John Hodiak - Centre Stage at Last

   There are some fine actors who die relatively young and as a consequence end up being unjustly neglected by film historians. This was the fate of John Hodiak, but I am happy to say he has now been given his due in David C. Tucker's excellent new book John Hodiak: The Life and Career on Film, Stage and Radio (McFarland & Co., Inc.) 

   At his best delineating intense characters, the handsome Hodiak first commanded attention as the surly sailor in Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944) and thereafter crafted an interesting career in which he ran the gamut from light comedy to gritty war films. He made a distinct impression in Film Noir, notably as the troubled returning hero in Joseph Mankiewicz's Somewhere in the Night (1946). 

   Tucker has written many acclaimed books on showbusiness history and again does a remarkable job in rekindling interest in a largely forgotten star. Impeccable research, balance and humour are the hallmarks of his work. He gives a considered account of Hodiak's six-year marriage to Anne Baxter, which played out in the glare of the spotlight when both were probably at their most famous. Hodiak comes across as a principled, rather reserved, almost shy gentleman, somewhat at odds with stardom and the studio system. I found it surprising just how important radio was in his story. The author does him credit with an in-depth appraisal of his radio career, alongside that on screen, and both are given equal weight. This is most welcome, because radio is often relegated to the sidelines, or in some cases barely touched upon. The many photos that grace the text are especially well-chosen. 

   Disillusioned by the declining roles he was being offered in Hollywood, Hodiak made a successful transition to the stage in the early-1950s in a celebrated production of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. Sadly, he died suddenly at the age of only 41 while making the science fiction movie On the Threshold of Space (1956). There is no telling where his career might have gone from there and just what he might have achieved. It is heartening to see him remembered at last and I recommend this entertaining biography for everyone interested in film history and popular culture. See details here and details of the publisher's website here: McFarlandBooks.com