Conversations with Brando [Paperback]

Lawrence Grobel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 1999

Brando discusses many topics including acting, women, Native Americans and corporate America.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grobel met with the extremely private Brando in 1978. A portion of those sessions initially appeared in Playboy but are reprinted here in full. This also contains a new foreword, which rounds off Brando's story, plus an updated list of his films.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

He only wants to talk about the fucking INDIANS? Did you say to him that while he may not be an expert in history, he is one in ACTING?

Product Details

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; 1 edition (October 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081541014X
• ISBN-13: 978-0815410140
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As complicated & brilliant as its subject, August 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Conversations with Brando (Paperback)

The interview that this book is based on was conducted before Brando filmed "Superman" but I can't imagine that Brando has changed much since. Grobel shows his skills as an interviewer by originally agreeing to only talk about the Native American cause with Brando but eventually teasing out anecdotes about acting, sex, stalkers, Brando's upbringing and much more. Grobel does not try to outsmart Brando, even while he is trying to sneak in forbidden acting/movie questions. He faces his subject head-on and when Brando chooses to speak about his hated profession, he is extremely entertaining. He shows Brando as a very complicated man who is hard to dislike - even if you don't agree with his politics, you come away from the book thinking that Brando is a charming, intelligent, thoughtful and super-talented individual who deserves all the praise for his acting skills. This interview could be considered his greatest performance - it comes from the same honesty that he invested his early screen and stage characters with.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Phenomenal Read!!!, July 8, 2007

By 

LadyWriter214 (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conversations with Brando (Paperback)

I could not put the book, "Conversations With Brando," down once I began reading it. As a Marlon Brando devotee, I was so very pleased to open the book and find that the largest part of the book is composed of Marlon Brando's own words. I could have listened to this man talk all day long, every day of every week. And, in this book, he is at his incredible best -interesting, intelligent, witty, sensitive, idealistic, real, wise, inspirational, poignant, reflective, philosophical, poetic; humanitarian. I love his eccentric ways and I respect his principles of character - standing up for the causes of the voiceless in the world. I appreciate that he bowed to no one when the convictions of his heart and his conscience were at stake.

Most of all, when Marlon's children were in trouble, he made the kinds of sacrifices and suffered in ways that only a father whose children are his whole heart would have done.

What a beautiful man Marlon was and what an exemplary, praiseworthy piece of work Lawrence Grobel has done with "Conversations With Brando."

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, April 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Conversations with Brando (Paperback)

This expanded on the PLAYBOY interview it's adapted from. Brando is a good storyteller, and tells some good stories in here. Grobel does preface the interview with phone call transcripts of him talking to Brando, and his secretary. And I know someone close to Brando, and some in the Brando camp felt some annoyance that Grobel taped the phone conversations without saying they were being taped. A bit presumptuous. But an interesting interview nonetheless.