Life on the Wire : The Life and Art of Al Pacino (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Abandoned by his father shortly after birth in 1940 and "dropped off" with his maternal grandparents for several years, actor Al Pacino attributes both his drive and restlessness to his early childhood experiences. After leaving his Bronx, N.Y., home, he spent more than a decade on his own, holding a variety of odd jobs, struggling to make it as an actor. His break came with The Godfather in 1972; he cemented his reputation with leading roles in the two Godfather sequels, Scarface , Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon . Yule ( Fast Fade: David Puttnam, Columbia Pictures and the Battle for Hollywood ) relies primarily on interviews with Pacino's associates and material from other journalists to fill out this breezy biography. Covered are such matters as Pacino's "rivalry" with Dustin Hoffman and his liaisons with actresses Diane Keaton and Jill Clayburgh. Yule also quotes Pacino at length, lending evidence to the accepted wisdom that little is more tiresome than a Method actor talking about acting. For example, Pacino observes, "Doing a play like Richard III is being involved with words, with where we're from." Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

As one of America's most revered contemporary actors, Pacino is a dichotomy: acting in several disastrous films yet part of some of Hollywood's biggest successes; suffering from alcoholism yet possessing the ability to play roles of control; achieving his own star status yet constantly being confused with Dustin Hoffman. Author Yule, who also penned Fast Fade: David Puttnam ( LJ 1/89), takes the insider's view in writing this unauthorized biography. He chronicles Pacino's life, from his penurious childhood through last year's much-publicized Godfather III filming, relying on conversations with the actor's manager, acting teacher, closest friends, former lovers (including Jill Clayburgh and Diane Keaton), and at times Pacino himself. This is not as deep an emotional study as it promises to be, but ultimately it proves an interesting and entertaining work on a fascinating dramatic and artistic life.
- David Nudo, New York
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: S.P.I. Books (August 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561711616
• ISBN-13: 978-1561711611
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,171,334 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book about a great actor, August 16, 2003

By	RC (canton, ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This is a extremely well written book..andrew yule does a great job on this book which i can imagine was not too easy judging by how private al pacino is..al pacino is one of if not my favorite actor and i thought i knew about him but after reading this i feel like i really came way seeing al pacino in another light.

the book can be perceived as not a true bio by some as it doesn't go real deep into al's life...it mainly explores and reveals his work..but then you will find that al pacino's life is "the work"..al pacino is the definition of what a actor is..and you will see that after reading this book..the author yule is given access to lots of sources and it is a authorized bio..as he gives lots and lots of great quotes from marty bergman,charlie laughton,and pacino himself...which are great.

how it goes it is will basically go in order by all the work he's done and it will tell stories about what happened behind the scenes it will give quotes of all the people involved and will show what happened..then afterwards it will always show you what "professional" critics wrote about the work..which i think is a good idea..it sheds light into how the work was perceived at the time...

and what i really took to heart from this book is how much critics are scum..not that the author portrayed them as this..i just can't believe how much critics have without mercy assaulted and attacked pacino...pacino gives his blood to his work...he gives everything...he immerses himself so deeply into his characters that it is almost scary...and sometimes he will put so much work in and so much sweat and then you see these critics sitting on their fat butts just bashing his work..these talentless nobodies destroying all pacino has done..and it is really sad and really angers me..i have really never payed that much attention to "critics" but now i see just how disgusting these people are...to spit on someones art is shameful.

you will learn alot from this book..about al pacino and dustin hoffman and their quiet rivalry of sorts...you will learn about john cazale and james hayden who's careers and lives were ended too short..and you will learn alot about pacino and his work.

i highly reccommend this great book by andrew yule if you are a pacino fan or if you are just an actor or like acting..this should be in every actor's library as an example of what a true actor is.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reading Material., February 17, 2006

By	Stephanie L. Dew "Steph_Pacino Fan" (Goldsboro, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a lifelong fan on Al Pacino, I purchased this book and could not put it down. It gives you private insight into a very private man and details the trials that he endured to get to where he is now. A must have for any Pacino fan!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, February 16, 2003

By	panagiota kambouris (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

Al Pacino: A Life on the Wire is a great book! I am very impressed because even though Al Pacino went through a lot of hard times in his life, he made it. He is a real fighter, and he has proven that people should never give up; they must follow their dreams. Yule presented Al Pacino's life in general in an easy-to-follow way, and the reader can understand things well about Al Pacino as a person. I especially like Al's sense of humor, his passion for his job, and his attitude towards marriage. Al is definitely a free spirit and an accomplished actor!