When sound arrived in Hollywood in the late 1920s, Canadians were already holding some of the most important roles in the motion picture industry. Louis B. Mayer, from New Brunswick, was boss at MGM; Jack Warner, from Ontario, was head of Warner Bros. Studio; and Mack Sennett, from Quebec, was still King of Comedy.

Canadians like Mary Pickford, Marie Dressler, and Norma Shearer moved easily from silents to talkies - this illustrious trio won the first three Academy Awards for Best Actress.

Canadians arriving in sunny California in the 1930s and 1940s were principally actors, including Yvonne de Carlo, Walter Pidgeon, Ruby Keeler, and many others. You will be amazed at the Canadian influence on Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Charles Foster is the author of Stardust and Shadows, Once Upon a Time in Paradise, and Donald Brian: The King of Broadway. A former show business publicist in London, England, he represented Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Marilyn Monroe, and Errol Flynn, among others. Charles later worked in Hollywood as a television scriptwriter and then with the Canadian government as a writer, where he wrote speeches for three prime ministers. For the past nine years he has contributed a story from his life to each edition of the Seniors’ Advocate. He lives in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Charles Foster's profile page

Foster makes certain through Paradise and its predecessor, Stardust and Shadows, that the tradition of Canadians in Hollywood is kept warm and alive. Paradise does not only inform, it inspires its readers to learn more, to talk more about these people and to revisit, with new insight, the films these actors have made.

New Brunswick Reader

This is a fascinating book that will offer hours of enjoyment.

Shelf Life, May-June 2004

enjoyable collection...entertaining to browse through.

Globe and Mail

Foster has penned an entertaining book that makes you feel glad to be Canadian.

Edmonton Sun

Paradise does not only inform. It inspires its reader to learn more, to talk more about these people and to revisit, with new insight, the films these actors have made.

New Brunswick Reader