| MarioLanza.net |
Mario Lanza |
Derek Manning |
As well as a newly designed cover, the paperback edition will contain an additional 9 photos. Hale’s decision to reprint the book was a delightful surprise and I immediately contacted Terry Robinson’s beloved Silvia and arranged to fly to Los Angeles to sort through Terry’s collection. The visit would also mark our first time together since Terry’s passing, but tragically, shortly before I was due to fly out to LA, Silvia took ill and died suddenly a few days before my arrival. One of my saddest memories of this past year was sitting with Mario’s daughter Ellisa in Terry and Silvia’s beautiful home, their absence deeply felt by both of us as we sorted through the many boxes of photos and Lanza memorabilia. Terry and Silvia were enormously proud of the original book and it is in their memory now that I am promoting this new edition. In the end I chose six photos from Terry’s collection, one from Mario’s niece, Mother Dolores Hart (a repeat from another book because the photo in question was simply too terrific to leave out), and a wonderful Christophers Show rehearsal photo kindness of Bill Ronayne from the Mario Lanza Society of New York. Permission was also granted by Deutsches Filminsitut in Frankfurt to reproduce an original design sketch of Mario’s Pagliacci costume from “For The First Time” and I am grateful to Steff Walzinger for helping to arrange that. I realize that many fans will have a copy of the original hardback from 2004, but please keep in mind that proceeds from sales of this book go to the British Mario Lanza Educational Foundation. The Foundation was a cause dear to Terry Robinson’s heart and it is one that helps keep Mario’s legacy alive and flourishing. I look forward to joining Ellisa and her husband Bobby at this year’s gathering of the British Mario Lanza Society in Stratford-Upon-Avon in October, a happy and long overdue reunion with so many dear friends. MARIO LANZA: A LIFE IN PICTURES will be available through Amazon.co.uk on September 30 at a price of ¤15.95 sterling. DEREK MANNERING |
I
am pleased to announce that a new paperback edition of my Mario Lanza
photo book, A LIFE IN PICTURES, will be published by Robert Hale in
London on September 30th.