Joe Pasternak

At the mention of Joe Pasternak, only the most hardcore cinephiles will probably recognize the name as one the most prolific producers of Hollywood’s Golden Age, with 105 films to his credit, in a 40-year long career that started in 1929. So, it is a treat to discover “Easy the Hard Way”, his breezy autobiography published in 1956, when he was still very active before retiring from the movie business 12 years later.

At the 13th Golden Globes, held February 23, 1956, at the Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Grace Kelly (seated with producer Joe Pasternak (Anchors Aweigh, The Merry Widow, Please-Don’t Eat the Daisies)  received our special award as World Film Favorite-Female. It was one of Kelly's last - if not THE last - public appearance in Hollywood.