Marlon Brando: The Way It's Never Been Done Before (Paperback)

~ George Englund (Author) "Marlon is an old man..." (more)
Key Phrases: fuck death, rickshaw boys, New York, Marlon Brando, Hong Kong (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (June 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006083286X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060832865
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,172,172 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Friend looks back, December 23, 2007

By	KPe - See all my reviews

"Georgie", a contemporary and friend of Marlon's, looks back at many of their encounters and experiences together, over the last 40+ years. The story is framed by the time Marlon is already bedridden and succumbing to a rare lung disease. The reader gets a bit of insight into the actors life and his attitude to money, sex, friends, his father, understanding (rather non-understanding) of his dogs behavior, and finally death. Do not expect a biography by any means: much is "left out", e.g. his marriages, and other personal relationships, as well as much that would be connected to his profession as a famous actor. The author includes aspects of his own life. The book is well written, entertaining, in taste, honest, compassionate.

4.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!!!, March 10, 2009

By	Writer for the Lord (Quincy, MA) - See all my reviews

I loved this book. It was written with poetry (why didn't George Englund become a professional writer?) and love. His heart-felt feelings for his friend, Marlon Brando, at times brought tears to my eyes. As a woman I was touched by the bond of caring shared by these two men. This book does not show Marlon Brando as a "super hero" but as a human being with many faults and also shows that true friendship loves and understands in spite of those faults.

Although there are "gossipy" stories within this books pages, it isn't what makes this book stands out. This book is about a man. A human like all of us. And what it means to be a friend and be befriended. I recommend this book, highly along with "Songs My Mother Taught Me" to all Marlon Brando fans. Thank you, George Englund, for sharing your heart with us!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting individual perspective on Brando., April 27, 2008

By	DS Sloan "DSSloan" (Slovakia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I liked this book, but was not over-enthused. It is obviously a book written from one individual's point of view, and events in Brando's life are viewed through this prism. As a starter, I preferred Darwin Porter's Brando Unzipped. Lots of racy gossip and it took my breath away with details of the sheer scale of Brando's womanizing and 'manizing'! Richard Shickel's Brando is less racy but with a more broad-brushed approach.

The beginning of this book seems a little plodding, self-reverential, and a slightly distracting shift from the very late Brando to earlier episodes. But if you persist past the first 15-20 pages, there is an informative and sympathetic perspective on a truly mesmorizing life.