Arthur Kennedy, Man of Characters: A Stage and Cinema Biography

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down.
Review: I got this book because I'm a fan of Kennedy. As I expected I got a very good overview of Kennedy's acting career. But what surprised me is how this book places Kennedy's work in historical context. It's a remarkable achievement. The pages written by Kennedy's daughter are a great addition -- poignant and richly detailed.

Rating:
Summary: More than a man of characters
Review: It's about time that someone wrote a book about one of the greatest, and sometimes overlooked, American actors of the 20th Century. This book is one of the best film biographies I have ever read for two simple reasons (besides the fact that it is extremely well written and researched): 1) It is about the man and his WORK - and I emphasize W-O-R-K as apposed to G-O-S-S-I-P.
The main thrust is focused on the richeness that he has brought to the screen and shared with his audience. 2) It ties his life and work by interjecting what was going on in the world at each major step in his illustrious career. This is a very illuminating device for me as I believe that artists cannot separate themselves from the events and idiologies of their time. For actors, choices such as the roles they accept or reject and, needless to say, the films themselves are a reflection of their times. So this becomes a vaulable avenue by which one can better understand the artist.
The research that must have gone into writing this book, and the careful attention to detail is impressive. This a book that should set the standard for other books on actors and one that should be part of anyone's bookshelf if they are seriously interested in the history, art and legacy of a great actor. My only critisism is really directed toward the way the book is promoted. On the surface, it appears that the publisher is bent of promoting Kennedy as an actor in Westers when his greatest roles (such as in "Elmer Gantry and Lawrence of Arabia") were clearly not. So don't let the cover of the book deceive you. This is an exceptinal book about a very great artist who left an impressive body of work for us to enjoy. Meredith Macsoud, we can never thank you enough!

Rating:
Summary: Arthur Kennedy, Man of Characters
Review: This book brings to life a time when character actors were an integral part of a film. Arthur Kennedy's role in each of his films demonstrates the vitality of the character actor. His ability to give meaning to a scene by just a gesture, glance or reflection of his voice made the difference of caring about the story and its characters. He made each one come to life. From the beginning of his career on stage at the Globe Theatre in New York in 1937 to the end of his career in a film called Grandpa, in 1989, a span of 52 years, Kennedy gave us a quality of acting that even Laurence Olivier called him a "lovely" actor during their production of Becket in 1961. The book is a treasure.