Customer Reviews

Marvin: The story of Lee Marvin

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Without a doubt, Lee Marvin was one of the finest actors to ever hit the silver screen and this biography by Donald Zec presents Mr. Marvin, warts and all. If you've always wondered about the inner life of this very charismatic,seemingly outgoing and yet, private man, this is the book to have. It discusses his films, the climate on the set of many of those films as well as Lee's relationships with his first wife Betty, his mistress Michelle Triola and that second wife. His drunken escapades are well documented and so is the private hell and inner turmoil of the aftermath of his war service. It gives Lee's own harrowing and detailed account of the day he was injured during the war. This is a biography of Lee which paints a completely well-rounded picture of him as a man. There are so many things I didn't know about him, for instance his support of the Civil Rights movement. He may not have been out there marching with the likes of James Garner and Burt Lancaster but, he was certainly a sideline participant (p.195). For some reason, this fact is very well hidden but, it made me love him even more, if possible.

I would also recommend buying the book written by his first wife Betty (Tales of a Hollywood Housewife: A Memoir By The First Mrs. Lee Marvin). Talk about a wonderfully fascinating read.

*I bought the hardcover edition of this book from a well known auction site for $9.79 brand new. The amazon marketplace price is just ridiculous

This book was written while Marvin was alive and before his career fell into Delta Force territory. Even thought the author interviewed Marvin several times I appreciated that he didn't shy away from the darker aspects of his subject's life.