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Gregory Peck enjoyed a long and successful career amongst the notoriously fickle shores of Hollywood. Handsome, earnest and inscrutable, he epitomised decency and integrity off and onscreen, an identity encapsulated in his signature role, that of beleagured lawyer Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. But people are rarely simple mirror images of their screen selves and Peck- though an admirable character- was apparently a more complicated man than some of his roles would immediately suggest. Lynn Haney's warm, affectionate biography presents an engaging portrait of a thoroughly likeable individual, a man born Eldred Peck who fortunately chose the more propitious name of Gregory to launch his film career in the 1940's. In style colloquial rather than compelling, Haney's chatty prose encompasses every aspect of Peck's life, one in which, though he experienced a fair share of personal heartbreak his propensity for good fortune remained consistent. Described by Lauren Bacall as 'the most gorgeous creature I'd ever seen,' Peck's first marriage eventually faltered but his second, to fledgling French journalist Veronique, proved one of Hollywood's rare relationship successes, ending only with his death in June 2003.(Kirkus UK)
The movie actor's career-and careerism-get generous scrutiny from a veteran pop biographer. In Haney's profile, Peck (1916-2003) is a fascinatingly ambiguous character. He had the looks and voice to make Hollywood fall to its knees, the author writes, but he also had a fragile ego and fell short in the talent department. Yet he was dedicated to his work and knew how to make and keep useful friends. After the married Peck's fling with Ingrid Bergman on the set of Spellbound, notes Haney (Naked at the Feast, not reviewed, etc.), "the important thing for him was to preserve their friendship. On his way up, he needed to forge lasting bonds with his more successful colleagues. . . . From a career standpoint, it was a smart strategy. Domestically, it probably didn't play so well." When it came to HUAC's interrogation of left-leaning Hollywood, the author concludes, Peck "never took a front position at the barricades; his was not one of the braver stance . . . committed political activism would have taken too much time away from his career." Keeping that career afloat occupied so much of his attention that his first marriage crumbled, though the actor appears to have learned a lesson. In later life he displayed more of the gumption that fired his Oscar-winning performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, pulling close to his second family, speaking out on abortion, gun control, and gay rights, and throwing a dart at Robert Bork's nomination for the Supreme Court. Haney covers all Peck's films, from storylines to activities on the set, probing as deeply into his acting qualities as she does into his politics and ambition. His work got better through the years, she writes, but concludes that he will not be remembered as a brilliant actor so much as a fine and human one. A perspective-setting biography: gracious, but pulling no punches. (16 pp. b&w photos) (Kirkus Reviews)
Product Description
Written with refreshing candor and undeniable affection, Gregory Peck: A Charmed Life, takes us into the internationally celebrated actor's world, painting a vivid portrait of Peck the man and analyzing the forces that shaped his spectacular career. We learn the stories behind his most memorable movies, classics such as Roman Holiday, Twelve O'Clock High, Spellbound, Cape Fear and To Kill a Mockingbird. In this fascinating account, Peck's leading ladies offer their revealing anecdotes about their leading man. Ingrid Bergman, Jennifer Jones, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Lauren Bacall, Deborah Kerr and Jane Fonda all divulge details of their experiences of Gregory Peck, a man still considered something of an American hero. With wit and irreverence, Lynn Haney also weaves a fabulous tapestry of the grand old moguls, agents, writers, columnists, parties, deals, delights and disappointments. Gregory Peck: A Charmed Life reveals Peck in human an poignant terms. Through meticulous research and scores of interviews with Peck and his friends and family, Lynn Haney beguiles us with her rich evocation of a man loved by millions.
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Gregory Peck enjoyed a long and successful career amongst the notoriously fickle shores of Hollywood. Handsome, earnest and inscrutable, he epitomised decency and integrity off and onscreen, an identity encapsulated in his signature role, that of beleagured lawyer Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. But people are rarely simple mirror images of their screen selves and Peck- though an admirable character- was apparently a more complicated man than some of his roles would immediately suggest. Lynn Haney's warm, affectionate biography presents an engaging portrait of a thoroughly likeable individual, a man born Eldred Peck who fortunately chose the more propitious name of Gregory to launch his film career in the 1940's. In style colloquial rather than compelling, Haney's chatty prose encompasses every aspect of Peck's life, one in which, though he experienced a fair share of personal heartbreak his propensity for good fortune remained consistent. Described by Lauren Bacall as 'the most gorgeous creature I'd ever seen,' Peck's first marriage eventually faltered but his second, to fledgling French journalist Veronique, proved one of Hollywood's rare relationship successes, ending only with his death in June 2003.(Kirkus UK)
The movie actor's career-and careerism-get generous scrutiny from a veteran pop biographer. In Haney's profile, Peck (1916-2003) is a fascinatingly ambiguous character. He had the looks and voice to make Hollywood fall to its knees, the author writes, but he also had a fragile ego and fell short in the talent department. Yet he was dedicated to his work and knew how to make and keep useful friends. After the married Peck's fling with Ingrid Bergman on the set of Spellbound, notes Haney (Naked at the Feast, not reviewed, etc.), "the important thing for him was to preserve their friendship. On his way up, he needed to forge lasting bonds with his more successful colleagues. . . . From a career standpoint, it was a smart strategy. Domestically, it probably didn't play so well." When it came to HUAC's interrogation of left-leaning Hollywood, the author concludes, Peck "never took a front position at the barricades; his was not one of the braver stance . . . committed political activism would have taken too much time away from his career." Keeping that career afloat occupied so much of his attention that his first marriage crumbled, though the actor appears to have learned a lesson. In later life he displayed more of the gumption that fired his Oscar-winning performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, pulling close to his second family, speaking out on abortion, gun control, and gay rights, and throwing a dart at Robert Bork's nomination for the Supreme Court. Haney covers all Peck's films, from storylines to activities on the set, probing as deeply into his acting qualities as she does into his politics and ambition. His work got better through the years, she writes, but concludes that he will not be remembered as a brilliant actor so much as a fine and human one. A perspective-setting biography: gracious, but pulling no punches. (16 pp. b&w photos) (Kirkus Reviews)
Product Description
Written with refreshing candor and undeniable affection, Gregory Peck: A Charmed Life, takes us into the internationally celebrated actor's world, painting a vivid portrait of Peck the man and analyzing the forces that shaped his spectacular career. We learn the stories behind his most memorable movies, classics such as Roman Holiday, Twelve O'Clock High, Spellbound, Cape Fear and To Kill a Mockingbird. In this fascinating account, Peck's leading ladies offer their revealing anecdotes about their leading man. Ingrid Bergman, Jennifer Jones, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Lauren Bacall, Deborah Kerr and Jane Fonda all divulge details of their experiences of Gregory Peck, a man still considered something of an American hero. With wit and irreverence, Lynn Haney also weaves a fabulous tapestry of the grand old moguls, agents, writers, columnists, parties, deals, delights and disappointments. Gregory Peck: A Charmed Life reveals Peck in human an poignant terms. Through meticulous research and scores of interviews with Peck and his friends and family, Lynn Haney beguiles us with her rich evocation of a man loved by millions.
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