Peter Weir: Interviews is the first volume of interviews to be published on the esteemed Australian director. Although Weir (b. 1944) has acquired a reputation of being guarded about his life and work, these interviews by archivists, journalists, historians, and colleagues reveal him to be a most amiable and forthcoming subject. He talks about "the precious desperation of the art, the madness, the willingness to experiment" in all his films; the adaptation process from novel to film, when he tells a scriptwriter, "I'm going to eat your script; it's going to be part of my blood!"; and his self-assessment as "merely a jester, with cap and bells, going from court to court. " He is encouraged, even provoked to tell his own story, from his childhood in a Sydney suburb in the 1950s, to his apprenticeship in the Australian television industry in the 1960s, his preparations to shoot his first features in the early 1970s, his international celebrity in Australia and Hollywood. An extensive new interview details his current plans for a new film. Interviews discuss Weir's diverse and impressive range of work-his earlier films Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave, Gallipoli, and The Year of Living Dangerously, as well as Academy Award-nominated Witness, Dead Poets Society, Green Card, The Truman Show, and Master and Commander. This book confirms that the trajectory of Weir's life and work parallels and embodies Australia's own quest to define and express a historical and cultural identity.

This new biography contains excerpts from interviews and articles by and about Curtis all the way from his teens in the Bronx to his death at 85 in 2010. Many of these are little known and provide insights into his complex relationship with fame, family and females, the three obsessions of his life. The book also documents his many struggles with substance abuse, his disenchantment with Hollywood when it failed to take him seriously as an actor despite his best efforts, the violent deaths of his two brothers, the failure of four of his marriages, a heart attack, the death of a son from a drug overdose and, most importantly, the manner in which his resilient spirit saw him through these challenges and tragedies. It's a revisionist biography which adds significantly to the received wisdom on his life and times, not only through personal interviews but also revelations from two recent books not yet available in English, one written by his daughter Allegra and the other by his ex-wife Christine Kaufmann.

For years, Todd Snider has been one of the most beloved country-folk singers in the United States, compared to Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, John Prine, and dozens of others. He's become not only a new-century Dylan but a modern-day Will Rogers, an everyman whose intelligence, self-deprecation, experience, and sense of humor make him a uniquely American character. In live performance, Snider's monologues are cheered as much as his songs. But never before has he told the whole story. Running the gamut from personal memoir to shaggy-dog comedy to rueful memories of his troubles and triumphs with drugs and alcohol to sharp-eyed observations from years on the road, "I Never Met a Story I Didn't Like" is for fans of Snider's music, but also for fans of America itself: the broad, wild country that has produced figures of folk wisdom like Will Rogers, Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Tonya Harding, Garrison Keillor, and more. There are storytellers and there are performers and there are stand-up comedians. And then there's Todd Snider, who is all three in one, and something else entirely.

Show-business legend Dick Van Dyke is living proof that life does get better the longer you live it. Who better to offer instruction, advice, and humour than someone who's entering his ninth decade with a jaunty two-step? Van Dyke isn't just a born song-and-dance man his irrepressible belief in embracing the moment and unleashing his inner child has proved to be the ultimate elixir of youth. When he was injured during the filming of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , his doctor warned him he'd be using a walker within seven years, but Dick performed a soft shoe right there and never looked back.In Keep Moving , Dick Van Dyke offers his own playful anecdotes and advice, as well as insights from his brother, actor Jerry Van Dyke his friend and creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show , Carl Reiner and other spirited friends and family. Whether he's describing the pleasure he takes in his habitual visits to the grocery store how he met his late-in-life-love Arlene or how he sprung back, livelier than ever, from a near-death experience, Dick's optimistic outlook is an invigorating tonic for anyone who needs a reminder that life should be lived with enthusiasm despite what the calendar says. You don't have to act your age. You don't even have to feel it. And if it does attempt to elbow its way into your life, you do not have to pay attention. If I am out shopping and hear music playing in a store, I start to dance. If I want to sing, I sing. I read books and get excited about new ideas. I enjoy myself. I don't think about the way I am supposed to act at my age - or at any age. As far as I know, there is no manual for old age. There is no test you have to pass. There is no way you have to behave. There is no such thing as'age appropriate.'When people ask my secret to staying youthful at an age when getting up and down from your chair on your own is considered an accomplishment, you know what I tell them?'Keep moving.'"- Dick Van Dyke

Giorgio Strehler Directs Carlo Goldoni uses Giorgio Strehler's Goldoni productions (and Arlecchino servitore di due padroni in particular) as a means to defining his directorial aesthetic. The book provides a framework for examining the director's career that is expansive rather than restrictive, using Goldoni and Arlecchino servitore di due padroni as a through-line for Strehler's fifty-year career at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano. This research defines Strehler's multifaceted style and brings to light interrelationships among his various works, creating a base from which a variety of subsequent critical inquiries can be made. It also establishes Strehler's identity within the larger scope of the Italian theatre as a whole. Finally, it creates the critical challenge of finding more expansive notions of directorial style and concept that unite diverse ideologies without delimiting our understanding of the director. Crucial to understanding Strehler's work with Arlecchino servitore di due padroni is his consistent reinterpretation of the play, which received no less than five distinct productions during Strehler's lengthy career. His repeated reworking of existing productions provides a baseline for examining what elements were maintained and what elements changed or evolved. The four key influences that defined Strehler's aesthetic in his work with Arlecchino were commedia dell'Arte, Bertolt Brecht, "refractive theatricality" and Jacques Copeau. Through these productions, Strehler created a dialogue with his audience and helped change the reputation of Carlo Goldoni both in his own country and abroad.

Henry Irving (1838-1905), the first actor to be knighted, dominated the theatre in Britain and beyond for over a quarter of a century. As an actor, he was strikingly different with his idiosyncratic pronunciation, his somewhat ungainly physique, and his brilliant psychological portrayals of virtue and villainy. As a director of spectacular, and commercially driven, entertainments, Irving anticipated Hollywood directors from D.W. Griffith to Stephen Spielberg. And as manager of the Lyceum Theatre, where audiences included the leading public figures of the day, he controlled every aspect of the performance. This collection of essays by leading theatre scholars explores each element of Irving's art: his acting, his contribution to the plays he commissioned, his flair for the stage picture, and his ear for incidental music. Like Wagner, Irving was a proponent of a holistic approach to the stage, that is, blending together acting, painting, music, and architecture to create harmonious, balanced, and artistic theatre. Irving emerges not only as the peer of such eminent contemporaries as Tennyson, Sullivan, Shaw, and Burne-Jones, but also as a powerful influence on the twentieth-century theatre.

The life-stories of a quartet of early Indian actors and poet-playwrights translated here. Their memoirs, replete with anecdote and humour, are as significant to the understanding of the nationalist era as the lives of political leaders or social reformers.

Blake Edwards (1922-2010) was a multitalented, versatile director constantly exploring who he was, not only in filmmaking but also in life. Often typecast as a comedy director, he also created westerns, thrillers, musicals, and heart-wrenching dramas. His strength as a filmmaker came from his ability to be a triple threat-writer, director, and producer-allowing him full control of his films, especially when the studio system failed him. Blake Edwards: Interviews highlights how the filmmaker created the hugely successful Pink Panther franchise; his long partnership with award-winning composer Henry Mancini; his principles of comedy as influenced by the comic greats of film history, especially silent comedies; his decades-long marriage and film collaborations with Julie Andrews; and his unique philosophy of life. Continually testing his abilities as a writer, which he considered himself to be above all other professions, Edwards did not hesitate to strip comedy from films that clearly and purposefully explored other genres with sharp, dramatic insight. He created thrilling suspense (Experiment in Terror); rugged westerns (Wild Rovers); riveting drama (Days of Wine and Roses); and bittersweet romance (Breakfast at Tiffany's). He also created musicals, namely Darling Lili and Victor/Victoria, showcasing the talents of Andrews. In fact, many of these films have been considered some of Edwards's finest in his appreciable career. Reinventing himself throughout his sixty-year career, Edwards found new outlets of expression that fueled his creativity to the very end. This long-overdue collection of published interviews explores the up and downs-and ups again-of a sometimes flawed but always gifted and often surprising filmmaker.

A behind-the-scenes look at the life of the most extraordinary martial artist of all time--Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon is a photographic catalog of all facets of this fascinating man, from the start of his career to his untimely and tragic death in 1973. This book reveals a quiet family man behind the charismatic public persona. It shows the real Bruce Lee--the man who was so much more than an international film and martial arts celebrity. This brilliant photo essay--compiled and edited by Bruce Lee expert John Little with the assistance of Lee's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell--reveals never-before-published family photos, including rare photos of Bruce's childhood in Hong Kong. Tender moments with his children are caught on camera, and action shots from his martial arts films are shown. With a preface by his daughter Shannon Lee and a foreword by wife Linda, the text is drawn directly from Bruce Lee's own diaries and journals. Based on the award-winning Warner Bros. documentary, Bruce Lee: In His Own Words, sections include: Chronology of the Life of Bruce Lee Early Years--why he began studying gung fu (kung fu) and took up wing chun, his first starring role, and his return to the US Hollywood--why he got the part in The Green Hornet, teaching Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Stirling Silliphant, filming Enter the Dragon, The Way of the Dragon, Fist of Fury and more, training and acting with Chuck Norris, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dean Martin and Sharon Tate, and the creation of Jeet Kune Do (JKD) Family--meeting Linda, having children, daily life This Bruce Lee Book is part of Tuttle Publishing's Bruce Lee Library which also features: Bruce Lee's Striking Thoughts Bruce Lee's The Tao of Gung Fu Bruce Lee Artist of Life Bruce Lee: Letters of the Dragon Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do

Jim Morrison, in all his sensitivity and bombast blast into stardom in the late 1960s as the lead singer of The Doors. Were the beams of his star manipulated and mastered by sinister forces while he stood by rejecting authority? Did the turmoil inside the poet drive him into the spotlight only to leave him questioning its validity while secretly reaching for the hand of all he'd rejected? Michael J Bollinger examines the singers rise and fall and delves into Jim Morrison's search for what awaited him beyond deaths door.

Largely overlooked today, actress Bebe Daniels had one of the most diverse and lengthy careers in show business. From her beginnings as a child on the vaudeville circuit to her resurgence as a radio and television star in postwar Britain, Daniels' story has not been told since the years immediately following her death in 1971. Best remembered for her work in silent films, Daniels was a child actress in the earliest days of the West Coast film industry before becoming Harold Lloyd's first leading lady. Later she was one of Cecil B. DeMille's vamps before reaching the pinnacle of success with Paramount in the 1920s. With the advent of talkies, she was able to reinvent herself, enjoying a resurgence in the 1930s until her eventual retirement to England. Daniels' life was filled with high-profile romances and the glitz and glamour of early Hollywood but her story is one of endless determination and steadfast principles.

Dolores del Rio's enormously successful career in Hollywood, in Mexico, and internationally illuminates issues of race, ethnicity, and gender through the lenses of beauty and celebrity. She and her husband left Mexico in 1925, as both their well-to-do families suffered from the economic downturn that followed the Mexican Revolution. Far from being stigmatized as a woman of color, she was acknowledged as the epitome of beauty in the Hollywood of the 1920s and early 1930s. While she insisted upon her ethnicity, she was nevertheless coded white by the film industry and its fans, and she appeared for more than a decade as a romantic lead opposite white actors. Returning to Mexico in the early 1940s, she brought enthusiasm and prestige to the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, becoming one of the great divas of Mexican film. With struggle and perseverance, she overcame the influence of men in both countries who hoped to dominate her, ultimately controlling her own life professionally and personally.

In 1928, Hilton Edwards and Micheal mac Liammoir founded the Dublin Gate Theatre, which quickly became renowned for producing stylistically and dramaturgically innovative plays in a uniquely avant-garde setting. While the Gate's lasting importance to the history of Irish theater is generally attributed to its introduction of experimental foreign drama to Ireland, Van den Beuken shines a light on the Gate's productions of several new Irish playwrights, such as Denis Johnston, Mary Manning, David Sears, Robert Collis, and Edward and Christine Longford. Having grown up during an era of political turmoil and bloodshed that led to the creation of an independent yet in many ways bitterly divided Ireland, these dramatists chose to align themselves with an avant-garde theater that explicitly sought to establish Dublin as a modern European capital. In examining an extensive corpus of archival resources, Van den Beuken reveals how the Gate Theatre became a site of avant-garde nationalism during Ireland's tumultuous first post-independence decades.

Sharon Stone, one of the most renowned actresses in the world, suffered a massive stroke that cost her not only her health, but her career, family, fortune, and global fame. In The Beauty of Living Twice, she chronicles her efforts to rebuild her life, and the slow road back to wholeness and health. In an industry that doesn't accept failure, in a world where too many voices are silenced, Stone found the power to return, the courage to speak up, and the will to make a difference in the lives of women and children around the globe.

Over the course of these intimate pages, Stone talks about her pivotal roles, her life-changing friendships, her worst disappointments, and her greatest accomplishments. She reveals how she went from a childhood of trauma and violence to a business that in many ways echoed those same assaults, under cover of money and glamour. She describes the strength and meaning she found in her children, and in her humanitarian efforts. And ultimately, she shares how she fought her way back to find not only her truth, but her family's reconciliation and love.

Stone made headlines not just for her talent and beauty, but for her candour and her refusal to "play nice," and it's those same qualities that make this memoir so powerful. The Beauty of Living Twice is a book for the wounded, and a book for the survivors; it's a celebration of women's strength and resilience, a reckoning, and a call to activism. It is proof that it's never too late to raise your voice, and speak out.

‘A spicy work of biographical conjecture ... It's also a rousing reminder of the countless creative women who have been written out of history or have had to fight relentlessly to make themselves heard.’ EVENING STANDARD ‘The great virtue of Lloyd Malcolm’s speculative history lies in its passion and anger: it ends with a blazing address to the audience that is virtually a call to arms. It is throughout, however, a highly theatrical piece ... In rescuing Emilia from the shades, [the play] gives her dramatic life and polemical potency.’ GUARDIAN The little we know of Emilia Bassano Lanier (1569 - 1645) is that she may have been the Dark Lady of Shakespeare's Sonnets, mistress of Lord Chamberlain, one of the first English female poets to be published, a mother, teacher who founded a school for women, and radical feminist with North African ancestry. Living at a time when women had such limited opportunities, Emilia Lanier is therefore a fascinating subject for this speculative history. In telling her story, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm represents the stories of women everywhere whose narratives have been written out of history. Originally commissioned for Shakespeare's Globe with an all-female cast, Emilia is published here as a Methuen Drama Student Edition with commentary and notes by Elizabeth Schafer, Professor of Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.

The Emmy-nominated star of the classic 1950s sitcom I Married Joan, Joan Davis (1912-1961) was also radio's highest paid comedienne in the 1940s and she displayed her unique brand of knockabout comedy in more than forty films. This book provides a complete account of her career, including a filmography with critical commentary, and the most detailed episode logs ever compiled for her radio and television programmes. A biographical chapter offers never-before-published information about her family background, marriage to vaudeville comedian Si Wills, relationships with other men and her tragic early death.

The definitive guide to a Hollywood legend. Few stars are as loved as Audrey Hepburn, today as much as ever. Beautiful, delicate, graceful - but always warm and natural - she stole our hearts. She was also brave, working tirelessly for UNICEF in the face of her own failing health. in this moving and heartwarming biography Alexander Walker traces the extraordinary combination of luck and talent that allowed a fragile little girl,who nearly died in Hitler's occupied Europe, to conquer, in just one year, the New York stage and the Hollywood screen. Walker analyses her ascent to power and world fame and reveals the sadness of her life: two failed marriages, a broken engagement, and the crushing disappointment that occupied her triumph in My Fair Lady. Most importantly of all, this biography reveals what no one has known until now: the truly terrifying family secret that tore Audrey's childhood apart and kept her forever silent about her parents.

In a career that spanned eight decades, Christopher Lee (1922-2015) appeared in more than 200 roles for film and television. Though he is best known for his portrayal of Dracula in films of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s-as well as his appearances in the Lord of the Rings trilogy-Lee also appeared in many other films, including The Three Musketeers, The Man with the Golden Gun, and Star Wars. The Christopher Lee Film Encyclopedia encompasses all of the films in the distinguished actor's prolific career, from his early roles in the 1940s to his work in some of the most successful film franchises of all time. This reference highlights Lee's iconic roles in horror cinema as well as his non-horror films over the years, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. The entries in this book feature: *Cast and crew information *Synopsis *Critical evaluation *Newspaper and magazine reviews *DVD availability Many of the entries also feature Sir Christopher's recollections about the production, as well as the actor's insights about his directors and fellow costars. Appendices in this volume include discussions of Lee's significant work on radio and television, as well as film shorts, screen tests, films in which he is mentioned, films from which he was cut, and unrealized projects. A film-by-film review of the actor's cinematic output. The Christopher Lee Film Encyclopedia will appeal to this legend's many devoted fans.

In 1915, British moviegoers voted Fred Evans second only to Charles Chaplin as their favorite film comedian. Appearing as the roguish and anarchic "Pimple," Fred made 200 silent movies between 1910 and 1922, running amok in frantic chases and sending-up current events and fashions. With a rich family heritage in pantomime and music hall, Evans introduced a satirical approach to filmmaking, frequently lampooning the recently introduced feature films. Pimple's burlesques deflated the seriousness of such productions, providing subversive support for audiences adjusting to the the new form. But continual mockery of themes, acting styles and film techniques did not endear him to all. Changing public tastes and industry disapproval eventually resulted in an end to Evans' screen appearances and a return to the stage. As Evans has been almost entirely sidelined by film historians, this is the first book-length biography of him. It places Evans not only in a film context but within the wider entertainment and social perspectives of his time. Amongst topics discussed are the beginnings of the star system, war propaganda, the growth of film fandom and concerns about the influence of cinema on children.

Before there was Shirley Temple or Judy Garland or Fanny Brice, before musical comedy even existed as a genre, Maggie Mitchell (1836-1918) consistently drew sold-out crowds for four decades as a musical comedy star. Admired by Abraham Lincoln as well as John Wilkes Booth, along with millions of adoring fans, both female and male, Maggie blazed across the American stage, her energy unstoppable in her signature roles: Fanchon, Little Barefoot, Pearl of Savoy, French Spy, Little Savage, and Jane Eyre. Trying to capture her appeal, reviewers exhausted their store of adjectives and metaphors, among them "vivacious," "beautiful," "hoydenish," "sprightly," "piquant," "elfin," "impish," "mischievous," "winsome," "electric," "versatile," "chaste," "a fascinating little witch," "a materialized sunbeam" and "a champagne sparkle." When she finally retired, one of the wealthiest actresses in the world, she left in her wake dozens of Maggie Mitchell imitators, and critics ever since have spoken of the "Maggie Mitchell style" of acting: effervescent, endearing, and eternally youthful. As an actress, a faithful wife and mother, and an icon of respectability in a field often condemned by moralists, she left a legacy of unparalleled achievement.

In this candid and empowering A to Z of being an actor, Julie Hesmondhalgh draws on her decades of experience on stage and screen - including in massively popular television shows such as Broadchurch, Happy Valley and Coronation Street - to lift the lid on the realities of life in today's industry, and show you how to navigate it. She shares practical advice on preparing for roles (don't be afraid of looking like a dick), managing the ups and downs of your career (and how to be out of work without losing your mind), dealing with failure (and success), not constantly comparing yourself to others (bloody hard, but try), looking after your mental health, and the power of knowing when to say 'no'. Passionate about the arts, she makes a compelling case for their importance to society, but also calls out the industry on where it continues to fall short - including a clear-eyed assessment of what needs to change to make it safer and healthier, more accessible and inclusive. Written with refreshing honesty and self-deprecating humour, An Actor's Alphabet is a book for anyone who dreams of becoming an actor, wants to be a better one, or just wants to learn what being one is really like. 'Endearingly honest, funny and eye-opening. I loved it!' Francesca Martinez 'Like its author, this book is brimming with wisdom, intelligence, empathy and humanity... An absolute must!' Maxine Peake 'This is the best book on acting and being an actor I've read... Julie Hesmondhalgh is the mentor/best friend/guide we all need in these troubled times' Paul Chahidi 'Wonderful... not just a book about acting, but also about life. Us. The world. Humanity. Battling through this shit and finding time for a hug. I adore it.' Russell T Davies 'A must-read, whether you've been on the artist's journey for years or are just starting out' Shobna Gulati 'This book is bold, brash, sincere and angry. It regrets nothing and questions everything... Treasure it like we should treasure Julie' Jack Thorne 'A generous gift to actors, full of honesty, hope and wit. There is loads of tangible advice, not just for acting but for life' Anna Jordan 'Julie's book is honest, challenging and helpful. A great read' Andy Nyman

Derek's journey to Albert Square has proved to be an eventful one. A bone fide East Ender, born within the sound of Bow Bells, Derek grew up during the Blitz in a tight-knit, working-class family. In this candid memoir he describes those tough early days, his stint in the police, life on the wrong side of the law and how he turned his dream of being an actor into a reality. But not before trying his hand as a professional gambler and acting as a runner for the notorious East End gangster Charlie Kray, brother of twins Ronnie and Reggie. Determined to be an actor, Derek began his hugely successful stage and screen career firstly as a stuntman; before landing memorable TV roles in series such as Law and Order, Minder, King and Castle, The Governor and doomed soap Eldorado. In this frank and revealing tale, Derek pulls no punches as he admits past mistakes and describes his remarkable transformation into one of our best loved actors. Meet the man behind the character as he shares with readers his heartbreak over two marriage break ups and his devotion to his twin boys. An East End Life is a truly remarkable story spanning nearly seven decades, packed with tears and laughter that will endear you to this popular star.