at the beginning of the book so that the reader does not have in mind the public image with which Dors is most widely associated. Cale’s attention to research is commendable, but I read the book wondering about the basis for her information as there are no citations or references to material other than Diana Dors’ autobiographies. An impressive index, a large bibliography, lists of the films and television in which Diana Dors appeared, a discography and additional resources are provided.

If a half star was available I would rate this book at three and a half stars.

The Real Diana Dors by Anna Cale is a fascinating insight into the turbulent life of a British film star who because of her image rarely got a chance to show her substantial acting talents to the world.
Being born Diana Fluck in Swindon hardly gave her a head start in her stated goal of being a world famous movie star but the young Diana worked hard and even at a young age realised how to use her looks to get noticed. Those looks were a great asset to get the attention of people in the film world of the 1940's and 50's but they were also a burden to any female talent in that era with bit parts as floozies and "eye candy" being the norm. Whenever Diana was given the chance to impress with meaningful roles she did so but invariably ,and frustratingly, however great the performance her next few roles would invariably involve her looking good in her underwear and fluttering her eyelashes a lot. As she got older ,after a stint in the lame "sex comedies" that were big in the 70's Diana became successful as a TV actor,with a talent for comedy,and in demand on chat shows and daytime TV. she also appears on the cover of The Beatles "Sergeant Pepper" LP which makes her an official icon.

Anna Cale does a great job of relating the incident-filled life of Diana Dors, the determined young woman who excelled at acting school only to be frustrated that she was usually cast in roles because of her stunning looks rather than her acting abilities. Her choice of men always caused complications and she appeared to be a magnet for flawed characters. My memories of her are from "Queenie's Castle", "Just William",various game and chat shows and despite the years since I saw it her memorable performance in "The Sweeney". . I was keen to learn more about the earlier life and career of someone who was a mainstream comedic character back when she was touted as "The British Marilyn Monroe".

As the book tells of Diana's life it also shows how British Cinema changed and evolved as her career did ,from the boom years that stoked a girl from Swindon's dreams to gradual decline,a flirtation with slightly grubby and best forgotten "Confessions" type movies then virtual extinction.
My main impression on finishing the book was of a massive talent frustrated in her early career and almost blighted by her looks , which seemed to be all that most movie makers were interested in.
Diana Dors was far from perfect but she deserved better than she got both in her acting career and her private life.
A great book about a true icon.

Book Review for The Real Diana Dors
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