Edmond O'Brien: Everyman of Film Noir

"I want to report a murder..."

"Who was murdered?"

"I was."

 With these words began D.O.A. (1949) in which Edmond O'Brien played a man investigating his own murder. For me, few others encapsulated the confusion of the ordinary Joe in post-war western society better than O'Brien in a run of classic films.

 After a brilliant stage career, O'Brien went to Hollywood for a key role in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), but it was not until he appeared in Robert Siodmak's The Killers (1946) that he began to carve a niche as one of the foremost interpreters of film noir. He went on to have a successful career on film, television and radio, winning a much deserved Oscar for his portrayal of the sycophantic press agent in The Barefoot Contessa. At long last there is a biography about him, written by yours truly which I hope is a fitting tribute to this unique actor.

Edmond O'Brien: Everyman of Film Noir is published by McFarland & Co, Inc. See link below:

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/edmond-obrien/

"The songs that saved your life..."

   After all these years I still love vinyl records and the recent ones issued by Morrissey and The Smiths are hard to resist if just for the covers alone. I bought The Queen is Dead 12" (right) recently at a record fair. If I'm not mistaken that cover shot is from Passolini's The Gospel According to St Matthew, a film which had an impact on me when I first saw it at the age of about eighteen. Unlike some of the post-Smiths releases, this one and the Albert Finney were chosen by Stephen Patrick himself, and show all the signs because they just look like Smiths covers.

    I wonder what Finney thinks of being the cover star of The Boy With the Thorn in His Side (left). Presumably he didn't take umbrage the way Terence Stamp did over adorning the front of What Difference Does it Make? I never understood quite what he objected to about that.

   Few of Morrissey's later songs have the same resonance as the ones he did with The Smiths for those of us who were around at the time. How could they have? These were "the songs that saved your life." Even so, I do have a fondness for some of his recent offerings including It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small and The World is Full of Crashing Bores. It's noticeable that the forthcoming compilation This is Morrissey is mostly comprised of songs from the earlier part of his solo career with the evocative Every Day is Like Sunday a highlight. The new single (left) has the added attraction of a cover version of Rose Garden on the B-side.

   Morrissey still seems to be able to get people's backs up merely by having his own ideas. As he said recently "The most offensive thing you can do in modern Britain is to have an opinion and talk clearly." There are few if any real individualists these days in any sphere of life, let alone in the realm of pop music which is so anodyne. Long may he continue to infuriate and enthrall in equal measure.

Ian Hendry: "... a ruined genius,"

Revealing biography of a misunderstood talent

   Ian Hendry was an outstanding actor of his generation who until now has not been given his due. Send in the Clowns: The Yo-Yo Life of Ian Hendry elevates him to his rightful position. It is a warm and revealing portrait of a great but mis-understood talent who was self-destructive but was also saddled with bad luck and an almost moribund British film industry.

   There were many surprises in this fascinating biography, not least the sheer volume of Hendry's work on television. He starred in the first series of The Avengers which should have made his name. Unfortunately, as the author reveals, that series was never sold to the US, and most episodes were wiped. On the big screen, he showed to great effect in Live Now, Pay Later and The Beauty Jungle. He gave his finest film performance as the sadistic Staff Sergeant in Sidney Lumet's powerful drama The Hill (1965) which ought to have at least brought him an Oscar nomination. Thereafter he was often cast as a heavy but he was an actor of wide range who displayed a penchant for comedy in such films as the thoroughly enjoyable Grand Guignol Theatre of Blood (1973) opposite Vincent Price. Hendry's earliest ambition was to be a clown and one can see definite parallels with such tortured comedians as Tony Hancock.

   Hendry was unlucky to miss out on the role of Bromhead in Zulu, which was handed to Michael Caine, giving him the kick-start to international stardom. Caine also netted the title role in Get Carter (1971) which was intended for Hendry. Although he was brilliant as the sinister chauffeur what wouldn't we give to have seen his interpretation of Carter?

   Hershman writes with great honesty and perception about Hendry's often chaotic private life, his chronic alcoholism and his marriages, especially that to Janet Munro which was volatile. There are many insights from his family, friends and colleagues and evocative photographs throughout. This entertaining and thoroughly researched book should be required reading for all those interested in classic British film, television and the art of acting.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Send-Clowns-Life-Ian-Hendry/dp/1291270973/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1529929059&sr=8-2&keywords=ian+hendry

Gale Storm: Texas Rose

   I first encountered Gale Storm as a singer when I heard her evocative song "Dark Moon" on the radio one rainy Sunday. Shortly afterwards I realized that she was an actress when I caught her in an Audie Murphy film. As David C. Tucker's entertaining new book about her proves she was all this and more - a versatile performer who not only had a fulfilling career as an actress and singer but balanced it with a happy home life as wife and mother.

   Blessed with a strong work ethic and a sunny disposition, the Texas-born Josephine Cottle won a talent contest and, after a name change, landed a contract with RKO. Although often cast in B-movies she proved her worth in different genres and found perhaps her greatest success on television in such fondly-remembered shows as My Little Margie. Tucker's fascinating and brilliantly-researched book reveals Gale to have been a thoroughly grounded person who seemed to be able to turn her hand to anything. In acting alone she could be effortlessly charming in such fluff as Let's Go Collegiate, or suffer with Dan Duryea in film noir The Underworld Story. As her career faded she managed to rise above the alcoholism that blighted her life and helped many others by talking about it.

   Gale's heartening story is well-told by the author who writes with great balance and humour. There is extensive coverage of her work across the mediums, including an episode guide to all her TV shows which must have taken a prodigious amount of research to compile and will prove invaluable. Highly recommended for libraries and for anyone and everyone interested in classic film, television, singers of the 1950s, or indeed of a life well lived.

Gale Storm: A Biography and Career Record by David C. Tucker is published by McFarland & Co, Inc. See link below:

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/gale-storm/

Claire Trevor

"As cute as lace pants..." Claire Trevor (1910–2000) is best remembered as the alluring blonde femme fatale in such iconic noir films as Murder, My Sweet (1944) and Raw Deal (1948). Yet she was a versatile performer who brought rare emotional depth to her craft. She was effective in a range of diverse roles, from Dallas, the social outcast, in John Ford’s classic Stagecoach (1939) to the ambitious tennis mother in Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951) to the embittered wife of a landowner in William Wellman’s overlooked gem My Man and I (1952). Nominated for three Oscars, she deservedly won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Gaye Dawn, a gangster’s broken-down moll in Key Largo (1948). I hope my book stands as a fitting tribute to one of the finest but overlooked actresses of her generation.

Claire Trevor: The Life and Career of the Queen of Noir is published by McFarland & Co, Inc. 

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/claire-trevor/

A book trailer for The Life and Times of Sydney Greenstreet (Bear Manor Media, 2018) which features many rare photographs. http://www.bearmanormedia.com/life-and-times-of-sydney-greenstreet-hardcover-edition-by-derek-sculthorpe

"A man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk."

 The Life and Times of Sydney Greenstreet

 Sydney Greenstreet made one of the most memorable debuts in film history when he played the grasping Kaspar Gutman in John Huston'sThe Maltese Falcon (1941). The film encapsulated much of the spirit of Dashiell Hammett's novel and became an instant classic, ushering in a new age of film noir. Greenstreet was sixty-one and had hitherto withheld his talents from the big screen. His career stretched back to 1899 when he first played in amateur dramatics and ended in 1951 with The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe. In between he played everything from Shakespeare to musical comedy, via farce and some of the most acclaimed plays of the 1930s.

   Greenstreet had a career like no other and I hope my book about him does justice to one of the finest character actors of his era. Included are well over 100 photographs, many of which have never been seen before.

   The Life and Times of Sydney Greenstreet is published by Bear Manor Media and will be available as a softcover, hardcover, ebook and audiobook. See the link below:

http://www.bearmanormedia.com/life-and-times-of-sydney-greenstreet-softcover-edition-by-derek-sculthorpe