George Sanders: An Exhausted Life (Paperback)

~ Richard Vanderbeets (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sanders (1906-1972) is best remembered as one of the silver screen's consummate cads (his portrayal of cynical theater critic Addison DeWitt in All About Eve won him an Oscar in 1951) and for his suicide note: "I am leaving because I am bored." In this biography authorized by Sanders's sister and including previously unpublished material from family letters and journals, VanDerBeets, who teaches English at San Jose State University in California, covers Sanders's privileged early childhood in czarist Russia, his upbringing in England after the Bolshevik Revolution, his movie career--which declined as he tired of the profession--his four marriages (including an entertainingly tempestuous one to Zsa Zsa Gabor), his financial debacles and his final decline in the late '60s. The author offers few startling insights but does show, in Sanders's own words, how his family's sudden loss of wealth after fleeing Russia led the actor to mask his resulting insecurity and unhappiness with a public facade of misanthropy. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

George Sanders, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in All About Eve (1950), appeared in more than 100 films from 1936 until his death by suicide in 1972. He usually played elegant villains, and he also had the reputation of being a cad in his private life. VanDerBeets halfheartedly and unsuccessfully tries to argue that there was another Sanders behind the public facade. Overall VanDerBeets has done a very competent job, and even if the book isn't brilliant, it's still preferable to Sanders's own Memoirs of a Professional Cad (LJ 1/1/60) or Brian Aherne's memoir, A Dreadful Man (LJ 9/1/79).
- John Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Madison Books (August 17, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568330103
• ISBN-13: 978-1568330105
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,137,491 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-Researched and Interesting, February 27, 2000

By A Customer

This is an excellent biography, authorized by George Sander's sister. It details Sander's life from his unusual childhood, his exploits in South America and his drifting into the movies in Britain and then Hollywood. The author delves into why Sanders preferred his movie personna as a "cad" and used it in to keep everyone at bay. His relationships and marriages are explored, and also his final days. For anyone who would like to see beyond the mask that Sanders showed the world, this is a great read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brillantly executed book on Sanders, October 10, 2007

By	K. Stawpert "Kathy108" (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: George Sanders: An Exhausted Life (Hardcover)

If your a fan of Sanders then this is a MUST read. I was amazed at the the 'Errol Flynn' type life he led in his late teans in South America a real eye opener. It opens up the complexities of Sanders personality and personal and working relationships, and by the end of the book (which is incredibly sad) you realy do get a very good idea of WHO Sanders was. A very talented, sensitive and misunderstood man who took many 'fateful' turns in his life ultimately leading him to a place of no return.

5.0 out of 5 stars surprisingly good, November 20, 2008

By	S. true "2 sheds" (Portland OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: George Sanders: An Exhausted Life (Hardcover)

I didn't know much about sanders but always loved ALL ABOUT EVE.
I cruised through this book like no other non-fiction in my life.
Clearly there was much more to him than meets the eye and "exhausted
life" gave me much more than I expected. I'll read it again.