The Hustons (Paperback)

by Lawrence Grobel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starting with Walter (1884-1960), peaking with John (1906-1987) and continuing with Anjelica (born 1951), three generations of Oscar-winning Hustons have enriched American theater and films. In this anecdotal composite biography, based on talks with family members, friends and associates, Grobel ( Conversations with Capote ) follows the careers of all the Hustons but focuses on John. His research is the most impressive aspect of this massive volume, and he is even-handed, if undiscriminating. No detail is too insignificant for inclusion; no single reaction to an event or version of a story will do if many are available. Thus, the reader comes away with myriad impressions of John's parents, five wives, numerous mistresses, several children, in-laws and paramours. But as Edna O'Brien observes here, although he was a man "whom women had been in love with all his life," he was anxious and sadistic and felt that "the biggest unhappiness in his life had been caused by women." John Huston bestrides this book like a colossus, but after 812 pages he remains a mystery. Photos. BOMC and Movie Entertainment Book Club alternates.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
An ambitious family biography, embracing actor Walter, his writer-director-actor son John, and John's three children, actress Anjelica, writer Tony, and director Danny. The focus is on John, who over the last three years of his life granted extensive interviews to the author. By including Walter (and his redoubtable wife, Rhea Gore), we get important glimpses into John's character. And that character is endlessly fascinating. Alternately charming and cruel, John was the ultimate director, manipulating people on and off a set. The stories behind his famed films ( The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen ) are here, but perhaps more revealing are the accounts of the "failures," such as Freud or The Red Badge of Courage . And the portraits of his children attempting to deal with such a dominating father are touching.
- Thomas Wiener, formerly with "American Film," Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 872 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; Updated edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815410263
• ISBN-13: 978-0815410263
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #474,414 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hello, Hollywood?, January 27, 2006

By	delegue (Fairhope, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hustons (Hardcover)

I read "The Hustons" several years ago and am now rereading it. Sure, it's about many of the brightest stars in Hollywood, and John Huston is a giant among them, but it's also very much about the creative process. Anyone who is interested in writing, directing, acting, or any other of the creative roles in the making of a film should read this book. It is thoroughly researched and brilliantly written. Go on, you'll find it inspiring.

Congratulations, Lawrence Grobel, on this great work. Why hasn't it become a movie too? Hello, Hollywood?

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Huston, not a city in Texas, October 30, 2000

By	Patrick Brown (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Hollywood (and much of the United States, for that matter) was built by powerful families. The Zaibatsus of early Hollywood -- the Barrymores, the Zanucks, the Gish sisters -- gave us some of the finest films ever made, as well as a template for film production that has survived for eighty years.

Add to this list the Hustons. In many ways, they represent the last half of the Twentieth century in Hollywood. This book brilliantly captures the power, fame, and scandals in which the Huston's were involved. The prose is informative without sacrificing readability, and the book is thoroughly researched. I recommend it for anyone interested in the Hollywood Studio System and how it changed after the 1940s. Fantastic reading on an important subject.

2.0 out of 5 stars Inaccurate - Mr. Grobel didn't do enough homework!, March 3, 2009

By	GGG - See all my reviews

Many things written about Collin Green in this book are untrue, and Larry Grobel should have known better after meeting him in person. But apparently he chose to take the word of others without checking out whether it could be true or not, medically. How many other things did Mr. Grobel just take people's word on, without checking them out?!? Collin Green would certainly be justified in suing Mr. Grobel and the publisher to have those things removed from any future printings and is owed an apology!