I missed Moira's question. Thanks for bringing it up, Christy. As you may know, Ellen dated Brando for a spell. She was a striking brunette and we know Marlon loved that look. He and Ellen kept in touch their entire lives. They would talk over the phone every week. Brando did not, however, remain in...

Christy, how cool is that photo of Odets, Stella and Luther? I love it because they're arriving in London (in 1938) where they brought "Golden Boy" to tour, and this is when Stella becomes politically involved in the Jewish cause. I didn't mention it yet on this thread, but did you all kno...

I would be remiss not to share this video where I discuss why I wrote Stella Adler's biography and the interview process with people like Karl Malden and Robert De Niro and Stella's daughter, Ellen Adler.
: [youtube][/youtube]

Erik,
I'm so glad my response and the links to my blog clarified the schism between Stella and Strasberg. Thanks for asking.

I really don't know how Stella didn't become a movie star. She had the looks and the talent and the desire. After shooting her first film "Love on Toast" with John Payne, Stella said she didn't like the "leisure" on the set. She also didn't like the early call times! She was at h...

images.jpeg To all of you, this is so much fun. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for these wonderful questions. I'm going to step out now and have brunch with the family. I'll come back before we have a date with the symphony tonight. If any of you who have read the biography and would be so...

Oh dear The Question has arrived: the rivalry between Stella and Strasberg! quote-the-theatre-was-created-to-tell-people-the-truth-about-life-and-the-social-situation-stella-adler-1566.jpg Hmmm, how do I go about this without spoiling the book? Strasberg's the external antagonist through much of the...

Sandy K, Disenchanted with the way the work was going in the Group Theater in the 30s under the direction of Strasberg, Stella began to hate acting. Strasberg's emphasis on sense memory took the joy out of acting for her. She didn't need to delve deep into her past or even deeply anywhere to emote. ...

Moira, Yes, the great character actor Jay Adler was thought of as "the black sheep" of the family, but as Stella would say, "Jay was also its heart." It's difficult to sum up the talent, dynamic, and relationships of the Adlers. I don't know if there were so much rivalries among ...

Moira, you probably know Paul Muni was trained on the Yiddish stage so naturally he was part of the Adler circle. In a previous post I discussed Stella's work as a member of the Bergson Group. I didn't want to give too much away, but basically the Bergson Group was the American name for a militant o...

Moira, you've asked a question I've never been asked before. How do you know so much about Boley and Ouspenskaya? I love it! After the Moscow Art Theatre wowed New York on tour, Stanislavsky's students Bolevslavski and Ouspenskaya launched the American Laboratory Theatre, or the Lab. Stella, anxious...

I'm in a writing work shop, but wanted to share this wonderful Hirschfeld drawing of Morris Carnovsky and John Garfield paying tribute to Stella.

Scott, I forgot to mention that I also have a few letters between Syliva Sidney's son Jody Adler and Stella. If his bravery up against ALS is a reflection of Sidney's mothering, she did a great job!

I'm impressed with the questions today from everyone. Thank you all. Christy, to answer your question about how Stella's "personal experience" informed her theory of acting, I'm assuming you mean her beginnings in the Yiddish theater? Like all Jacob Adler's children, Stella was put on stag...

Hi Scott, Lovely to see a fellow biographer here at the SSO! I don't know what your experience has been, but from the day I signed my publishing contract for Stella! I had nine months to get all permissions (quotes and photos), learn all about marketing (social media, book trailers, book reviewers, ...