Lord Larry: A Personal Portrait of Laurence Olivier

by Michael Munn

Michael Munn's frank analysis is based on his association with Olivier through formal and informal conversations, in which the great actor spoke candidly to Munn about life, sex, secrets, and Shakespeare. Munn first met Olivier in 1971 and the two became great friends. At the peak of their friendship, Olivier revealed a secret to him which he had told very few, mainly because of his lifelong fear of alienating the American public, but also out of an impulse not to be thought of as a hero, which greatly contradicted his famously incredible ego. This secret has been disclosed by Munn for the first time, as he reveals that Olivier was recruited by Special Operations Executive and MI-5, through film producer Alexander Korda, to promote the cause of Britain's war against Germany while in the U.S. This never before told story involves such legends as Noel Coward, James Stewart, and Clark Gable. Highly personal and rarely expressed thoughts are revealed, both from Olivier and from the people who knew him best.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mick Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

As it says an intimate biography,if it had been done as talking heads type documentry,it would have been just as good.the only down side is that the author kept going on about the sexual abuse they both suffered as children.not making light of it,but for all their problems the same sentence kept cropping up which rather then highlight it just became repetitive so as in the end it just became a blank sentence.

[J Grimsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A frank but sympathetic book on Laurence Olivier. Simply written and easy to get through.