Laurence Olivier: A Biography (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Knight of the realm, embodiment of England, great Shakespearean actor and movie star, Laurence Olivier (1907-1989) was saddled with self-loathing, chronic guilt over failed relationships and sexual ambivalence. His 10-year affair with Danny Kaye drove Olivier to suicidal thoughts, reports Spoto, biographer of Hitchcock and Tennessee Williams. A magnificent, moving biography worthy of its protean subject, this resonant portrait defines an actor whose personal upheavals fueled his intense realism on stage and screen. Never close to his cold father, an Anglican priest, Olivier lost his mother at 12. This childhood, suggests Spoto, created an emotionally inaccessible man who channeled his passion into his art. Olivier envied the success of his first wife, actress Jill Esmond, a lesbian. The tragedy of his failed marriage to Vivien Leigh, victim of mental instability and electroshock, was totally avoidable, insists Spoto. In third wife Joan Plowright, a young, lively actress, Olivier found maternal endorsement and encouragement. Critical acumen matches psychological insight in this biography. Photos. BOMC alternate; author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Spoto, author of The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock ( LJ 2/15/83), Madcap: The Life of Preston Sturges ( LJ 3/15/90), and The Kindness of Strangers: The Life of Tennessee Williams ( LJ 3/1/85), here adds to the crowded field of Olivier biographies. His study is well researched and readable, and he gives approximately equal space to Olivier's personal and professional lives. Nevertheless, other better-than-adequate books on Olivier already exist, most notably Anthony Holden's Olivier ( LJ 10/15/88). Interest in Spoto's book will probably be piqued by his undocumented assertion that Olivier and Danny Kaye carried on a ten-year affair which ended only when Olivier's wife Joan Plowright objected.
- John Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
Copyright 1992 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: 528 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; 1st Cooper Square Press ed edition (July 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815411464
• ISBN-13: 978-0815411468
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #608,094 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)