George Raft HB (Hardcover)

~ Stone Wallace (Author), Alan K. Rode (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Hardback version of the successful paperback.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: BearManor Media (March 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593932049
• ISBN-13: 978-1593932046
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,309,546 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tommy Garrett, Canyon News Editor and Writer Reviews Stone Wallace's Wonderful Book, May 10, 2008

By	Jason Crawford "Jason Crawford" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

It's impossible to write about George Raft anymore without mentioning his biographer Stone Wallace. Wallace has written over a dozen novels and nonfiction work over his distinguished career. But recently when Bear Manor, one of the nation's publishers, sent me a biography on the legendary George Raft, I found myself intrigued and excited. The foreword was by one of the best film noir authors of all time, Mr. Alan K. Rode. Stone Wallace lives in Winnipeg, Canada with his beautiful wife, and the writer is busy completing another book for Bear Manor Publishing, this one called "A Fuller Life: Hollywood, Ed Wood & Me," which he is coauthoring with the actress Dolores Fuller. It's sure to be a page turner.

Stone Wallace is a writer's writer. He has a brilliant power with words and every reader will be able to follow the incredible story he weaves of the life and career of a great actor, who should have become an even bigger star. The fact that he was such a huge fan of the multi-talented Hollywood heavy on the screen, George Raft, adds enormous depth to his writing. Raft's decision to let a role go to another actor, lesser known at the time, was the reason that we all know who Humphrey Bogart is today.

Best known as a WB heavy on screen, Raft did many movies with the great James Cagney. Raft's list of films includes, but is not limited to: "Scarface," "Each Dawn I Die," "Invisible Stripes," "Rogue Cop," and "Some Like It Hot." However, when not playing heavies and gangsters, which he preferred not to do, he also made a name for himself in some of our great classics such as "Night After Night," "Bolero," "Souls at Sea," "Spawn of the North," "They Drive by Night" and "Manpower."


Whenever I read a biography on a forgotten star, I want to feel like I didn't waste my time caring about the featured star. This book will not disappoint anyone. For those who are young and maybe have not even heard of Raft, you need to read this wonderful tome, as it will make you want to go out and rent all of his films. Oh, guess I've just dated myself; today the young people would go online to Netflix and rent the films. Do so! Raft was a very charismatic and strong presence on the big screen. But this author, Stone Wallace, is equally as strong and charismatic in his writing of this legend.

Raft had one of those faces that were tailor made for a leading man at Warner Bros. Bette Davis often said they worked very hard at the Warner's lot and she was right. No one wad more hard working than George Raft, working starting in the late 1920s and continuing through the `40s and `50s. The twice married New York native was raised in the tough streets but also became infamous for befriending real life heavies like "Bugsy" Siegel. Raft didn't seem to mind what was being said or written about him and had a few incidents where he got a bit heavy handed and tough with some who either disagreed with him or in his mind disrespected him.


But it's with great respect that one of the world's leading authorities writes about the man who made Humphrey Bogart a star. And it's with great respect that I suggest everyone read this wonderful new book, "George Raft: The Man Who Would Be Bogart." Stone, Georgie would be proud of you; I surely am. This book is a two thumbs up read, a Five Plus star biography and Bear Manor did an excellent job putting it all together, with some of the most incredible scene stills and candid shots of the great Raft with legendary actresses like Betty Grable, Carole Lombard, Gloria Swanson and even an incredible shot of one of my favorite actresses Ava Gardner with Raft. I read this book twice over a weekend, not because it was empty or filled with filler, but because it was interesting, enlightening and entertaining. Just what a great summer book should be!