The Lives of Robert Ryan (Wesleyan Film Ser.)

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Synopsis
An &“engrossing new biography&” of the actor famed for his menacing onscreen persona—and his offscreen work for peace and civil rights (Film Quarterly). The Lives of Robert Ryan is an in-depth look at the gifted, complex, intensely private man Martin Scorsese called &“one of the greatest actors in the history of American film.&” The son of a Chicago construction executive with strong ties to the Democratic machine, Ryan became a star after World War II on the strength of his menacing performance as an anti-Semitic murderer in the film noir Crossfire. Over the next quarter century, he created a gallery of brooding, neurotic, and violent characters in such movies as Bad Day at Black Rock, Billy Budd, The Dirty Dozen, and The Wild Bunch. His riveting performances expose the darkest impulses of the American psyche during the Cold War. At the same time, Ryan&’s marriage to a liberal Quaker and his own conscience launched him into a tireless career of peace and civil rights activism that stood in direct contrast to his screen persona. Drawing on unpublished writings and revealing interviews, film critic J.R. Jones deftly explores the many contradictory facets of Robert Ryan&’s public and private lives, and how these lives intertwined in one of the most compelling actors of a generation. &“Engaging . . . Jones describes a complex man who grappled publicly with the world&’s demons and privately with his own, among them alcohol and depression.&” —Associated Press &“Jones has done a superb job . . . A masterly biography.&” —Library Journal Includes photographs
Copyright:
2015

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
376 Pages
ISBN-13:
9780819573735
Related ISBNs:
9780819573728
Publisher:
Wesleyan University Press
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
J. R. Jones
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Entertainment, Nonfiction, Art and Architecture, Biographies and Memoirs
Reading Age:
18 and up
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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