Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

The Barbara Payton Story

By: John O’Dowd

Narrated by: David “Ghosty” Wills

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story is the only family-authorized biography of the late Hollywood actress whose promising film career in the 1950s was quickly overtaken by a disastrous and scandal-ridden personal life that left her career in ashes. Barbara Payton’s story has long been considered one of the saddest and most potent cautionary tales the town has ever known.

©2019 John O’Dowd (P)2019 BearManor Media

Well worth your Audible credit!

I’ve never reviewed an audiobook despite listening to over 200 of them, but I felt compelled to review this one. The author really seemed like he had a connection with Barbara Payton and understood her. The book was approved by her family which matters to me. Her son wrote a very nice forward. I can’t believe her story isn’t more widely known. Tragedy and Hollywood seem to go hand in hand, but Barbara Payton’s story is as tragic as it gets. Her fall is epic and you just keep hoping someone will step in and save her from herself. I found myself getting to know her and becoming a fan of her talent, good heart and stunning beauty. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say that the amount of detail in this book will satisfy even the most curious.

The narrator reading this book to us is absolutely excellent! You forget you’re listening to a book at times and it’s almost like a play. He is able to change his voice for each person he is depicting which really helps bring the story to life.

I also purchased (on Amazon) Barbara Payton A Life in Pictures (also by John O’Dowd). I recommend picking it up and reading it after you listen to this as you’ll recognize many of the people and places from the pictures in the book.

Sad

A life so sad it’s incredible…she touched everyone who knew her in many different ways. A real psychological thriller tragedy. Very interesting to know how some very famous people reacted to her most turning their back on her instead of a hand up.

A devastating work of deep empathy

An in-depth portrait of a complicated woman whose self-destruction is moving, very human and intensely harrowing. This is quite an achievement by writer, John O'Dowd, who obviously poured his blood, sweat and tears into researching this book. I'm very grateful that he did. This is a devastating, meticulously detailed work of deep empathy. Her tragic descent from a $10,000/week Hollywood star to a $5 prostitute is treated with brutal honesty and heartfelt compassion. I can't stop thinking about this book. I am a bit haunted by it!

The performance is top notch! The narration has a friendly, empathetic vibe that suits the story well.

This would make a great limited series on TV!

Sadness & Pathos

The details were the best part and the details were the worst. Criticism: too many quoted passages.

Raw emotional and unforgettable

Although I feel that a woman should have narrated this story it was still very good. The author maps out Barbara's life but I still have a lot of questions. Self destruction at this level is clearly sign of something deeper going on and yet no one in this woman's life sought to have her mentally evaluated and committed. Even after this woman survived a stabbing she would return to her family looking worse and worse and no one intervened to get her much needed help. I truly feel that Barbara turning over her journals to her sil where she detailed her self loathing and longing for her father's love was a cry for help and no one heeded it.
Her demise was such a preventable waste

Anyway I hope the poor woman is finally at peace.