The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey [Hardcover]

Sondra Locke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

Sondra Locke's fairy-tale story took her from a small town in Tennessee to the impossible heights of Hollywood. And as in a fairy tale, she found herself on the arm of Prince Charming - Clint Eastwood, one of the film world's biggest stars. But this story turned dark when their high-profile breakup became ugly. Now, for the first time, she writes openly and emotionally about their relationship and how it ended; about how she came to Hollywood; her years there as an actress and director, and what these experiences have taught her.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Of course the big lure ... is Locke's evisceration of Eastwood, with whom she lived for 13 years until they split up in 1989 in spectacularly messy fashion.... Locke is at her best recounting what it's like to live in the bubble of a superstar. -- Entertainment Weekly

Product Details

• Hardcover: 371 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; First Edition first Printing edition (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068815462X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688154622
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Actors & Actresses

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, well-written book gives chilling look at H'wood, September 30, 2003

By 

Jamie Cooper (Corvallis, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey (Hardcover)

First things first: I love Clint Eastwood and his films, but just as with Albert Goldman's The Lives of John Lennon, I can read a book that details the sordid aspects of a person's character and still retain my love for their work and for them as an artist. Personally I find the fact that Eastwood, like Lennon, is no one's ideal as a person is irrelevant to my appreciation of their art, though it does seem that dysfunctionality is a hallmark of the best artists.

Sondra Locke's autbiography is a must read for all Eastwood fans as it does help give a fuller picture of Eastwood. The book is well-written and, when focused on her relationship with Eastwood and the movie industry, quite a fascinating read...a real page turner. I don't know quite what to think about Ms. Locke's relationship with her husband Gordon, but you can always skip over those pages!

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't reflect well on either Clint or Sondra, February 27, 2009

By 

Drive-In Kid (Michigan) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey (Hardcover)

The book is entertaining on some level, providing a behind the scenes look at the underbelly of Hollywood. Locke paints Clint as pretty much a heartless, stingy, egomaniacal liar and herself as the victim. But an honest reading would also reveal that Locke left herself open to be hurt and had some "issues" as well.

The fact that she was married to an openly gay man (a childhood friend) prior to and during the entire time she was with Clint gives one a clue as to the level of mind we are dealing with. Then we have the detailed accounts of supposedly supernatural events that began to wear on me after awhile. Most of these incidents could be explained away yet they are given enormous significance as if they are some sort of prophecy.

I came away from the book liking Clint somewhat less, and thinking Ms. Locke was a few cards shy of a full deck. I also expected more detailed accounts of the films she and Clint made together, there isn't much about that at all. Hollyweird indeed...

30 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a pleasant surprise!, July 27, 2004

By 

Dianne Worley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey (Hardcover)

I found this book at the library and took it out on a whim. I had no recollection of the lawsuits Sondra Locke had pressed on Clint Eastwood and was a big fan of his movies. I figured it would be a good, light read on a lazy summer day - as insubstantial as cotton candy, and just as sweet. Was I ever wrong!

When I started reading it after looking at the flyleaf, I was fully prepared to dislike Sondra and write off her motivations as callous greed and self-pity - a means of staying in the public eye at the expense of Eastwood. After the first dozen pages, I started to like her and relaxed my judgment. This is the story of the journey of a strong, intelligent woman who refused to roll over and play dead despite the brick walls she ran up against.

I ended up disliking Clint Eastwood and liking her. Although the relationship was over, she had the courage to try and leave it on a more positive note and to resolve things. She grabbed at one olive branch he proffered between lawsuits, unable to see the hidden thorns. That, to me, meant that it wasn't a vendetta or sour grapes. It was Clint Eastwood's own actions, as relayed by Locke, that caused him to tumble off his pedestal. Indeed, she showed restraint in her portrayal of him and their relationship.

However, I found that the true star of the book was Gordon Anderson. He was depicted as quirky, unique, spiritual, kind, understanding and strong - what a contrast to Clint's true nature. (Had this been a work of fiction, I would have found the contrast a rather blatant literary device the difference was so profound.) I wanted to read more about him, less about the narcissistic Eastwood. Their incredible journey together made this book special - an examination of avatars and Karl Jung, cats that thump on freezer doors and the synchronicity of licence plates. I wanted more of this - more of the descriptions of their homes, and Gordon's designs - outward manifestations of their inner lives, more insight into Gordon's mind, and more about the incredible coincidences that shaped their lives!

Thank you for this book, Sondra. Good for you for pursuing your lawsuits and for writing this!