Hollywoodland

Book Description

Hollywoodland is a rich tour of the vanished way of life that was Hollywood in the first half of the 20th century. Wallace has unearthed new stories and fresh details about some of the eras biggest names and how they lived, worked, and played. His research brings the dawn of the studio era back to life and reveals truth about stars lives at that period hat was infinitely more interesting than anything committed to celluloid. Hollywoodland explores, among other topics: high society, the great ranchos, twilight guys and gals, getting high, dream houses, Santa Barbara and other star playgrounds, the mob and the movie business, and celebrated on-screen and off-screen fashions. It resurrects a colorful and evocative era in the history of the movies and will delight and inform even the most knowledgeable film buff.

Customer Reviews:

Great Title; Poor content.......2004-06-20

It's disappointing that not one, but two books by this author, filled with inaccuracies, could find their way to publication. A glance through the chapter about Blondes relates the tired Jean Harlow/Christian Science/Evil Mother Jean story that first appeared in Irving Shulman's 1964 best selling, but totally made-up HARLOW, AN INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY. Mr. Wallace apparently missed both the excellent David Stenn and Eve Golden bios of Jean Harlow that were written in the early 1990's, which refute that legend based on hospital records and other 'minor' facts, etc.
If you are in the mood for salacious gossip unrooted in reality, read Kenneth Anger's books; they are 'classics' of this genre that will leave you howling and hungry for more, unlike copycats like HOLLYWOODLAND, which reminds one of stale bread.

Babylonland.......2004-04-09

As in his previous volume "Lost Hollywood," Wallace here does little more than recycle the gossip & rumors found in Kenneth Anger's "Hollywood Babylon." Much of it is fun reading - for example, it's always amusing to re-visit Mae West's witty one-liners - but the book is rife with factual inaccuracies and typos. Many of them - but certainly not all - have already been cited in other reviews. One correction I might add is that Herbert Stothart, not Max Steiner, was the film composer for "Wizard of Oz." After that sort of gaffe, it becomes difficult to trust Wallace's information (new to me) that "Oz" author L. Frank Baum designed the crown-like chandeliers that still hang in the dining room at the Hotel del Coronado. Wallace's assertion that "Citizen Kane" was "certainly the best" film music Bernard Herrmann ever composed would likely be disputed by most film music critics (the consensus would appear to favor "Vertigo"). The absence of even a single footnote and the lack of a bibliography are simply additional indications of a carelessly researched and poorly edited volume. Rather disappointing.

Inaccuracyland.......2004-03-09

Despite Mr. Wallace's avowed claim to find the "truth behind the anecdotes," this book--just like his first on the subject (Lost Hollywood)--is nothing more than a series of mostly unsubtantiated Hollywood myths coupled with outright inaccuracies (e.g., Mr. Wallace indicates Jean Harlow as being the recipient of James Cagney's grapefruit-in-the-face in the famous "Public Enemy" scene--when, in fact, it was Mae Clarke), held together by numerous misspellings and typos. Only for the desperate! The dust jacket is nice, though.

Hollywood History.......2004-02-29

"Hollywoodland" has alot of stories about the early history of Hollywood and the movie business. It goes into alot of the gossip and myths surrounding the start of film. I think it is a good book for anyone who wants a good overview of this. I don't think it was very well written. But if you are looking for an easy start to learning about Hollywood history, this would be a good book.

Delivers the info, but without any style.......2003-12-18

HOLLYWOODLAND indeed contains many facts, and many anecdotes, about the history of Los Angeles. Specifically, this book features the entertainment industry, basically treating this industry and the city in which it is centered as one and the same. The information offered by author David Wallace mostly dates back to the creation of the modern city of Los Angeles at the turn of the Twentieth Century.

HOLLYWOODLAND is an interesting and thought-provoking book which drops many of the industry's largest names, from studio heads such as Harry Cohn and Sam Goldwyn to directors such as Frank Capra and Victor Fleming. The stars are included, too, the greats of the first half of the Twentieth Century, such as Cary Grant, Clark Gable and Rudolf Valentino.

Neither are the scandals neglected. Jean Harlow's death is covered, and so is Jayne Mansfield's.

There are two significant problems with this book. One is that many of these famous stories, these allegations of the lesbianism of about a dozen of the greatest movie stars in history, are unsubstantiated.

The second problem is sloppy editing. This book is rife with typos; it reads as if it is an unedited first draft, or a draft transcribed directly from dictation without being proof-read. In one spot, the word that should have been "and" becomes "an." Throughout the volume, articles and prepositions are missing. The book was brought out by a reputable publisher, and it reflects poorly on that publishing house to release such an unprofessional work.

There's also a strange chapter with "a day in the life" of a fictious aspiring actress, c. 1925. The chapter serves little purpose other than to make a reader wonder whether this book even had an editor.

Still, for anyone with a curiosity about the early years of the film industry, HOLLYWOODLAND is a worthwhile book.

Average customer rating:

Cue the spotlight

Too much stretching it

absurd and grotesque in most delicious ways

Amazing!

Hollywoodland: An American Fairy Tale

Hollywoodland: An American Fairy Tale
Jennifer Banash
Manufacturer: Impetus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Hollywood Kryptonite, The Bulldog, the Lady, and the Death of Superman

ASIN: 0977669300

Product Description

Sharlene Miller is a small town girl dreaming of Hollywood fame and fortune. In her relentless quest for success, she becomes a groupie, a porn star, a television starlet and finally, the cultural icon Sierrabut fame always has its price. Struggling with demons both real and imagined, addicted to drugs and abandoned by her fans, Sierra finds herself moving through coma-induced hallucinations, fairy tale porn films, down rabbit holes of drugs and alcohol, and finally through the looking glass of Hollywood itself.

Drawing from A Star is Born, Grimms Fairy Tales, Alice in Wonderland, The E! True Hollywood Story, and the lives of Marilyn Monroe, Jane Mansfield, Dorothy Stratten, Sharon Tate, Krysti Lynn, and Savannah, Hollywoodland: An American Fairy Tale revises popular cultures archetypal narratives to create the definitive Hollywood starletSierra.

Customer Reviews:

Cue the spotlight.......2007-06-06

Ladies and gentlemen, readers of all ages, meet Sierra, the hottest thing to hit Hollywood since Marilyn Monroe. She is willowy and blonde, with turquoise eyes and that extra something that makes both women and men fall in love with her. She is Marilyn, she is Paris, she is Britney and Lindsay and Pam. She's a walking tragedy, another "casualty of Hollywood," and she is the heroine of HOLLYWOODLAND: AN AMERICAN FAIRY TALE.

Author Jennifer Banash reveals Sierra when she is still Sharlene, growing up humbly in Bakersfield and dreaming of the big-time. When she moves to Hollywood, she becomes a porn star, headlining a series of adult movies based on fairy tales. People take notice of the sad beauty with the startling eyes, and she's offered a television show. Everyone and everything is clamoring for her -- the rock stars, the camera, the press, the drugs, the designers, even the President of the United States. But Hollywood is fickle, and it isn't long before our Alice in Wonderland starts spiraling down the rabbit hole, with nothing to cling to but her mistakes. At the beginning of the novel, when we first meet Sierra, she's holding a gun to her head.

HOLLYWOODLAND is a gothic fairy tale for the ages, the story of one woman's dream and her ultimate undoing. In these days of Lindsay and Paris and Britney and their repsective hijinks, such a novel couldn't seem more appropriate. Banash brings to life a world where Hollywood glamour is juxtaposed with its seediness on a daily basis, where the drugs run like water and the money seems endless. The novel is part E! True Hollywood Story and part a modernized version of Alice in Wonderland, with plenty of recognizable nods to real-life people and events. This isn't a humorous look at life in Hollywood: It's an incredibly sad and unfortunate one. Although I was expecting the novel to be a bit more light-hearted than it was, I can understand why Banash chose be so serious. I thought the novel was organized very effectively, and Sierra came absolutely to life in first-time author Banash's hands. She's such a sympathetic heroine, so child-like in her thoughts and actions, that your heart really breaks for her as she sprials further and further into addiction and depression.

But I'll echo what the previous reviewer said: Sierra's affair with the President and the events resulting from it were an absolutely ridiculous part of the plot, in my opinion. I'm pretty sure Banash was attempting to reproduce Marilyn Monroe's famous affair with JFK, which, if she had actually accomplished this, would have made sense. But instead, it was like she just decided to retell the Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton tale instead -- LITERALLY. Yes, that's right -- the famous cigar found its way into these pages. This just made the whole thing seem silly, and it was confusing to boot: After all, I thought Banash was borrowing from the life of a Hollywood starlet, not a White House intern.

Other than that, though, I really enjoyed HOLLYWOODLAND. Yes, there are quite a few typos (probably largely due to the fact that the novel was published by an independent press), the word "buttery" is used a few too many times (to refer to leather, complexions, sensations, sunlight, etc.), and the story itself is a little cliche. But I really liked the way Banash set up her story, and I loved the continuous references to Alice in Wonderland and the way Sierra's life reflected them. Anyone who is fascinated with the Hollywood lifestyle, who pores over People magazine, who appreciates a modern twist on an old story, should pick up HOLLYWOODLAND right away. You're in for a treat!

Too much stretching it.......2007-05-25

As a lover of chick lit and Hollywood stories, both real and fictional, this book looked right up my alley. And at times it's highly entertaining. However, Banash, in, what I suppose is her attempt at appearing trendy, really stretches her fiction with the presidential fling. It was so obviously Bill Clinton that I'm almost surprised that Rush Limburgh isn't selling this book on his radio show. This part of the story just doesn't work and brings down the rest of it with it. Obviously, the writer was looking to make it a modern day Marilyn Monroe/JFK affair because we've read it all before during the Monica days. It's all just too far fetched, and Hillary (not that I'm a big fan of hers) was no where near the doormat of this first lady. Wish Banash would have stuck more with her story about abused, used Sharlene and her attempts to climb the Hollywood Hills.

absurd and grotesque in most delicious ways.......2007-02-07

Hollywoodland (NOT the Ben Affleck film...not related to it) is sort of a female Boogie Nights story, with an abused and screwed young gorgeous woman coming to Hollywood to be a star but becoming a porn story instead. She becomes a groupie for some rock star, dates a sleazy photographer, latches onto another musician, shacks up with a hot--then jealous--female porn star, and eventually sleeps with the president. Along the way she's peripherally involved with some brutal murders and some even weirder stuff, too, when it comes to Dorian Gray, a creepy omnisexual male porn star who's literally got someone or something locked in his closet. I read about half this book on a plane ride and the flight just zoomed by. Very entertaining, gothic, sick, and ambitious.

Amazing!.......2007-02-07

I read Hollywoodland in two days. It was that good. Jennifer Banash's story reads like a cross between a tabloid drama and an bad LCD trip. I felt so much empathy for the main character. This book goes to show how seedy the underbelly of Hollywood can be! I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in celebrities or the dark promise of fame. It's a great read!

Hollywoodland: An American Fairy Tale .......2007-01-12

I have not had a chance to read it yet, but it looks like a good book. I was a little disappointed because it was not the book I was looking for. The book that I wanted was the one that told the story behind the movie Hollywoodland. But I will eventually read it.

Average customer rating:

Welcome to Hollywoodland!

Hollywoodland
Kim Deitch
Manufacturer: Fantagraphics Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0930193520

Customer Reviews:

Welcome to Hollywoodland!.......2000-05-08

This is a great collection of Kim Deitch comics and if you like the undergrounds, this is a must-have. Deitch's black and white, cross-hatched linework looks great and his stories will pull you in. Although now out-of-print, this is a book that definitely deserves to be back in print. In the mean-time, Deitch's forthcoming effort, Alice under Ground (due sometime in June/July 2000) is sure to be a treat for fans old and new.

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Hollywoodland
Thomas Sanchez
Manufacturer: Magnum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

"A" for effort
Within reach of five stars
A truly epic saga
Kingpin of the World!
Mind Blowing!

Hollywoodland Kingpin
Thorne Peters
Manufacturer: Legend Enterprise
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 097083327X

Book Description

A novel of historical fiction about a 1930's director of erotic film noir whose "Director's Cuts," filled with nudity, adult language and disturbing scenes of ritualistic sexuality, {and those were just the "R" rated movies...} would not be seen by general audiences until decades after their release. It is a story that spans a century, references millenniums and is told by a man who lived 60 years of his life in only one hundred days.

Customer Reviews:

"A" for effort.......2003-02-04

This novel is kind of a literary odyssey, in that all people, places and things under the stars are referenced in here. It is surprising to see that a first time author would reach so far. If this is the beginning then the rest of his books should be master works. In this novel the author over reaches, but the results are often fabulous. It is an enormous tale and spans the century of Hollywood as well as the Hollywoodland Kingpin and is at times epically written. I would say to read this book because it really gives your mind a stimulating workout.

Within reach of five stars.......2003-01-15

I agree with all the reviews of this book. It is an unbelievably far reaching novel that smoothly tells a story that spans a century. The non fictional way this fiction reads is exciting and the fictional plot is sensational. The characters are extremely well done, and the choices the author makes for them is very clever and the dialogue is strong, whether or not you agree with the character (particularly Kingpin) or not.

I also agree that this novel is one edit away from five stars. The author gets carried away in points and has trouble keeping his talent under control. His style calls for prolific brilliance and he is on top of it most the time, but now that he has become comfortable with his position perhaps he will learn that less is more and that he has nothing to compensate for despite being a beginner. However his use of words and the transmogrifying of tenses is astounding and is another interesting aspect of the book. It's not a light read and should be read more than once, because there is a lot there; it's very deeply written. It's a magnificent tale that I would recommend, but only to those that are not easily offended by adult tales that are graphically told.

A truly epic saga.......2002-11-25

I wrote a blurb for this book when it came out last year, just as I began to review books full time. "A tawdry Tinseltown tale that should be read under the covers with a flashlight." It was a real challenge to read; it was not written to be mind candy and the author's style is quite unique so it took a bit to get used to. The imagery is startling and what it details is shocking, so, in order to continue, I had to regroup after I recoiled. I've gone back and read it in part and in whole several times since then for my own pleasure and I can say that you never stop discovering new layers each time. It is an amazing psycho thriller about the evil that men do and the women who thrill to it. It is the best kind of fiction in that it reads like a non fiction; there is history, romance, debauchery and tragedy throughout. My favorite aspect of the book is the character development and the choices he makes for their outcome. The heroine doesn't even speak until 2/3 of the way thru the book and the main character, Kingpin, actually is second billed to the subordinate character by the time the book ends. You will not be able to anticipate or believe what happens to them. It loses a star, because as a debut author Mr. Peters tried to do to much to compensate for being a novice and the book could use a better edit. But these minor glitches should not deter you from reading this grand Tinseltown tale.

Kingpin of the World!.......2002-04-10

Well thought out and deeply written. There is a great heart and spirit to this novel if you look beneath the superficial glitz that dazzles and shocks to get the reader's attention. The best portion of this novel are the pages before the story begins. The FOREWORD and QUOTES were memorable and the brief tale he told about his grandfather in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT has the makings of its own great short story. The author has taken chances and reached for greatness in the fictional passages and his ability to write a piece of history is classic. A must read for strong readers with open minds.

Mind Blowing!.......2002-02-02

I was blown away by this book for so many reasons, and I will delve into a few. The reach of this book is vast and at times the author grapples with the challenge of high minded thought that sets the tone for this book---it is way out there, but grounded in reality. The style and terminology is fascinating and humorous as the author really reworks words to fit the phrase. The issues tackled and the full spectrum of celluloid art that is delved into is the best part of the book. The fiction is equally well written and riveting but the cold ruthlessness of the disturbed sexuality was disquieting. The author springs it on you so that it catches you unawares, even though you know it's coming. This is a multi-dimensional book with many sides to each issue explored and is definitely tailored for the intricate reader who basks in nuances and enjoys fully developed storylines that take in not just the characters, but the time and place of their existence.

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Hollywoodland Usa
John P. Pashdag
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Industry | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

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A brief BUT wonderful pictoral history!
Real Hollywood

The Story of Hollywoodland
Greg Williams
Manufacturer: Papavasilopoulos Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Story of Hollywood: An Illustrated History

ASIN: 0963308602

Customer Reviews:

A brief BUT wonderful pictoral history!.......2001-08-17

This book read more like a booklet. It was brief and informative. I highly reccommend this book to anyone who enjoys 'before and after' history told thru text and fotos! Now I'm obsessed with the topic and trying to read and research all there is.

Real Hollywood.......2000-06-12

I feel that this book comes clean about Tinsel Town and some of the key players both past and present. If you would like to see what goes on beyond the lights and fans this is the book for you. I would highly recommend it.

Hollywoodland.(Movie review): An article from: Cineaste

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Hollywoodland.(Movie review): An article from: Cineaste
Thomas Doherty
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000M8NKMU
Release Date: 2006-12-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Cineaste, published by Thomson Gale on December 22, 2006. The length of the article is 2475 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Hollywoodland.(Movie review)
Author: Thomas Doherty
Publication: Cineaste (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Page: 52(3)

Article Type: Movie review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

L.A. stories: 'Hollywoodland' & 'The Black Dahlia'.(Movie review): An article from: Commonweal

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L.A. stories: 'Hollywoodland' & 'The Black Dahlia'.(Movie review): An article from: Commonweal
Richard Alleva
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Commonweal, published by Thomson Gale on October 6, 2006. The length of the article is 1419 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: L.A. stories: 'Hollywoodland' & 'The Black Dahlia'.(Movie review)
Author: Richard Alleva
Publication: Commonweal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 6, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 133 Issue: 17 Page: 22(2)

Article Type: Movie review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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HOLLYWOODLAND
David Wallace
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTOH1A

Book Description

The songs in this book are familiar to children of all ages. They include not only traditional children's songs, but also rounds, cowboy tunes, and popular Christmas songs. They have been arranged in the keys that are most suitable for singing, and can be played in a variety of styles using only the words and the accompanying chords. In cases where there are two versions of a particular tune, both have been included. If one version is not well known, however, the most widely used melody is selected. The songs are written as lyrics with chord symbols only; no music notation is provided.

Book Description

When should you open light? How can you decide whether to bid six no trump or six of a suit? How can you prevent the defense from promoting an extra trump trick? How can you survive a bad trump break? What sort of false card is most likely to mislead a defender? You'll find all the answers here, from David Bird, one of the world's leading bridge writers. In his usual clear and entertaining style, he explains how to tackle dozens of situations often mishandled by the average player.

Customer Reviews:

Another winner from David Bird.......2007-01-28

This book of 52 bridge tips is for intermediate and better bridge players. The tips all relate to declarer play. Each tip is presented with an expanded explanation and several examples. Many are unique, and all are very useful. I highly recommended this book from a superb writer of bridge books.

Book Description

The interview strategies that help graduates of the nation's top business schools get the best jobs with the highest salaries

Interviewing for a job is more than answering questions. The most successful candidates are those who've done their homework, who come prepared with polished answers for every question, and who know how to steer the conversation where they want it to go. Now professional career coach Shelly Leanne--a Harvard graduate--teaches job seekers proven interview techniques taught at the nation's top business schools. How to Interview Like a Top MBA arms job seekers with:

Insights and advice from top corporate executives, headhunters, and MBA program administrators
Worksheets, charts, diagrams, and other valuable tools for creating a customized interview strategy and plan of action
Valuable lessons on how to read interviewer signals, take control of an interview, turn weaknesses into strengths, ask the right questions, and much more

Customer Reviews:

The best book for your interview.......2007-07-17

I found this book to be an excellent reading to prepare for an interview. All the chapters are important and to the point. I prepared for two interviews with this book and the interviewers were impressed with me. The recommendation of knowing as much as you can about the industry, company and job is priceless. I went as far as to prepare a marketing report on one interview. Good book, buy it, it is definetely worth the money.

Very useful, one for the permanent bookshelf.......2007-06-04

Used this extensively when preparing for interviews during first year of MBA-landed multiple offers, not just because of this book but it surely helped. I have found it useful even for changing jobs (not just useful for recent graduates as one reviewer said). Came back to Amazon to purchase yet another copy as I have given away two previous copies I owned. Best best, flip through it in a store like Barnes and Noble and if you like it, come buy online...

One of the best practical guides ever.......2007-05-27

I digested the book, and did everything Dr. Leanne recommended. I tested it by researching an industry I had no experience with, and landed an interview even though no jobs were on offer. I had spent about 6 weeks reading everything I could and prepared all the interview questions in the second section of the book. It turned out that I was more knowledgeable about the company than the manager who interviewed me, so it turned out to be a very strange experience. First, he resented that a senior manager sent him to interview me. He then yelled at me several times, and accused me of lying about white papers that the company had released.

After that exciting interview, I am convinced that this is one of the best practical books I've ever read. Where else can you find a book that tells you exactly how to upstage a senior manager with 13 years of industry experience?

Great book.......2006-08-20

After reading this book I actually got a job after over a year. It helped me a lot with my interview technique which pretty much did not exist. The book is arranged in such a way that if certain questions don't relate to your profession you can just skip through it. The questions are clear (and many familiar) and the responses sound like real people talking and can be easily modified to suit your profession. Anyone who hs been without a job for a long time or short will find this book quite helpful.

Great book for recent grads. Best money you will spend in your job search.......2006-07-08

I recently graduated and landed 3 offers out of 4 positions I interviewed for, and did so with less-than-great qualifications (2 of jobs were reaches for me). I had a subpar GPA but had no idea of how to properly interview before I read this book. The book focuses on teaching the reader how to portray him/herself as a qualified candidate. Interviewers really only care to see if a candidate understands what the job requires, and is willing and qualified to perfrom the duties asked. The explanation of how to answer the dreaded, "Tell me about yourself," really demonstrates all of that, and learning how to answer that question will give you a much better chance of getting the job you're up for. The book also does an excellent job of illustrating what differentiates good answers from great answers; and also explains how to address weaknesses on your resume. It's an inexpensive investment, and if you follow what the author suggests, you'll certainly do much better in your interviews. Two suggestions I have would be to structure your answers, and to PRACTICE. Interviewing isn't that difficult once you know what to do and practice a little bit. If you recently graduated, I would go so far as to say this book is a necessity.

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