- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Hutchinson; 1st Edition 1st Printing edition (7 Jun 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0091797357
- ISBN-13: 978-0091797355
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15 x 3.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 483,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Book Description
The first in-depth, authorised biography of this extraordinary actor
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
In 1956, at the age of 22, Alan Bates was cast in John Osborne's controversial play, "Look Back in Anger". The play changed the course of British theatre - and of Alan's life. With a sudden rush of fame, he became a member of a new circle of actors at the Royal Court: the English Stage Company. He also worked steadily in major films, from "A Kind of Loving" and "Zorba the Greek to Women in Love" - and he won international acclaim for his performance as Guy Burgess in the television adaptation of "An Englishman Abroad". During his career, he appeared in more than 80 plays, 45 films and 32 television dramas, including major works by Simon Gray, Harold Pinter and Alan Bennett, and "Spoto" chronicles his achievements as a performer against the backdrop of a complicated personal life. Alan's friends, family and fellow actors provide rich, poignant and often astonishing anecdotes. His twenty-year marriage to the clever but disturbed Victoria Ward, an unconventional union which resulted in shared child-rearing but separate homes and lives, provides a contrast to his hitherto hidden, sometimes passionate and often tortured liaisons with other women and with men. Despite this, he and Victoria never divorced, and family was very important to Bates. In 1990, tragedy struck when, at 19, his son Tristan died under mysterious circumstances. Not long after, Victoria also died, leaving Tristan's twin, Benedick, and Alan suddenly alone. Drawing on dozens of interviews with Alan Bates' family, his lovers, colleagues and friends, and with people who knew and worked with him - and mining a rich store of primary research - this exclusively authorised biography paints a portrait of a complex and remarkable personality.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Alan Bates was a favourite actor of mine, and for this reason I put this book aside until I had time to thoroughly read it, and looked forward to doing so with anticipation. Reading through the first couple of chapters, I believed I was going to be disappointed, and wondered whether it was going to be worth continuing. It was a very slow start and there was a seeming lack in the writing, I thought, of the abundance of personality of the subject. But perseverance was rewarded, and at the conclusion the reader finds that a very complex and contradictory character has been portrayed in the best light possible mainly through the very personal memories of those who loved him most and best - his family - and the anecdotes of those with whom he worked. Alan Bates was a man who was much blessed, but who knew the tragedy of the untimely deaths of wife and son; who loved to listen to gossip, but was very reticent about his own life; he was a man who enjoyed the company of women, but who loved men - a fact that was partly to blame for the failure of his only marriage, which produced his much loved twin sons; he turned down many roles which might have brought him the fame most actors crave, and instead chose those that challenged his considerable abilities, and which ultimately gave him satisfaction and a multitude of awards and nominations for both stage and film work;he was a lover of love, but was never able to find or sustain a lasting relationship. It would appear there was something within him that pulled away, and perhaps it was that 'apartness' that allowed him the space to observe and to put those observations to use in his representations of particularly difficult and often unlikeable characters. And finally he was a very handsome man, who had all stripped away by illness at the end of his life, but which he bore with characteristic good humour. This book is well written and with respect for its subject, and within it I found a personalty who was immensely attractive and likeable. Human if you like. I highly recommend it.
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I had often wondered why a biograghy of Alan Bates had not been written. For four decades this great actor had crossed with consumate ease between theatre, film and television, giving performances of weight and depth that stayed long in the memory.
There was another story to be told though. The story of a man who appeared to be confused and haunted with his bisexuality and a deeply personal and caring man who struggled throughout his life in his love for others.
With the support of Alan Bates' son Benedick and brother Martin this book tells the compelling story of the real Alan Bates. Superbly written with many contributions from admiring colleagues we discover a man who was incredibly popular with his peers and public. Alan Bates was an actors actor. His personal complexities were well known within the industry but amazingly no one ever 'outed' him and he quietly protected himself and those that he was involved with.Alan Bates was very generous towards other actors both on stage and off, and here I myself can attest to this.
I met Alan on three occassions after performances he gave and while playing a walk on role in the film 'Hamlet'. He was always charming company and happily talked about his craft in an uncomplicated and non 'starry' way. Giving up his time to advise a fellow actor was a characteristic that he will be remembered for by many.
There were great personal tradegies that Alan had to endure later in his life and these would appear to have taken a toll on his health as he worked constantly for over 40 years.His death at the age of 69 to pancreatic cancer was a huge loss to this country and the theatre.
My only real complaint about this book is that it should have included a full glossary of his stage, tv and film roles.
If you enjoyed Alan's work then read this book and find out how he created such great and memorable characters and performances that will stay with us for a long time to come.
There was another story to be told though. The story of a man who appeared to be confused and haunted with his bisexuality and a deeply personal and caring man who struggled throughout his life in his love for others.
With the support of Alan Bates' son Benedick and brother Martin this book tells the compelling story of the real Alan Bates. Superbly written with many contributions from admiring colleagues we discover a man who was incredibly popular with his peers and public. Alan Bates was an actors actor. His personal complexities were well known within the industry but amazingly no one ever 'outed' him and he quietly protected himself and those that he was involved with.Alan Bates was very generous towards other actors both on stage and off, and here I myself can attest to this.
I met Alan on three occassions after performances he gave and while playing a walk on role in the film 'Hamlet'. He was always charming company and happily talked about his craft in an uncomplicated and non 'starry' way. Giving up his time to advise a fellow actor was a characteristic that he will be remembered for by many.
There were great personal tradegies that Alan had to endure later in his life and these would appear to have taken a toll on his health as he worked constantly for over 40 years.His death at the age of 69 to pancreatic cancer was a huge loss to this country and the theatre.
My only real complaint about this book is that it should have included a full glossary of his stage, tv and film roles.
If you enjoyed Alan's work then read this book and find out how he created such great and memorable characters and performances that will stay with us for a long time to come.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Not only the one and only Sir Alan, but the one and only biography, it seems. Anyone who loved him in all those great movies--"Women in Love," "King of Hearts," "Georgy Girl," "The Go-Between," etc.--will find this book fascinating. I used to go to London at least once a year, timing my visit for whatever play he was doing, to the point where he recognized me at the stage door when I asked for his autograph and always seemed genuinely happy to see me (though nowhere near as happy as I always was to see him). Warning: if you're a bigot about bisexuals, forget it--the book isn't for you.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Barely Engaged...
...because this biography is as dry as old sticks. Raises more questions than it answers.
It's sad that the author feels he has to collude with his subjects... Read more
It's sad that the author feels he has to collude with his subjects... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Catblack_uk
Superficial Biography of a Great Actor
If you are a fan of Alan Bates and are looking for a decent biography then give this book a miss.
One wonders why the Bates family entrusted this task to an American... Read more
One wonders why the Bates family entrusted this task to an American... Read more
Published 21 months ago by John Fitzpatrick
A sad story
Donald Spoto's biography of Alan Bates starts off well, but disintegrates into a boring catalogue of his stage, film and television appearances (who cares if he appeared in twelve... Read more
Published on 9 Sep 2007 by Mr P
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