- By Quendrith Johnson
- Photo Courtesy of CNN
She gave us Hollywood with wink, and best-selling author Jackie Collins who sold an eye-watering 400 Million books worldwide, had a catbird seat to classic “Tinseltown.” Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story from CNN Films, is director Laurie Fairie’s brilliant deep dive into the private life of this once-shy little sister of icon-to-be Joan Collins. Recounted by daughters Tiffany Lerman and Rory Green plus celeb intimates, Lady Boss follows Jackie as a gangly UK rebel as she trails Joan to Hollywood, The Golden Era. Collins fooled around with Marlon Brando, pegged the ultimate female screen goddess as “Marilyn Monroe could make a revolving door seem stationary.” Ciro’s vintage party moments became the source material for her books. While her racy divorcee-themed UK novels had some success, it was 1983 smash hit “Hollywood Wives,” that marked her as a polished denizen of global celebrity circles.
Jackie Collins imbued the 80’s with leopard prints, high hair, and low necklines in a mirror image of favorite heroine, Lucky Santangelo. Stars from budding Sandra Bullock to Stephanie Powers to veteran Robert Stack peopled TV specials spun from the Lucky series.
Next Joan Collins lands a $2 M USD book deal. The plot-twist sibling rivalry only added to twin flames of fame, as the shoulder-padded dominatrix-types tamed male-driven Hollywood. “Girls can do anything,” Jackie’s motto became updated to: “Women can do anything.” But Jackie Collins hit a wall in the 90’s, when tastes for leopard-skin illicit love affairs soured. Lady Boss is a must-see, as it follows Jackie even right up to her untimely death in 2015.
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