Ronald Colman: Gentleman of the Cinema

Rating:
Summary: A comprehensive biography/filmography
Review: If you are a Ronald Colman fan, this is the book for you!

Smith has one of the largest collections of Colman stills in the world, and this is the basis of his exhaustive filmography, covering lost silents, deleted scenes from Colman's films, and all of the favorites ("Lost Horizon," "Random Harvest," and many others).

Smith does not neglect the biographical aspects, and Colman's life is covered as well, in a well-written prose style that is easy to read, as well as informative.

Colman was a true gentleman of the cinema, as well as in his private life, and I can think of no better book to recommend than this one. Smith has done his job well, and I think every classic film fan, along with Colman's fans, will enjoy and learn much from this book.

Rating:
Summary: In praise of a gentleman
Review: In 1932 Ronald Colman was Hollywood's top male star. He was known as the perfect british gentleman, but also for his delicious sense of humour. He was the epitome of graciousness, sensitivity and complete sincerity. Millions of woman loved the introspective sadness in his eyes and the indefinable fragility of that famous, exquisitely modulated voice. His latest film, CYNARA, however, was a flop: the public did not buy their vulnerable and self-sacrificial hero in the role of an adulterer. Sam Goldwyn, his less than gentlemanly boss, was responsible for many embarrassing moments in his career. But this time he went too far: In his new film THE MASQUERADER, Colman played a dual role, one of them was a dipsomaniac. In a publicity-grabbing gimmick, Goldwyn ordered press release, stating, to put it bluntly, that Colman looked, acted and loved best when drunk. The offended star sued his producer for libel and $2 million in damages. After a long war of nerves, the matter was settled out of court, but the star never worked for Goldwyn again.

I mentioned this affair to explain, why Colman, who deserved to be mentioned in one breath with Gable and Grant seems to be forgotten even by usually well-informed film fans. I discovered him only coincidentally, when RANDOM HARVEST was shown late at night, and find it incredible that his name is not known to a larger audience. He won an academy award for A DOUBLE LIFE, his filmography is filled with well-known titles. Although he was one of the first and most successful free-lance actors, his split with Goldwyn cost him dearly: He did not play Rhett Butler (He was Selznick's first choice), he did not play Maxim in REBECCA. Other actors made JANE EYRE, INTERMEZZO, THE PARADINE CASE. Paradoxically, the star with Hollywood's finest speaking voice became a victim of sound: Since he left the studio, he could not remake his most famous silents, THE DARK ANGEL, STELLA DALLAS, and BEAU GESTE - other actors grabbed the roles and those are the versions widely known today. The same thing is true for his famous talking films, THE PRISONER OF ZENDA, and A TALE OF TWO CITIES. They were remade in the fifties, and not for the better. His most famous film, LOST HORIZON, was butchered by censors who did not appreciate its pacifistic message. (Colman was seriously wounded in WWI). Since he was a true gentleman who never caused any scandals, it is perhaps a wonder that he is remembered at all.

With his first-rate biography, and filmography, R. Dixon Smith was instrumental in making this wonderful actor known to a wider audience. It contains not only a biography (to be honest, I would have preferred a more intimate biography, but Colman was a very private person and never filled the pages of the yellow press), but, most importantly, a scene-by-scene re-narration of ALL his films: what you would call a spoiler review. This is done in full detail ( ten big pages are consecrated to RANDOM HARVEST, for instance). Those reviews constitute the main part of this excellent book, and offer indispensable informations, especially, since many of his films are lost, hard to get or rarely shown at all. Colman's glamour was genuine, for it came from his gentility, inner strength, and irresistible charm. I highly recommand this book!

Rating:
Summary: Gentleman Film Star
Review: This biography is a beautiful and sensitive portrayal of a gentleman actor who's dazzling career spanned four decades, and included such films as: RANDOM HARVEST, A TALE OF TWO CITIES and LOST HORIZON. It is evident that the author spent much time, care and love on this book in presenting the reader with all the facts of Ronald Colman's life and his films. Not only is there grand information, but the book is also full of wonderful photographs of the actor. A Wonderful biography.