A Sudden Flicker of Light

A Revisionist History of Movies

Author: David Thomson

Genre:   Entertainment

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781668205730; 9781668205723

Simon & Schuster

368 Pages

$25.99; $14.99 Amazon

July 7, 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐

David Thomson has been called "the greatest living writer on the movies."  Here is a career capstone of sorts -- a one-volume history of film and screens as illuminating and provocative as his classic Biographical Dictionary of Film.  In tracing the progress from the Lumiere Brothers to the Coens, Thomson glories in the great movies, but admits to increasing unease over what the medium has done to us -- promoting fantasy, misleading models of sexual identity, the cult of authority, power, and happy endings.

This revisionist history is as alert to technology and business as it is to art and fun in tracing our pursuit of the lifelike instead of life.  By turns trenchant, lyrical, and comic, Thomson uncovers our addition to voyeurism and villainy, and a habit of passivity that has betrayed our poitical and cultural identity.  In a survey that reaches from Metropolis to Rear Window to Anora, this will redirect ideas about film everywhere.  As The New York Times has put it, "Thomson proves anew that he is irreplaceable."

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First off, I will say that I have read several of Mr. Thomson's books and own quite a few of them (I just haven't gotten to them all!)  I find that he is an erudite writer who knows his subject well.  When I decided to read this book, I was curious about the content, loving film as I do.  I will say that I love classic movies, own thousands of them, and watch anything from the silents up until they started to get boring (I won't divulge when, as that is my own business and my own opinion).  I will, however, say that I detest modern movies and don't watch them; I prefer to spend my time with Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire (I have a love affair with Fred Astaire), and Barbara Stanwyck.  If you don't know who these actors are, you are missing out on something great.

Mr. Thomson does mention earlier (and some now) actors in this book, but it is mainly centered on directors.  He begins with the 1800's and start of movie-making, which wasn't all that easy to do.  Even then, people were enchanted by the five- or ten-minute films they were allowed to watch.  Since then, we have come miles from what film started out as. 

I have seen most of the films that are mentioned in this book, so I am familiar with the subject matter.  I will add that this book would be essential for any college film major.  You will be surprised at the depth of information inside.  It took me a while to read, as I wanted to ponder what was being said by the author.  Also, I have a habit (good or bad, I haven't figured out) of watching several of the films mentioned in any book having to do with the entertainment industry.  It helps me understand more, see more, and enjoy more.

There are oodles (an odd word!) of directors found within this book, and he gives an honest opinion on their style and facets of directing.  He also gives us background information, which is well-received by the reader.  Personally, I do enjoy Howard Hawks, Mervyn LeRoy, and even Spielberg's films.  All very good.  We also agree that Fred Astaire was almost inhuman in the way he danced  -- it was very sexy and more than musical; his air of grace and effortless moves were almost ethereal.

He speaks of directors from the earliest days, and doesn't pull punches when he does so.  You learn of their failures, foibles, and successes.  While Birth of a Nation is a long film (silent), it's interesting to view.  Others, such as The Godfather, are classics that will stay forever.  

The book is broken down into sections film history; from subject to director to film.  There are analyses of some; reviews of others; and critiques of directorial styles.  It is interesting to see the differences between Orson Welles and later directors, who have somewhat leaned upon his style (but you need to find the ones I am speaking of).

The only thing that bothered me -- and it may not bother others -- were the influx of political opinion,  I was disappointed in Mr. Thomson, because, and I will say this freely, a book about film has no place for politics.  I am fatigued by those who give us wonderful books and then feel the need to infuse their own politics.  While I will not say how, but it is as if you are watching a comedy film and the ending is science fiction.  You would leave scratching your head and wondering where the sci-fi came from, why it was added, and what happened to the original plot.  Badly done, in my view.

Other than that, I can say that this is a very good book, and I am glad that I was given the opportunity to read it.  I do enjoy Mr. Thomson's books; he is a terrific writer and critic, and this would be a good addition to anyone's entertainment library.  Recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Sudden-Flicker-Light-Revisionist-History-ebook/dp/B0FX5NJGRW/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8730028679

More on David Thomson's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Thomson/author/B001K8AFRO?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=46ee9624-3d57-43f0-9eff-e14c2bc8c539

Roddy McDowell

An Actor's Life -- From "How Green Was My Valley" to "Lassie" to "Planet of the Apes"

Author:    Samuel Garza Bernstein

Genre:     Biography/Entertainers

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780806544267

Citadel

352 Pages

$29.00; $24.65 Amazon

May 26, 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sincerity, erudition, charisma...Roddy McDowall.

Here is the ncomprehensive, first-ever biography of the award-winning child star, Planet of the Apes movie icon, beloved film legend, and Hollywood renaissance man whose career spanned 60 years.

As one of the very few naturally gifted child actors who graduated into adult roles with relative ease, Roddy McDowall exuded charm throughout a glorious Hollywood run that included film, television, and Broadway.  John Ford's 1941 classis How Green Was My Valley put Roddy on the map at 12-years-old.  It won Best Picture over Citizen Kane and is Clint Eastwood's favorite film of all time.  But Roddy's biggest claim to fame was yet to come.

The phenomenally popular Planet of the Apes film series, which ran from 1968-1973, introduced him to a whole new generation of fans.  In a career spanning 60 years, Roddy was also a professional photographer, producer and director, starstruck movie lover himself, and film preservationist.  Among his treasured friends: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Angela Lansbury, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, Lauren Bacall, Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brand, Natalie Wood, and Rock Hudson.  Openly gay among his peers, if not the public, Roddy was a trusted keeper of secrets as well.  Loyal and authentic to the end, everyone in Hollywood loved Roddy McDowall.

Exhaustively researched and featuring exclusive interviews with those who knew him best, this first-ever biography from author Samuel Garza Bernstein charts the extraordinary trajectory of the London-born, award-winning actor -- from a childhood in front of the cameras, to a break from the studio and his controlling stage mother, an awkward adolescence and growing awareness of his sexuality, to eventually shaping the life and career that Roddy wanted for himself.  Professionally and personally, he was a success.  This intimate and fascinating journey of resilience, transformation, and reinvention is a long-awaited and illuminating tribute to a true Hollywood legend.

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First off, I want to say that I am a huge classic film buff, and own thousands of them.  I don't care for the movies made today; and I feel that I should say that before reviewing this book.  that being said, I have always been a fan of Roddy McDowall.  

From his sad face in How Green Was My Valley to his obvious enjoyment of Planet of the Apes, there was always a charisma surrounding him.  His acting was wonderful, his timing impeccable.  Just a minor role in Midnight Lace tells you all you need to know.  When he looks malevolently at Doris Day, you do believe that he would have no problem doing her harm.  (Spoiler: he doesn't).

He always drew me in while watching his films.  The magnificent oration in Cleopatra (which I learned, sadly) had part of it cut), was indeed something worth watching.  He gave the best performance of the film, and that is saying something, since he was surrounded by actors such as Rex Harrison, Elizabeth Taylor, and Richard Burton.

The author has done justice to Roddy with this book.  He begins when Roddy is just a child in England; his mother, Wineifrede, wants to be an actress but has neither the looks nor form for it, so she begins to groom her two children, Roddy and his older sister Virginia, for starring roles.

When they are sent to America by their father during World War II, Roddy is just twelve years old.  His mother, still starstruck, goes to Hollywood and eventually a director sees Roddy's potential.  Eventually, How Green Was My Valley not only becomes a starring vehicle for the young Brit, but it wins Best Picture that year at the Oscars.  Roddy's star is born.

Unfortunately, as often happens, child stars don't always morph immediately into teenage roles, and Roddy was no exception. Although his childhood films were wonderful (some made me cry), his later films weren't as successful; but when he became a man his career once again took off.

So did Roddy...right for New York, and a new world of theater opened up.  He loved Broadway, and Broadway loved him.  Roddy loved being around people, and his many friends (too many to list, but most were A-listers themselves) surrounded him, protected him, and enjoyed his many dinner parties.  He never lacked for companions, nor companionship.  I have no doubt most people know that Roddy was gay, although it didn't define his life.  I don't think, 'this is a gay actor,' I think, 'this is a great actor who also happens to be gay'.  I never cared, and I still don't.  This was a handsome, enigmatic man whose face could carry any emotion and convey it to the audience.  His words only added to the charm.

He was involved in many charities, and did what he could for the preservation of film.  So many films are lost forever by those who never thought that future generations might enjoy them.  Roddy did care.

Yes, I am fond of Roddy, but it did not color my reading of the book.  There was extensive research done, and interviews with friends who survived him.  Their thoughts were kind.  In fact, I could not find any negative thoughts at all.  This was a man who took care of his family, forgave them their faults, held his friends close and kept their secrets. 

The last part is actually difficult for me to write.  It's about Roddy's last days and his death.  I cried through those pages, and I am crying now while I relive it.  It is the pain that his friends felt upon losing him; and even in his last days he showed his love.  I only wished I could have met him.  At least I have his films.

In the end, this is a wonderful biography that gives Roddy McDowall the justice he deserves.  It makes me want to be a better person myself.  Do yourself a favor:  Watch a few of his movies and then read this book.  You won't regret it.  Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Roddy-McDowall-Actors-Valley-Lassie/dp/0806544260/ref=

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8564535382

More on Samuel Garza Bernstein's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ASamuel%2BGarza%2BBernstein&s=relevancerank&text=Samuel+Garza+Bernstein&ref=

Mervyn LeRoy Comes To Town

 Author:    Murray Pomerance/R. Barton Palmer

Genre:     Biography/Entertainment

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781978838383; 9781978838376

Rutgers University Press

276 Pages

$120.00; $39.95; $39.95 Amazon

May 13, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mervyn LeRoy Comes To Town is the first book devoted to the career of one of the director/producers who in the early years of sound cinema was instrumental in establishing the Hollywood model of production that would endure for more than half a century.  As a director and producer, LeRoy was responsible for turning out more than sixty feature films in a career that spanned five decades; as a studio executive, he contributed substantially to the success of the industry during the challenging period of the Depression and also in the period of realignment and readjustment that followed the end of World War II.  This book offers chapters devoted to individual films such as Little Caesar, Waterloo Bridge, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, Gypsy, and Quo Vadis.

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First off, I will tell you that I love classic films.  I own thousands of them, and don't even watch today's movies.  It was the old Hollywood that turned out true actors and actresses, producers and directors.  The studios were the main crux of it all, and they wielded their power.  It was then that movies defined what Hollywood was, and my fascination with it has never waned.

Saying that, I was excited to read this book.  Since I already own Mervyn LeRoy's biography, I wanted to see what the author(s) could contribute to this wonderful director.  They do not parse all of his films; they choose carefully the best of them, and proceed to examine each part, showing us what LeRoy filmed.  Like all people, we watch films for entertainment, and never even think of what is behind each scene or actor's motions.

I, however, love to watch the actors as their face shows what is going on behind it.  In most cases, you can see the change in emotion as they go through different situations, and no one is more powerful at this than the late actor Paul Muni.  He has a face that shows what he is thinking, and you will find this in LeRoy's film I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang.  This film was controversial when it was made (1932); but the authors are able to examine the film from all angles, and dissect it for the layperson who wishes to know more of LeRoy's intentions.  It was definitely interesting to see the film from a different perspective, and I will watch it again with this in mind.

The reason I chose this film is the fact that it is the picture on the cover of this book, with Mr. Muni front and center.  He was a wonderful actor, but made too few films, in my opinion.  However, back to Mr. LeRoy: he was a wonderful director, and began as an actor, but fortunately, his career went in a different direction.  He started out like gangbusters (a trite phrase, I know, but appropriate), and made films that today people may not have seen, but should.  One, Playing Around, is one of my favorites.  I don't know if it was deliberate, but the last scene is actually my favorite.  Chester Morris is superb in his role, and LeRoy made a great film.  Unfortunately, it is not one of the ones that is featured, but when you read the book, I do hope that you make the effort to see LeRoy's films.

If you start with one, make it Little Caesar with the great Edward G. Robinson.  Given the material and LeRoy's directing skills, the two make a magnificent film.  The authors break the film down for you, and in the end, you want to watch the film again.  

Since reading this book, I myself have checked the airwaves to see if any are airing, and have recently pulled up one from my own catalog.  Seeing LeRoy through new eyes was definitely a huge plus for me.  All in all, I think that anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood would be interested in this book.

To add, the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because I must tell you that there are spoilers in the book.  While they do a very nice job of making us see things through LeRoy's eyes, they also give away the ending of each movie they write about.  I caution you this so that you can see the movie before reading the book; and please, do yourself a favor and do both.  Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss, but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Mervyn-LeRoy-Comes-Murray-Pomerance/dp/1978838387/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7309267296

More on The Authors:    https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33501.Murray_Pomerance

                                        https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/28118.R_Barton_Palmer

Robert Preston: Forever The Music Man

Author:    Debra Warren

Genre:     Biography/Entertainment

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9798986311029; 9798986311005

Independently Published

542 Pages

$28.00; $21.99; $19.99 ($1.99)

August 6, 2022

⭐⭐⭐

Born Robert Preston Meservey in the suburbs of Boston in 1918, Preston moved with his family to Los Angeles as a toddler.  He caught the acting bug in high school and continued as an actor with a Shakespearean acting troupe and at the Pasadena Playhouse before being discovered by Paramount Studios in 1938 at the age of nineteen.  After languishing in B-movies for over a decade, he made the decision to seek success on the Broadway stage.

The song "Seventy-Six Trombones" from The Music Man would forever link Robert Preston to the Broadway musical and the iconic 1962 film that would establish him as a Hollywood and Broadway star.  His role as Harold Hill in The Music Man was a pivotal moment for the actor who appeared in dozens of films as well as theater and television productions.  Although Harold Hill was admittedly not Preston's favorite character, it was this singular, spectacular role that catapulted him to stage and screen stardom and ensured he would forever remain the Music Man.

In a film and stage career that spanned five decades, Robert Preston managed to survive the studio system and the fickleness of the film industry while maintaining his integrity and calling his own shots.  A master at shielding his private life, Robert Preston was a distinguished actor and gifted artist on the public stage, yet remained a reclusive, enigmatic man in his private life.  Extensive archival research, and interviews with Preston's family members and fellow actors including Rosemary Harris, Christopher Walken, Lesley Ann Warren, Loretta Swit, Bob Gunton, Neva Small, and others, has unveiled a richly detailed portrait of the gifted actor's personal life as well as an overview of the films and Broadway productions to which he lent his talent.

Despite some fits and starts in both is professional and private life, what emerges from the fabric of Preston's life is the undeniable truth of his versatility as a performer, one who possessed the innate ability to perform superbly in a variety of genres -- drama, comedy, westerns, or musicals.  As a testament to his skill as an actor, Preston continued to deliver remarkable performances on stage and screen and strived to reach new apogees, even when cast in flawed projects, up until his untimely death in 1987.

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Robert Preston has always been one of my favorite actors.  Since I watched him in How the West Was Won, one of his later projects, I instantly 'fell in love' and couldn't understand why Debbie Reynolds would choose Gregory Peck instead.  Oh, well...

I have seen (and own) almost all of his movies (except those I cannot find on disc), and his acting has always enthralled me.  The way he moves, the way he speaks -- it's like watching a restless panther ready to stalk its prey.  He was a consummate actor, tall, strong, well-built, yet easy-going, and willing to give the stage to someone else without over-acting.  He didn't need to.  He had a commanding presence, and one can't help but notice him instead of others.

Sadly, I wasn't old enough to see any of his Broadway performances, but I would have liked to do so.  From the statements of costars, he was someone who took over the stage without even trying.  He sold out performances many times.  Even in bad plays, his acting was stellar.  He loved to work, and he did almost until his death.

Robert Preston's wife, Catherine, was an actress in her own right but gave it up to care for her husband and his career.  She was the rock he needed, the comfort he wanted to come home to -- even when he had other plans, (which I won't go into here), Catherine was there, always.  

I really looked forward to reading this biography, as I have always hoped there would be a good one out there.  Unfortunately, this isn't it.  For one, there is a dearth of photographs, just a few pages (I do feel that there should have been more than just a few photos), but that is my own opinion.  Secondly, if you haven't seen all of his movies and wish to do so, you might want to skip much of this book.  I say that because it goes on ad nauseum of every single plot of every single play and film he was in; the costars and all their backgrounds (I still don't know who many of the stage actors are since I have never heard of them); and it drags the book down roads it doesn't need to go.

The beginning is excellent, with Robert's family background and how he came to be an actor, but then it drowns in the above-mentioned areas, which made the reading take longer than it did as it lost my attention somewhere past that.  The last hundred pages or so is a bibliography of information in the book (which we expect) and every performance he was in along with all his costars (wasn't that information already given?).

In the end, this could have been a much better book, but it will have to suffice until (or unless) another biography of this wonderful actor comes along.

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Preston-Forever-Music-Man-ebook/dp/B0BBLQX1G4/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6526875515

More on the author:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Debra-Warren/author/B0B8XQD8FF?ref

Early Poverty Row Studios (Images of America)

Author:    E.J. Stephens/Marc Wanamaker

Genre:     History/Film

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781531677138; 9781467132589

Arcadia Publishing

128 Pages

$26.99; $16.70; $9.99 Amazon

November 10, 2014

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The history of Hollywood is often seen only through the lens of major studios, forgetting that many of Tinseltown's early creations came from micro-studios stretched along Sunset Boulevard in an area disparagingly known as Poverty Row.  Here, the first wave of West Coast moviemakers migrated to the tiny village of Hollywood, where alcohol was illegal, actors were unwelcome, and cattle were herded down the unpaved streets.  Most Poverty Row producers survived from film to film, their fortunes tied to the previous week's take from hundreds of nickelodeon tills.  They would routinely script movies around an event or disaster, often creating scenarios using sets from more established productions, when the bosses weren't looking, of course.  Poverty Row quickly became a generic term for other fly-by-night studios throughout the Los Angeles area.  Their struggles to hand on in Hollywood were often more intriguing than the serialized cliffhangers they produced.

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I love anything about old Hollywood.  I own thousands of classic films, biographies of actors, studios, etc.  I don't watch new movies as I don't think they are as good as those long past.  In my opinion there will never be another Bogart, Cagney, Stanwyck -- or even someone like Charlie Chaplin, who revolutionized films.  

This is the pictorial story of the first studios in Hollywood -- those on Poverty Row, where they changed hands constantly, silent films and serials being made daily, and cowboys waiting for their turn to be chosen for a western or two.

If you are interested in how film studios began, then this is the book.  While it isn't high art, it isn't meant to be.  But what it is, is showing us how everything began, where the studios were located, and even little tidbits of history that one might not have known about actors (or those who wanted to be).  It's an interesting album of pictures that I have never seen before, and I found fascinating to see.  Hollywood as it was when movies were churned out as fast as they could, trying to make actors stars and therefore fill the coffers of the producers and directors; and while it is a short book it has packed in a lot of history.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Early-Poverty-Studios-Images-America-ebook/dp/B00PMG2TL0/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6274902330

More on the Authors:    https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4045873.E_J_Stephens

Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided

Author:    Scott Eyman

Genre:     Biography/Entertainers

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:`9781982176358

Simon & Schuster

432 Pages

$29.99; $14.99 ($49.99) Amazon

October 31, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The remarkable, must-read story of Charlie Chaplin's years of exile from the United States during the postwar Red Scare, and how it ruined his film career, from bestselling biographer Scott Eyman.

Bestselling Hollywood biographer and film historian Scott Eyman tells the story of Charlie Chaplin's fall from grace.  In the aftermath of World War Two, Chaplin was criticized for being politically liberal and international in outlook.  He had never become a US citizen, something that would be held against him as xenophobia set in when the postwar Red Scare took hold.

Politics aside, Chaplin had another problem: his sexual interest in young women.  He had been married three times and had had numerous affairs.  In the 1940s, he was the subject of a paternity suit, which he lost, despite blood tests that proved he was not the father.  His sexuality became a convenient way for those who opposed his politics to condemn him.  Refused permission to return to the US from a trip abroad, he settled in Switzerland, and made his last two films in London.

In Charlie Chaplin vs. America, bestselling author Scott Eyman explores the life and times of the movie genius who brought us such masterpieces as City Lights and Modern Times.  This is a perceptive, insightful portrait of Chaplin and of an America consumed by political turmoil.

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I will tell you first that I am consumed by anything Hollywood in the Golden Age.  I don't watch today's films, and probably never will.  The true actors - Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, etc. and, of course, Chaplin -- have all left us; but their legacies are left behind, in hundreds, if not thousands, of films from the silent era to the 1960's (or such).

I have seen all of these films and own most of them; I am not shy about purchasing a classic film or making a new discovery; this is part of the charm of them.  I can travel back in time whenever I want.  Luckily, or perhaps a fortunate accident, Turner Classic Movies has recently shown two of Chaplin's classics: The Great Dictator and City Lights.  Another channel, FMC, has also runs several of his silents, so I was able to watch the films (again) while reading this book.  Lengthy, but definitely worth the read.

While I have read about Chaplin's troubles, never before have they been laid out in such a way as to make one not only admire him, but feel sorrow for him as well, because of the way our beloved (at least to me) United States treated him -- all because he was not a US citizen, and therefore, he must be a Communist (he was not).  It was sad to read, because by all accounts, even though he was stingy in monetary matters (due to his upbringing), he was extremely generous to friends and coworkers.  

Charlie Chaplin was an enigma unto himself.  Born into poverty, he and his older brother Sydney developed a lifelong bond with each other, and while Syd had done fairly well, Charlie, due to the fact of his visions regarding film, had done much better.  But it didn't come without a price:  His first three marriages failed, and his work was all-consuming.  He would do a hundred takes if it meant a better film.

What others may or may not know is that it was Chaplin, director D.W, Griffith, actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. who created Universal Studios.  They developed and made their own films and those of others, becoming extremely wealthy in the process.  This, of course, afforded Charlie the means to make those films he wished; and what films they were.  While some may not be interested in silent films, none can dispute his "Little Tramp" was brilliant.  It was this introduction into his early films that made me watch the others.

Charlie was married unhappily three times, and it was not until he met the 17-year-old Oona O'Neill (daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill) that he finally found love.  He married her when she turned eighteen, and the marriage lasted until his death.  But even then he found problems as there were those in Hollywood and even Washington, D.C. who found him 'unacceptable' when it came to his private life.  I will not go into the story of Joan Berry here, but you can read the entire tale in the book.  I will say, however, that while Charlie may have had strong sexual proclivities, he never once took a minor where they shouldn't be.. He was not a predator.  In all, he adored Oona and could not have survived without her.

Charlie was given a bum rap. if you will, by this country, all because they were unhappy with the fact that he wouldn't become a citizen (he considered himself a 'citizen of the world'), and didn't have the same sensibilities of others during the Red Scare -- which I will say, ruined the careers of many actors and others).  When he retired to Switzerland, he was happy with his life, but longed to make more films, and did succeed in making two more, although they were not well-received by the critics nor the public.  However, Charlie's brilliance could not stay buried forever, and years later he was received with open arms on all fronts.

Whatever you think about the puckish Mr. Chaplin, love or hate him, this biography will open your eyes to the type of person he was.  It is not fawning over him, but tells the true tale of Charlie's life from birth to death, and everything that occurred in between, giving us a definitive tale of both the man and the genius.  It has given me a renewed admiration.  Highly recommended.

I thank Simon & Schuster for the advance copy of this book.  However, it did not influence this review in any way.

https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Chaplin-vs-America-Politics-ebook/dp/B0BV157PXK/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5736274891

More on Scott Eyman's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=scott+eyman&i=digital-text&crid=6IHP5VHHYF2I&sprefix=scott+eyman%2Cdigital-text%2C173&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock (An Anatomy of the Master of Suspense)

Author:    Edward White

Genre:     Biography/Film

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781324002390

W.W. Norton & Company

378 Pages

$14.99; $9.99 Amazon

April 13, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock, Edward White explores the Hitchcock phenomenon -- what defines it, how it was invented, what it reveals about the man at its core, and how its legacy continues to shape our cultural world.

The book's twelve chapters illuminate different aspects of Hitchcock's life and work: "The Boy Who Couldn't Grow Up"; "The Murderer"; The Auteur"; "The Womanizer"; "The Fat Man"; "The Dandy"; "The Family Man"; "The Voyeur"; "The Entertainer"; "The Pioneer"; "The Londoner"; "The Man of God."  Each of these angles reveals something fundamental about the man he was and the mythological creature he has become, presenting not just the life Hitchcock lived but also the various versions of himself that he projected, and those projected on his behalf.

From Hitchcock's early work in England to his most celebrated films, White astutely analyzes Hitchcock's oeuvre and provides new interpretations.  He also delves into Hitchcock's ideas about gender; his complicated relationships with "his women" -- not only Grace Kelly and Tippi Hedren but also his female audiences -- as well as with leading men such as Cary Grant; and writes movingly of Hitchcock's devotion to his wife and lifelong companion, Alma, who made vital contributions to numerous classic Hitchcock films and burnished his mythology.  And White is trenchant in his assessment of the Hitchcock persona, so carefully created that Hitchcock became not only a figurehead for his own industry but nothing less than a cultured icon.

Ultimately, White's portrayal illuminates a vital truth: Hitchcock was more than a Hollywood titan; he was the definitive modern artist, and his significance reaches far beyond the confines of cinema.

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I love biographies of old Hollywood, before the acting became blue-screened and actors had to show their abilities or fall by the wayside.  Directors were a huge part of their success:  John Ford, William Wyler, King Vidor -- and especially Alfred Hitchcock, who made many important and thrilling pictures that spoke to me.  I have seen them all;  I have been fascinated by every one -- so much so, that I have made them a part of my film library.  I limit myself to classic films; and you cannot do without Hitchcock. 

In this biography, Mr. White parses the man down to his parts and counterparts, piecing each one to discover who exactly Alfred Hitchcock was.  He draws upon his birth and early years, showing us what his parents were like, and how it molded Hitchcock in his earlier years -- some things never leaving him, such as some things never leave us.  He moves onto his first years as a filmmaker, using both versions of The Man Who Knew Too Much to show us how he changed his script yet kept the heart of the film alive.

He speaks of Hitchcock's troubles with his weight; but the man loved food; he never ate to live, he lived to eat.  I never looked at his physical appearance too much; I guessed he would put the energy into his meals as he would his films.  Beauty is what it is, whether it is food, cinema, the world around us.  It just is.

Mr. White talks about his films, and how they relate to Hitchcock's thinking.  Hitchcock's favorite film is also my own, Shadow of a Doubt.  It has the brilliant actor Joseph Cotton, who can slip from being charming in one moment to seamlessly threatening in another.  I have always been mesmerized by this film, and watch it at least once per year.  Don't ask me why; the film itself is so well-made that it almost puts you in Santa Rosa and you become part of the action.  It's suspense at its best.

Hitchcock's films are nothing if they are not suspenseful.  They are so enticing to watch, that even if you have seen them over and over and you know what it coming, you still feel that frisson of thrill when the final scene comes.  It's the details, all the big and small ones, that make the film what it is.  And Hitchcock planned them all, from the costumes to the pacing to the dialogue.

What more can I say about this book except that Mr. White is thorough in his parsing of Alfred Hitchcock.  He shows him as the Man, and also as the Great Director.  It is an interesting note on both cinema and the director.  If you have not seen any of his films, I suggest you watch them.  You will never be the same.  Highly recommended.

I received this book from Amazon and the publisher but it in no way influenced this review.

https://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Lives-Alfred-Hitchcock-Suspense-ebook/dp/B08D1T47PK/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4930539264

More on Edward White's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Edward-White/e/B00GAPBAFS/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

The Curse of Sherlock Holmes: The Basil Rathbone Story

Author:    David Clayton

Genre:     Biography/Film

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B08DG6PJ7C

The History Press

231 Pages

$7.99 Amazon

August 3, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Basil Rathbone is synonymous with Sherlock Holmes.

He played the Victorian sleuth in fourteen Fox/Universal films of the 1930's and '40's, as well as on stage and radio.  For many people, he is the Holmes.

Basil Rathbone grew to hate Sherlock Holmes.

The character placed restrictions on his career; before Holmes he was an esteemed theatre actor, appearing in Broadway plays such as The Captive and The Swan, the latter of which became his launchpad to greater stardom.  But he never, ever escaped his most famous role.

Basil Rathbone was not Sherlock Holmes.

In The Curse of Sherlock Holmes, celebrated biographer David Clayton looks at the behind-the-camera life of a remarkable man who deserved so much more than to be relegated to just one role.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

This biography of Basil Rathbone is perhaps one of the best written, just behind Basil's own autobiography.  While Mr. Clayton clearly likes his subject, he doesn't pull any punches as to Mr. Rathbone.

In the beginning, Basil always knew he wanted to be an actor.  But he couldn't give this information to his parents, and instead at his school Repton, he excelled in sports of all kind while honing his skills in the theatre.  He was an ordinary scholarly student, struggling to keep his grades up because his interests were elsewhere.  However, when it was needed, he managed to keep them up enough to graduate.

Basil was an extraordinary man; so much more than what most people know of him.  He was a war hero, and there is several paragraphs which dictate just how fearless (or bored) he was; something that is normal today in the military was not familiar then.  I was surprised, but happily so.

He married twice, and while his first marriage suffered and ended, leaving his ex-wife with his young son Rodian (a sad story in itself), he managed to find a new wife named Ouida, who excelled herself in entertaining and loved lavish parties.  Perhaps this is the reason -- as the author speculates -- that Basil kept himself working after most of his prospects were done.

He was not only an accomplished theatre actor -- his first love -- but also an accomplished actor in film, and so much more than just Sherlock Holmes.  I have seen most, if not all, of his films, and am still amazed each time I see Son of Frankenstein, where there is a scene in which he does his own stunts.  I love his swordplay in the films.  I love his voice, so full of life and vigor, his body of regal bearing like a tiger about to pounce.

But it is Sherlock with which he is identified both, and this role made him rich, but took away much of his soul.  He will be forever identified in it; and I watch these films at least once per year.  While I enjoy them, I could enjoy them more if Nigel Bruce were not such a bumbling fool in them (no offense to Mr. Bruce's acting; it takes a good actor to be perceived so and get away with it).  If anyone knows the books as I do, Dr. Watson narrates them, and a fool could not do this.  But I find no fault with Mr. Rathbone's portrayal of Holmes.  It is indeed excellent, and just what I would consider Holmes to be.  Perhaps the only reason I prefer Jeremy Brett's Holmes to Basil's is because Dr. Watson in that series is more what Dr. Watson should have been in the first place.  I will never know the answer to this question.

But Basil was cursed by Holmes and unable to find decent roles when he had given it up, and it was this that he ended his career on; and a sad ending for such a jovial and talented actor.  We can surmise that he would not have had to take roles he despised if it were not for Ouida spending all his money; it is opined by the author that she controlled Basil at home; and if you see how his own son and grandchildren were treated, I can sympathize (my own stepmother attempted to erase my father's first family, too -- but without success, at least).  It caused sadness for Basil.

In the end, this biography details Basil's life -- both good and bad -- and gives us a better understanding of the man and the actor.  I am glad that I discovered it, and I would highly recommend it to others.

https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Sherlock-Holmes-Basil-Rathbone-ebook/dp/B08DG6PJ7Z/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4865476960

Hooked on Hollywood: Discoveries from a Lifetime of Film Fandom

Author:    Leonard Maltin

Genre:     Non-Fiction/Film

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780998376394

400 Pages

GoodKnight Books

[Various Prices]; $7.99 Amazon

July 2, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Leonard Maltin is America's best-known film historian, film reviewer, and author of books that have sold more than 7 million copies.  He remains a thought leader on past and present Hollywood through his website www.leonardmaltin.com, and a social media presence that includes an active Facebook page and a twitter feed with more than 66,000 followers.  In Hooked on Hollywood, Maltin opens up his personal archive to take readers on a fascinating journey through film history.

He first interviewed greats of a Hollywood as a precocious teenager in 1960s New York City.  He used what he learned from these luminaries to embark on a 50-year (and counting) career that has included New York Times bestselling books, 30 years of regular appearances coast-to-coat on Entertainment Tonight, introductions on Turner Classic Movies, and countless other television and radio performances.  Early Maltin interviews had literally been stored in his garage for more than 40 years until GoodKnight Books brought them to light for the first time in this volume to entertain readers and inform future film scholars.  Teenaged Leonard Maltin landed one-on-ones with Warner Bros. sexy pre-code siren Joan Blondell, Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actor Burgess Meredith, Cecil B. DeMille's right-hand-man Henry Wilcoxon; Oscar-winning actor Ralph Bellamy, playwright, novelist, and MGM screenwriter Anita Loos; early screen heartthrob George O'Brien, classic Paramount Director Mitchell Leisen; and others.

Later in his career, Maltin sat down with men and women who worked inside the top studios during the heyday of movies and early television.  This second set of in-depth interviews reveals what life was life under Louis B. Mayer, Jack Warner, Harry Cohn, and the other titans of Hollywood.  What emerges is a fascinating and at time uproarious homage to Golden Era Hollywood.  In addition, key feature articles from Maltin's newsletter Movie Crazy are published here for the first time, providing new perspectives on the Warner Bros. classics Casablanca and Gold Diggers of 1933 as well as many other masterpieces -- and bombs -- from Hollywood history.

Finally, Maltin looks back at what he considers Hollywood's "overlooked" studio, RKO Radio Pictures, which gave us such classics as King Kong and the man dance musicals of Astaire and Rogers.  In Leonard's unique and witty style, he looks at dozens of obscure RKO features from the 1930s. including saucy pre-Codes, musicals, comedies, and mysteries.  Leonard Maltin's love of movies and vast knowledge about their history shines through from the first page to the last in this unique volume, which includes 150 rare photos and a comprehensive index.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

After reading this long (at 400 pages) book by Mr. Maltin, the one word I would use for it is comprehensive.  Mr. Maltin does nothing halfway, and this book is proof of that.  He begins by giving interesting information regarding the songs in several films -- Casablanca and Blues in the Night are two of them; and he does so nicely, with knowledge about them we might never have known otherwise.  

As a huge classic film lover, I have seen all of the films (except for the 'lost' ones naturally), so I am quite aware of the plots, but for those who have not, he also details these (without giving away endings, so never fear) in order that others might wish to see and enjoy them.  While I will admit there are stinkers among them (as Mr. Maltin himself professes), some of these are worth viewing for the actors alone.  I will say, though, that even with my love of musicals, there are those that I will never view again, and therefore don't really care about their history.

Then we get to the meat of the matter -- the interviews.  While many of them are droll, there are just as many where the participants' responses just didn't matter to me; they seemed dry.  However, I will say that I absolutely loved Ralph Bellamy's interview.  He had a good memory for his films, and if anyone has ever seen any of them -- or if not, I will say to do so, especially his earlier ones -- Mr. Bellamy acted with his eyes.  Regardless of whatever line he was speaking at the time, his eyes showed the emotion a true actor should.  I have noticed this in all of his films.

What is amazing, really, is the fact that the teenaged Leonard Maltin could actually speak to these people and get them to open up so candidly to him.  Each interview is no different than any from a seasoned critic, and it led him to a prolific career in television and radio.  The book is also filled with over a hundred photographs from his personal collection, and some of them are quite marvelous to see.  This is a book that should be in the library of classic film scholars, and quite worth the read.

https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Hollywood-Discoveries-Lifetime-Fandom-ebook/dp/B07DF86Q8N/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4175948238

More on Leonard Maltin's Books:   https://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Maltin/e/B000APIP2A/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Murder and the Movies

Author:  David Thomson
Genre:  Film

Hardcover; [Audio CD]
ISBN #:  9780300220018; [9781705232798]
Yale University Press; [Tantor Audio]
240 Pages
$26.00; [$24.99]
August 5, 2020

⭐⭐

How many acts of murder have each of us followed on a screen?  What does that say about us?  Do we remain law-abiding citizens who wouldn't hurt a fly?  Film historian David Thomson, known for wit and subversiveness, leads us into this very delicate subject.  While unpacking classics such as Seven, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Strangers on a Train, The Conformist, The Godfather, and The Shining, he offers a disconcerting sense of how the form of movies makes us accomplices in this sinister narrative process.

By turns seductive and astringent, very serious and suddenly hilarious, Murder and the Movies admits us into what Thomson calls "a warped triangle": the creator working out a compelling death; the killer doing his and her best; and the entranced reader and spectator trying to cling to life and a proper sense of decency.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I have to tell you that I am a huge fan of classic films and own thousands of them.  Movies of today, not so much.  However, this doesn't mean that I haven't seen any of them; of course I have, but that doesn't make a difference in this book at all.

While I was looking forward to this book insofar as that fact, what it contained was something quite different, and it threw me for a bit of a loop.  I do love Mr. Thomson's other works, so this was quite a surprise.

While I expected to read a discourse on how murder and the movies coincide with one another, there was rare mention of any film noir which, of course, have a great deal of murder within them; and to be honest, every single film mentioned tells you the ending.  Now the only reason I am saying this is some people might not have seen the films mentioned (as I have never several of them) and I wouldn't want them to be blindsided by this fact.

But the thing that struck me the most wasn't the facts listed above, but the fact that at one point it descended into a mini-political rant, telling us that perhaps we shouldn't own guns because they cause more problems.  Well, I think if you can get the guns out of the hands of the criminals, then we won't need them to protect ourselves.  Also, if Hollywood is so concerned about getting rid of guns, why are they making films that use them?  (My mini-rant).  

Anyway, he does make several very good points as to the fact that perhaps seeing all this murder onscreen might have deadened our sense of it; but one could also say that playing violent video games might cause the same effect.  I've often thought myself that if people could stop playing them for hours on end they might begin to be less aggressive, but who knows?  (I have heard of them calling the police on one another during a gaming session just to 'get revenge.'   How is this normal?)  

Nevertheless, as I've stated above, I own thousands of films, and many of them mysteries.  Yet never once have I had that desire to "do someone in," and I also read hundreds of mysteries every year (I read a book a day on the average); and I also watch true crime on television.  Has it deadened my senses?  Notably not.  I still cringe at the thought of someone senselessly losing their life, and I wonder at the type of person who can take a life so easily.  I think you have to be a certain type of person to have their senses deadened, much like you have to be a certain type of person to kill the way Charles Whitman did.  If not, we'd all be in deep doo-doo when we left our homes on a daily basis.

I'm not positive that this is exactly what Mr. Thomson meant when he wrote the book, but it is what was interpreted to me.  Just because we see it on the screen does not mean that we're so numb to life that murder means nothing to us as a people.  Unfortunately, I found little humor in the book and wish I could recommend it, but I can't.  I will just wait for Mr. Thomson's next book -- which I am sure will be superior to this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Movies-David-Thomson/dp/0300220014/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3413992829

More on David Thomson's Books:  https://www.amazon.com/David-Thomson/e/B001K8AFRO/ref

Celeste Holm Syndrome: On Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age

Author:  David Lazar
Genre:  Film/History

Paperback
ISBN #:  9781496200457
University of Nebraska Press
186 Pages
$19.95 Amazon
October 1, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this essay collection David Lazar looks to our intimate relationships with characters, both well-known and lesser-known, from Hollywood's Golden Age.  Veering through considerations of melancholy and wit, sexuality and gender, and the surrealism of comedies of the self in an uncanny world, mixed with his own autobiographical reflections of cinephilia, Lazar creates an alluring hybrid of essay forms as he moves through the movies in his mind.  Character actors from the classical era of the 1930s through the 1950s including Thelma Ritter, Oscar Levant, Martin Balsam, Nina Foch, Elizabeth Wilson, Eric Blore, Edward Everett Horton, and the eponymous Celeste Holm all make appearances in these considerations of how essential character actors were, and remain, to cinema.'''

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In this book, the author has taken a trip back to the Golden Age of Hollywood to revisit some of its secondary players; those deemed "character actors," the ones who never received top billing, but in their own way made the films they were in memorable, by their very performances within those films.  I have long been an enormous fan of classic film, and own thousands of them in every genre.  So when I saw this book I naturally had to read it so that I could return to those actors I love so much.  I must also tell you that I haven't been to the cinema in years, since the actors and films of today do not interest me at all.  I will live in my world of Golden Age actors and be very happy there, thank you very much.

It is obvious that the author is a fan of director Preston Sturges (as am I), and he uses his films as a sounding board for many of the actors here.  Possibly because Sturges insisted on using the same actors in his films, to the dismay of the studio heads.  But when he found something - or someone - that worked, he was pleased with it.  And for Sturges himself, he was a rather strange man, so this was to be expected.  Therefore, for anyone venturing into the new world of character actors, Sturges is a safe bet to start your journey.

The book is filled with character actors that everyone should see in a film at least once - but more, if they have the opportunity.  Of these, I do love Jack Carson and have often wondered why no one has taken the time to write a biography of this intriguing actor, who brings life to every role he takes.  Who can forget his turn as the befuddled police officer in Arsenic and Old Lace when he walks into a room where Raymond Massey has tied Cary Grant to a chair and gagged him, with the intent to torture and kill him?  Jack Carson, who knows Cary Grant is a play critic, sees it as an opportunity to offer up a synopsis on his own play - ignoring Cary's humorous pleas for help?  Then, to top it off, the wonderful James Gleason arrives - for the one scene only - as his superior, and starts putting everything together.  It's worth the entire film to watch this scene alone.

But Mr. Lazar interweaves stories of his own childhood and his parents along with stories of these actors, giving us his reason for liking them so much and enjoying their films.  I do disagree with him that one can only take so much S. Z. Sakall (not in those words, of course); watching him in full force in Christmas in Connecticut is a pure delight.  Unfortunately, his own biography is out of print and difficult to locate (how I would love a copy).

As for the other actors, I agree that Celeste Holm has been largely overlooked as an actress.  She brings life to all her roles, not only the ones mentioned, but also the ones unseen - she was the voice of Addie Ross in A Letter to Three Wives.  In my opinion, they couldn't have chosen a better actress to voice that role.

He also gives mini-biographies of the actors he talks about, which gives us a bit of their upbringing and what they brought to the roles they played.  The wonderful Oscar Levant, who always seems as if he's bored in the persona he has on screen but is still fascinating to watch; William Demarest, the type of person you'd be wary of if you had to interact with him; Eric Blore and Franklin Pangborn, two underrated comedic actors; and many others; among them Eve Arden and Eleanor Parker.

This is also an homage to his parents, especially his mother, whom he lost at a young age (as I did my own mother, leaving me to figure out my life without her; luckily, I had the love of a marvelous father, with whom I spent many years speaking to and/or visiting with daily, and missing daily now that he's gone from me).  The stories he tells are sometimes painful, sometimes poignant; but gives us an insight also into the person Mr. Lazar has become.

In the end, his essays are an interesting insight into his thoughts on these actors, and while I might not reference the book often, it's worth reading just for this alone.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Celeste-Holm-Syndrome-Character-Hollywoods/dp/1496200454/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3384831534

More on David Lazar's Books:  https://www.amazon.com/David-Lazar/e/B001JRX4JW/ref

Hank and Jim: The Fifty-Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart

Author:  Scott Eyman
Genre:  Biography/Film

Hardcover; Audio CD; Digital Book; Audiobook
ISBN #:  9781501102172; 9781681689623
Simon & Schuster Publishing (Highbridge Audio)
384 Pages
$18.90; $39.99; $14.99 Amazon
October 24, 2017

✮✮✮✮✮

Henry Fonda and James Stewart were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood for forty years.  They became friends and then roommates as stage actors in New York, and when they began making films in Hollywood, they roomed together again.  Between them they made such memorable films as The Grapes of Wrath, Mister Roberts, Twelve Angry Men, and On Golden Pond; and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Destry Rides Again, The Philadelphia Story, It's a Wonderful Life, Vertigo, and Rear Window.

They got along famously, with a shared interest in elaborate practical jokes and model airplanes, among other things.  Fonda was a liberal Democrat, Stewart a conservative Republican, but after one memorable blow-up over politics, they agreed never to discuss that subject again.  Fonda was a ladies' man who was married five times; Stewart remained married to the same woman for forty-five years.  Both men volunteered during World War II and were decorated for their service.  When Stewart returned home, still unmarried, he once again moved in with Fonda, his wife, and his two children, Jane and Peter, who knew him as Uncle Jimmy.

For Hank and Jim, biographer and film historian Scott Eyman spoke with Fonda's widow and children as well as three of Stewart's children, plus actors and directors who had worked with the men - in addition to doing extensive archival research to get the full details of their time together.  This is not another Hollywood story, but a fascinating portrait of an extraordinary friendship that lasted through war, marriages, children, careers, and everything else.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

If anyone knows classic films at all, then these two actors' names will be right up there with John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant.  While their films, for the most part, of all these actors were very different, their onscreen presence was palpable.  There was no mistaking that you were in the presence of a great actor when you sat down to watch.

I have always known that Fonda and Stewart were best friends - anyone who claims to be a classic film buff would know this.  And, I must say, I knew quite a bit about their professional lives, and their personal, as far as marriages.  I also knew that they both served in World War II, Fonda in the Navy and Stewart in the Army Air Corps.  However, Mr. Eyman has gone far deeper into their pasts.

He begins right where they do - from birth; and tells us of their very different upbringing in life.  He goes on from there to their early life on the stage, and their eventual move to Hollywood.  But their lives take very different turns.  Hank was married five times - he was wound too tightly most times to make a marriage stick; his emotions stayed beneath the surface and were rarely exposed; Jimmy was married once, when he was 41 - Gloria was the love of his life and the marriage was a happy one.

Their careers took different turns, also:  Hank preferred stage to screen; Jimmy stayed in Hollywood and made many memorable films (and a few he probably wished he hadn't).  But the films Hank made were, for the most part, memorable also, and I am sure everyone has that particular film of both of them that stays with you and you will watch over and over.  I love Hank's films The Mad Miss Manton, Mister Roberts, and The Rounders (not a spectacular film, but very funny).  For Jimmy's films, I love The Shop Around the Corner, Rear Window, and The Rare Breed.  

It is obvious that Mr. Eyman has done extensive research on his subjects.  The book is neither cloying nor filled with Hollywood gossip; it gives us an honest and well-written biography about two remarkable men, the like of which will never be seen again.

While I've read other biographies of Fonda and Stewart, I believe that Mr. Eyman's is the best by far.  While I am sure there are those who like only one or the other, I consider myself a true classic fan, and while I may not like an actor personally, I can watch their body of work and appreciate it for what it is.

While this book points out that Hank wasn't the best father in the world, he also changed as he got older, and his loyalty to his friends was always unwavering.  Perhaps because they never expected anything from him, knowing he didn't offer up as much of himself.  Jimmy, on the other hand, seems more open and giving to both family and friends.

They were there for each other through triumphs and tragedies; through good times and bad; and never allowed their personal politics or personal demons stand in the way of their enduring friendship.  One can only hope for a friendship in their life as strong as the one between these two.

I am grateful for this book, for giving us the insight into two remarkable men who became extraordinary actors and had an exceptional friendship.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Hank-Jim-Fifty-Year-Friendship-Stewart/dp/1501102176/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2135608274

More on Scott Eyman and His Books:  https://www.amazon.com/Scott-Eyman/e/B001H6N7F6

A Girl's Got to Breathe: The Life of Teresa Wright

Author:  Donald Spoto
Genre:  Biography

Hardcover, Ebook
ISBN#:  9781628460452
University Press of Mississippi
284 Pages
$24.75, $19.84 Amazon
February 19. 2016

Five Stars

The actress Teresa Wright (1918-2005) lived a rich, complex, magnificent life against the backdrop of golden age Hollywood, Broadway and television.  There was no indication, from her astonishingly difficult - indeed, horrifying - childhood, of the success that would follow, nor of the universal acclaim and admiration that accompanied her everywhere.  Her two marriages - to the writers Niven Busch (The Postman Always Rings Twice; Duel in the Sun) and Robert Anderson (Tea and Sympathy; I Never Sang for my Father) - provide a good deal of the drama, warmth, poignancy and heartbreak of her life story.

"I never wanted to be a star," she told the noted biographer Donald Spoto at dinner in 1978.  "I wanted only to be an actress."  She began acting on the stage in summer stock and repertory at the age of eighteen.  When Thornton Wilder and Jed Harris saw her in an ingenue role, she was chosen to understudy the part of Emily in the original production of Our Town (1938), which she then played in touring productions.  Samuel Goldwyn saw her first starring role on Broadway - in the historic production of Life with Father - and at once he offered her a long contract.

She was the only actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for her first three pictures (The Little Foxes; The Pride of the Yankees; and Mrs. Miniver) and she won for the third film.  Movie fans and scholars to this day admire her performance in the classics Shadow of a Doubt and The Best Years of Our Lives.  The circumstances of her tenure at Goldwyn, and the drama of her breaking that contract, forever changed the treatment of stars.

Wright's family and heirs appointed Spoto as her authorized biographer and offered him exclusive access to her letters and papers.  Major supporting players in this story include Robert Anderson, Alfred Hitchcock, William Wyler, Karl Malden, Elia Kazan, Jean Simmons, Dorothy McGuire, Bette Davis, George Cukor, Marlon Brando, George C. Scott, the artist Al Hirschfeld, Stella Adler, and more.

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Teresa Wright has always been one of my favorite actresses.  I have also wondered why she made so few movies, and in this new book by Donald Spoto I have my answers...Teresa began life in an auspicious beginning:  people were dying at record numbers from the Spanish Influenza, and she, fortunately, was one of the 'lucky' ones.  Her father's job required that he travel frequently, and she was left to the care of a mother who was less than ideal, one who had no problem bringing other men into the bed she shared with her daughter.  Her mother vanished early on from her life, and she never spoke of it.  It was indeed fortunate for her that her father adored her, and always wanted the best for her.  I mention this because it is those facts of our early youth that begin to shape us as the people we become.  Were it not for the love of her father, we may never have heard of Teresa Wright.  Yet it left her with indelible scars - I believe she never truly thought herself worth of love and admiration, and it colored her relationships from that point on.

She rose quickly with three stunning movies, The Little Foxes, Mrs. Miniver, and The Pride of the Yankees.  She won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Mrs. Miniver, her second film, but was nominated for all three.  No actress to date has ever matched that achievement.  She followed these with Shadow of a Doubt, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and my favorite of the four.

There were still movies she did that were very good, and some not so good, but I lay the blame for this on Teresa's bad personal choices:  She admitted she should have handled her spat with Samuel Goldwyn differently, and I, for one, think she made bad choices in husbands.

Her first husband, the screenwriter Niven Busch, was an arrogant man who cared more about himself than he did her.  I believe he may have loved her, but he put his needs and wants first - even if that meant moving her so far from Hollywood as to make the daily journey impossible.  (He wanted a ranch and chose one that was 350 miles away, which was quite a commute even then).  Her second husband, another screenwriter named Bob Anderson, never recovered from his first wife's death and made constant comparisons between her and Teresa.  It didn't matter to him that it hurt Teresa; another man who put himself first, and his marriage second.

So Teresa, even though she was happy raising her two children, still longed to act and never again achieved the fame she had as a young girl in Hollywood.  Although it never tainted her personally, and she remained kind to others throughout her life, I have to wonder what would have happened if she had developed a stronger personality - would she have been a bigger star?  Would either of her marriages failed?  Alas, we will never know the answer to those questions.

When all is said and done, this is a wonderful book by Mr. Spoto.  There was intensive research done, and contributions by both of Ms. Wright's children and her own letters, friends' quotes, etc.  For anyone interested in the meteoric rise of Ms. Wright, or for those who have not seen any of her films, I suggest you rent one immediately and see what a wonderful actress she was.  Highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Girls-Got-Breathe-Hollywood-Legends/dp/1628460458?

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1643969249

More on Donald Spoto's books:  http://www.amazon.com/Donald-Spoto/e/B000APK13Q/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1463597188&sr=1-2