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Lauded by his peers, Van Heflin won a place in the hearts of
cinemagoers with his portrayal of a resolute homesteader in George
Stevens' timeless classic Shane. But there was far more to this
superlative actor than one role. He impressed in all genres and
could convincingly portray every kind of character from a heel to a
hero and each shade in between. This first full-length work about
him provides a full commentary of all his films with insights into
his life as a sailor and his stage career. The aim is to restore
him to his rightful place among the gallery of stars of Hollywood's
Golden Age to whose luster he added a stage craftsman's unique
talent. He first caught the public attention as the sensitive
drink-addicted friend of gangster Johnny Eager for which he won the
Academy Award and contributed notable performances in a string of
terrific noirs, dramas and westerns. He was especially memorable as
the psychotic cop in Joseph Losey's masterpiece The Prowler but
equally at home as the doubtful executive in Negulesco's smart
satire Woman's World. A restless spirit whose heart never left the
sea he learned early on about life and human motivations sailing
the oceans of the world; this undoubtedly informed his natural
acting instinct. A versatile risk-taking actor he was never
concerned with popularity or comfortable with the trappings of
stardom. However he brought to every role a rare emotional
intensity which made all his portrayals real and ensured they
should live for all time.
With her striking looks, the raven-haired, dark eyed Ruth Roman had
an air of sophistication that made her seem sexy yet wholesome. She
had to strive harder than most to establish herself as a leading
actress in Hollywood during its glory years and finally broke
through in 1949 with her role in Champion. As one of the last
Warner Bros. contract players, she appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's
classic Strangers on a Train. Seen at her best in strong parts,
such as the ambitious Ronda Castle in Anthony Mann's The Far
Country or as a modern-day Lady Macbeth, she enjoyed a varied
career as a freelancer before re-inventing herself as a character
actress of note on television. A remarkable return to the screen in
the bizarre psycho-horror The Baby (1973) assured her of cult
status. This is the first book dedicated to a committed but often
undervalued actress who is fondly remembered by fans of classic
film. More than a biography, it seeks to contextualize the actress
within her own time, illuminate her Hollywood experience and
celebrate her extensive career.
This is the first book dedicated to Brian Donlevy, an underrated
actor who was often typecast as a villain but who had a surprising
range and an unheralded gift for comedy. Separating fact from
fiction, the narrative charts his colorful early life as a boy
soldier, his years playing comedy on Broadway, and details his long
career in Hollywood. Although he made a decided impact as the bad
guy in such classics as Destry Rides Again, Union Pacific and Beau
Geste, he also displayed his range in the title role of Preston
Sturges' timeless political satire The Great McGinty (1940).
Thereafter he impressed both the New York critics and the Soviet
government as the epitome of calm authority in Wake Island. He
showed to good effect in a wide variety of films including The
Glass Key, Kiss of Death, Canyon Passage, Command Decision, Song of
Scheherazade, Impact and The Big Combo among many others. He was
fondly remembered as a globe-trotting detective in the television
series Dangerous Assignment, and as Professor Quatermass in two
acclaimed science fiction films.]
Edmond O'Brien was one of the most versatile actors of his
generation who made an abiding impact in a series of iconic noir
films. From a man reporting his own murder in D. O. A. (1949) to
the conflicted title character in The Bigamist (1953), O'Brien
delineated par excellence the confusion of an Everyman in the
complex post-war world. He created a gallery of memorable
portrayals in all mediums across the genres, from Shakespeare to
westerns and comedies; he also turned his hand to directing. His
unique talent was rewarded with an Academy Award for Best
Supporting Actor as the harassed press agent Oscar Muldoon in
Joseph Mankiewicz's bitter Cinderella fable The Barefoot Contessa
(1954). This first in-depth study of O'Brien charts his life and
career from the Broadway stage to Hollywood in its heyday and the
rise of television. It shows him as a devoted family man dedicated
to his art whose career was ended prematurely by mounting health
problems but whose work endures. He was always different: as he
once observed "It's from me the audience expects the unusual. I
like it that way."
As cute as lace pants..."" An alluring blonde with a uniquely
seductive voice, Claire Trevor is chiefly remembered now for her
many femme fatale roles in a series of iconic noirs such as Murder,
My Sweet (1944) and Raw Deal (1948). However she was a versatile
actress not trapped by genre who brought a rare emotional depth to
her art. She was moving as the outcast prostitute Dallas in John
Ford's classic Stagecoach (1939) but was effective in such diverse
roles as the ambitious tennis mother in Hard, Fast and Beautiful
(1951), or as the embittered landowner's wife in William Wellman's
overlooked gem My Man and I (1952). Four times Oscar nominated, she
deservedly won for her portrayal of broken down gangster's moll
Gaye Dawn in Key Largo (1948), humiliated into singing for a drink
in one of the most memorable scenes of classic cinema. This book
provides a comprehensive discussion of her life and career. My aim
is to generate renewed interest in Claire Trevor and to elevate her
to her deserved position as one of the finest actresses of her
generation.
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