Everybody Thought We Were Crazy: Dennis Hopper, Brooke Hayward, and 1960s Los Angeles
- Downloads：9552
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-05-29 17:21:43
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Mark Rozzo
- ISBN：B09BNHCBL2
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
A
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There is no doubt that Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward were in the center of 1960s cultural activity in Los Angeles as far as film， art and music were concerned。 This book puts it into context。
Ronda Walton
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I received this ARC through a Goodreads giveaway。 Was curious to see if the biography would actually give you a true picture of Dennis Hopper。 Love several of his movies， but never really knew much about the man and his life。 The book was a reflection of the craziness of the 60’s a time where anything went。 Only thing missing to go along with the details of their lives-famous people and places would have been pictures
AnnieM
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This book exceeded my expectations - what started out as a biography of Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward evolved into so much more。 I had read Brooke's memoir "Haywire" about her childhood （mother - famous actress， father - famous producer）。 This book not only gives us additional insight into the backgrounds of her life， but also of Dennis Hopper。 We also learn a lot about the dynamics in their marriage - and to call it a roller coaster ride is not doing it justice。 But the unanticipated part of This book exceeded my expectations - what started out as a biography of Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward evolved into so much more。 I had read Brooke's memoir "Haywire" about her childhood （mother - famous actress， father - famous producer）。 This book not only gives us additional insight into the backgrounds of her life， but also of Dennis Hopper。 We also learn a lot about the dynamics in their marriage - and to call it a roller coaster ride is not doing it justice。 But the unanticipated part of the book for me was the way Mark Rozzo was able to really capture the zeitgeist of the 1960's art world in Los Angeles， the Bay Area and NYC。 I felt I was there at the art openings and parties because of the vivid， detailed descriptions。 Why this book exceeded my expectations is not only did we get a really good sense of the personalities of Dennis and Brooke （and their families） but also the context in which they were living and the creative forces surrounding their lives。 This was a book I could not put down -- I could have read more。 If you are a fan of art and film from the 1960's， of Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward and a fan of old Hollywood -- this book is for you。 Thank you to the publisher Ecco and Netgalley for the preview copy。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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This is a quick read， it’s brevity belies its content。 I knew very little about Dennis Hopper aside from Easy Rider。 The book is about his marriage to Brooke Hayward， who I didn’t know at all。 It’s also about the heyday of Hollywood chaos during the 1960s with a veritable who’s who among the celebrities。 I read with most interest about the couple’s upbringing and their origins。 If you’re looking for a good book On the Southern California crazy drug scene and mismatched relationships， look no mor This is a quick read， it’s brevity belies its content。 I knew very little about Dennis Hopper aside from Easy Rider。 The book is about his marriage to Brooke Hayward， who I didn’t know at all。 It’s also about the heyday of Hollywood chaos during the 1960s with a veritable who’s who among the celebrities。 I read with most interest about the couple’s upbringing and their origins。 If you’re looking for a good book On the Southern California crazy drug scene and mismatched relationships， look no more。Thanks to Ecco press and NetGalley for the early copy。 。。。more
Michael Burke
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Everybody Was Wrong， Everybody Was RightDennis Hopper projected the aura of a crazed madman and often played up on that reputation in his film roles。 There was the frenzied photojournalist in “Apocalypse Now”， the deranged bomb builder in “Speed”， the totally bizarre psycho in “Blue Velvet”。。。 just to name a few。 That was really all I knew about him， other than he had bonded as a young actor with James Dean。 "Everybody Thought We Were Crazy" concentrates on his life in the '60's and the relation Everybody Was Wrong， Everybody Was RightDennis Hopper projected the aura of a crazed madman and often played up on that reputation in his film roles。 There was the frenzied photojournalist in “Apocalypse Now”， the deranged bomb builder in “Speed”， the totally bizarre psycho in “Blue Velvet”。。。 just to name a few。 That was really all I knew about him， other than he had bonded as a young actor with James Dean。 "Everybody Thought We Were Crazy" concentrates on his life in the '60's and the relationship he had with his wife， Brooke Hayward。The book shows that， yes， Dennis Hopper was out of control at times。 It also reveals a surprisingly talented photographer and art aficionado。 Often you will hear about a celebrity who paints or dabbles in some art and you wonder if this is exaggerating anything more than a hobby。 Dennis created some remarkable photography and had a number of showings。 He and Brooke were also early supporters of Andy Warhol and were instrumental in promoting the burgeoning Los Angeles art scene of the '60's。 The private art collection presented at their house was considered an avant-garde revelation。“Everybody Thought We Were Crazy” is about the two of them。 Brooke is the daughter of Hollywood celebrity-- her mother was superstar actress Margaret Sullavan-- and we get an account of her growing up in privileged society， hanging out with the Fondas， and her acting career， a career cut short to accommodate Dennis。 Writer and friend Jill Schary referred to the couple as "the bohemian version of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton。" Brooke led an interesting life and has documented it herself in her autobiography "Haywire，" but her story is necessarily overshadowed here by the wild and unpredictable nature of her husband。 Dennis shared a kindred spirit in Peter Fonda until the craziness hit a peak during the production of "Easy Rider。" Dennis directed what would become a symbol of counter-culture spirit and while the success of the project was a major triumph， it also found a way to tear him apart as he fought Fonda and Hollywood writer Terry Southern over whose contributions should have been recognized。 The marriage to Brooke had dissolved during the filming of "Easy Rider" and Dennis tumbled into a deep void of substance abuse and psychological trauma。 It took years for him to reorder his life and revitalize his career。Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward led fascinating fast lane Hollywood lives。 There are some great TMZ style stories throughout the book。 The major take-away from Mark Rozzo’s book is there is much more to these two than what we would expect。 They were much more than merely art voyeurs splashing money around to earn some culture cred。 Thank you to Ecco / Harper Collins and Edelweiss for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 The man is clear in his mind， but his soul is mad。 – Hopper’s character in “Apocalypse Now” 。。。more
Peggy
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I received a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 The story of Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward who appeared to be perfect for each other until jealousy， drinking， drugs and family pulled them apart。 It was fascinating to read about the musicians， actors and artists that surrounded them。 Great stories of the Los Angeles lifestyle in the 60s。
*TUDOR^QUEEN* （on hiatus）
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I chose to read this book because I was intrigued by Dennis Hopper。 This actor seemed the "dangerous type" and a kind of renegade。 Strangely enough， the only movie I ever saw him in was from 1986 called "River's Edge" co-starring Crispin Glover， Ione Skye and Keanu Reeves。 It was the kind of obscure， off the beaten path film that always seems to attract me。 Dennis Hopper was scary in the role and I got the feeling it wasn't all an act， but an integral part of him。 I also knew he had been married I chose to read this book because I was intrigued by Dennis Hopper。 This actor seemed the "dangerous type" and a kind of renegade。 Strangely enough， the only movie I ever saw him in was from 1986 called "River's Edge" co-starring Crispin Glover， Ione Skye and Keanu Reeves。 It was the kind of obscure， off the beaten path film that always seems to attract me。 Dennis Hopper was scary in the role and I got the feeling it wasn't all an act， but an integral part of him。 I also knew he had been married for only 8 days to Mamas and the Pappas band member and tv actress Michelle Phillips。 I never knew of the actress Brooke Hayward who he was married to in the sixties。 She was the daughter of a famous actress and her dad was a Hollywood and Broadway theatrical agent and producer。 Apparently， she wrote a very successful memoir decades ago about her famous but dysfunctional family called Haywire。 When these two married in the early sixties they were the vortex of that special thing that was happening out in LA involving art and music。 They bought a house that famous musicians， artists and actors congregated at to experience this time of enlightenment。 When Brooke gifted Dennis a Nikon camera it was a pivotal moment in Dennis's artistic development。 From that point on， he passionately documented very important moments during this time such as concert festivals， protests， and other "happenings"。 Later on， these photos were published in books and shown in art galleries and museums。 Dennis took an obsessive interest in abstract and pop art， a passion which Brooke shared。 They were among the first to discover the talents of Andy Warhol in NYC， brought him to LA and purchased that iconic Campbell's Soup painting before anyone else took notice。 Later， Dennis pitched the idea for what became the movie "Easy Rider"， participating in the writing of the screenplay and directing the film。 The book dives very deep into Dennis Hopper's artistic spectrum and transformation， depicting a talented， intense and passionate soul。 People like this can become difficult to live with， especially when violent outbursts and abuse of alcohol and substances occur。 All this happened and the sizzling comet of this marriage eventually burned out- but glowing embers of love remained。 As I read this book I became overwhelmed by the sheer girth and breadth of research involving Dennis Hopper's cultural and artistic realm， and was a bit relieved when the advance reader copy surprisingly ended （in a beautiful way） at the 60% mark。 You see， there was such an extensive bibliography and end notes that it took up the last 40% of the book！ This was an excellent time capsule of a Hollywood marriage of soul mates during the sixties， covering a very interesting and important time in art， movies， culture and music。Thank you to the publisher Ecco who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley。 。。。more
Bill
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This book feels more like a window into the culture of LA （and America） in the 60's than it does a biography of Hopper and Hayward's relationship。 It really highlights what a perfect storm LA was at that time in regards to art， old Hollywood mingling with the counterculture。 I found this book a fascinating who's who of both modern art and the silver screen。 I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in pop art， old Hollywood， rock and roll， and American culture mid century。 Thank you to This book feels more like a window into the culture of LA （and America） in the 60's than it does a biography of Hopper and Hayward's relationship。 It really highlights what a perfect storm LA was at that time in regards to art， old Hollywood mingling with the counterculture。 I found this book a fascinating who's who of both modern art and the silver screen。 I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in pop art， old Hollywood， rock and roll， and American culture mid century。 Thank you to Ecco for the advanced copy。 。。。more
John Bialas
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I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves to read about the 1960s， Hollywood， Los Angeles， the movies， the counterculture， art， photography and real-life drama。
Joe Meyers
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The cultural life of Los Angeles in the 1960s is examined through a vivid portrait of the marriage of Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward who were at the epicenter of the city’s art scene。 Rozzo shows how the couple became major collectors of emerging artists such as Ed Ruscha and Andy Warhol。Hopper and Hayward met as actors on an ill-fated stage production of ‘Mandingo’ and would spend the 1960s together until their marriage imploded around the time Hopper directed the landmark film ‘Easy Rider。’T The cultural life of Los Angeles in the 1960s is examined through a vivid portrait of the marriage of Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward who were at the epicenter of the city’s art scene。 Rozzo shows how the couple became major collectors of emerging artists such as Ed Ruscha and Andy Warhol。Hopper and Hayward met as actors on an ill-fated stage production of ‘Mandingo’ and would spend the 1960s together until their marriage imploded around the time Hopper directed the landmark film ‘Easy Rider。’The book makes it clear that Hopper was a great photographer/chronicler of what was going on around him in the 1960s， taking thousands of pictures that would be used on album covers and for the exhibits of the artists Hopper knew and loved。Rozzo suggests that Hopper’s talent as a photographer eclipsed his abilities as a filmmaker。We also see how Hayward steered away from acting but remained an avid collector of art。 She also began writing， a pursuit that would result in her bestselling memoir ‘Haywire。’Anyone interested in Los Angeles during a particularly fervent period will love this book。（Egalley supplied by Edelweiss） 。。。more
Dan
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My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Ecco for an advanced copy of this combination biography and history of the Los Angeles art scene。Reading many biographies I have come across many couples that seem to belong together， but always seem to come apart in many of the same ways。 Jealousy， misunderstandings， drugs， drink， family。 All of the above would be the answer to why the relationship between Brooke Hayward and Dennis Hopper failed as detailed in Mark Rozzo's Everybody Thought We Were My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Ecco for an advanced copy of this combination biography and history of the Los Angeles art scene。Reading many biographies I have come across many couples that seem to belong together， but always seem to come apart in many of the same ways。 Jealousy， misunderstandings， drugs， drink， family。 All of the above would be the answer to why the relationship between Brooke Hayward and Dennis Hopper failed as detailed in Mark Rozzo's Everybody Thought We Were Crazy: Dennis Hopper， Brooke Hayward， and 1960s Los Angeles。 More than just a biography ， the book is a portrait of a time where the work that was involved in both making art of any form， and love and relationships took work， and that work was far more important than anything。 If the work suffered， something would have to go。 Unfortunately love always seemed to lose out to art。 Dennis Hopper had already burned a lot of bridges in Hollywood due to both his intensity which was deserved， and his reputation， which was undeserved。 Brooke Hayward was a daughter of Hollywood royalty， starring in her first play when a young actor was pushed onto the production。 Annoyance soon became love and the couple with her children， and soon with a child of their own settled in Los Angeles， in a house that soon became the locus of the art world and Hollywood。 Brooke gave up acting， due to Dennis being jealous of the attention she was given， and she began collecting antiques and other collectibles， soon to be a collection that was the envy of many。 Dennis did the same with contemporary art， buying and becoming friends with many of the players and artists on the scene， also collecting quite a variety of works。 Drugs， drinking， and illness and pressures on Hopper soon drove the couple apart， another casualty of the sixties。 A fascinating book about two very different people who has a tremendous amount in common， and extraordinary eyes in finding beauty among， well things sometimes。 The sourceing of the book is amazing， with copious footnotes and great stories and asides from various people who were there。 The book is more of a biography on a couple that fell away from each other， but of the rise of art and collecting in America， a history of film， and how Los Angeles came to be what it is today。 These two were Zelig-like in being among so much interesting changes in art and history， hanging out with Miles Davis， Andy Warhol， and Marcel Duchamp for example。 A very comprehensive biography of a couple in a very exciting and changing time。 This is a very good overview focusing on art， the movies， music， and lifestyles in Los Angeles and in America。 A perfect book for film fans， art students and people who want inspiration for crafting and creating their art。 A compelling story of two people who were perfect for their age， and each other， until they were not。 。。。more
J Earl
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