Roddy McDowall: An Actor's Life -- From "How Green Was My Valley" to "Lassie" to "Planet of the Apes"

by Samuel Garza Bernstein

Sincerity, erudition, charisma . . . Roddy McDowall.

Here is the comprehensive, first-ever biography of the award-winning child star, Planet of the Apes movie icon, beloved film legend, and Hollywood renaissance man whose career spanned 60 years.

As one of the very few naturally gifted child actors who graduated into adult roles with relative ease, Roddy McDowall exuded charm throughout a glorious Hollywood run that included film, television, and Broadway. John Ford’s 1941 classic How Green Was My Valley put Roddy on the map at 12-years-old. It won Best Picture over Citizen Kane and is Clint Eastwood’s favorite film of all time. But Roddy’s biggest claim to fame was yet to come.

The phenomenally popular Planet of the Apes film series, which ran from 1968-1973, introduced him to a whole new generation of fans. In a career spanning 60 years, Roddy was also a professional photographer, producer and director, starstruck movie lover himself, and film preservationist. Among his treasured friends: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Angela Lansbury, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, Lauren Bacall, Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, Natalie Wood, and Rock Hudson. Openly gay among his peers, if not the public, Roddy was a trusted keeper of secrets as well. Loyal and authentic to the end, everyone in Hollywood loved Roddy McDowall.

Exhaustively researched and featuring exclusive interviews with those who knew him best, this first-ever biography from author Samuel Garza Bernstein charts the extraordinary trajectory of the London-born, award-winning actor—from a childhood in front of the cameras, to a break from the studio and his controlling stage mother, an awkward adolescence and growing awareness of his sexuality, to eventually shaping the life and career that Roddy wanted for himself. Professionally and personally, he was a success. This intimate and fascinating journey of resilience, transformation, and reinvention is a

long-awaited and illuminating tribute to a true Hollywood legend.

Genres: Biography

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 26, 2026

Reviews

[Calvin Pearce · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are biographies one comes across that are so poorly written, shoddily constructed, and deeply misinformed that they actually make one’s head physically hurt. Unfortunately for Roddy McDowall fans, this is one of those biographies, and it gives me no pleasure to report just how brazenly incompetent and oftentimes infuriating it is.

One of its fundamental issues is that the author simply didn’t have the material or sources to pull the story together with integrity. His material is all derived from fluffy movie magazines, unrevealing interviews with acquaintances, IMDb, other peoples’ biographies, and, his big overhyped claim to access, a modest collection of correspondence and papers held at Boston University (which, contrary to his claims, have been available to the public for decades at this point). That coupled with the author’s jarring lack of writing skills makes for nothing more than a reheated goulash of stale mythologies, with so much soporific filler that it often reads like an eye-glazing technical manual.

The reader is quite literally saddled with paragraph after paragraph of film titles, co-stars, synopses, and reviews (including his own!) of film after film after TV show after game show after cartoon, whether significant to Roddy’s life story or not. This is clearly a device to fill up pages, and it absolutely annihilates any possible narrative flow that had been attempted, as everything halts for another endless TV Guide listing. That said, even when they (as well as other superfluous and cumbersome lists) finally abate, the author still has no idea how to weave a coherent or compelling narrative at all, or even create a three-dimensional character out of his main subject. Roddy McDowall remains a thin paper doll he waves around ostentatiously while attempting no inquiry into his psyche, motivations, or interior life.

Which leads us to the book’s glut of false and highly questionable information (some of which a simple online search shows had originated from National Enquirer-type tabloids). According to this author, before coming to the US during the blitz, “A German bomb rips a hole through the McDowall family roof. The front door is blown to pieces, and the window glass implodes.” And everyone simply walked away unscathed? What steely oxes they were! This whole overly dramatic, “you-are-there” passage reads more like it was lifted directly from movie studio propaganda designed to attract audiences to their new star.

Another typical gaffe is when he states that Roddy met Bette Davis in the early ‘70s. If that were true, then why are there photos of them working together at the Hollywood Canteen when he was a child in the '40s? There are plenty more examples, along with much obvious conjecture about events based on random letters that he has no proper context for (but which he’s sure to list a bunch of unnecessary quotes from to let you know that HE got to touch them!).

The illness section towards the end is a rushed mess, as though at that point he was getting bored with his own book. And it all ends with yet another dull, uninspiring list, followed by dozens of pages of additional lists that nobody asked for!

But ultimately what makes this book truly insufferable is the narcissism of its author. It takes him only until the second page to start talking about himself, as though his own participation in a middle school play was tantamount to Roddy being a huge international star at age 12, solely carrying major studio films on his shoulders while having to support his entire family. “People comment on how remarkably mature I am,” he writes. I’m sure they did. He also immediately name-drops people who starred in his husband’s movie because, hey, they were dealing with a child actor on that one, too!

But most egregious is the early passage about how a psychic supposedly told him that Roddy’s impatient ghost appeared to tell him that he had chosen *him specifically* to tell his story. The author concedes it sounds self-serving to reveal, but is sure to add, “I sort of believe it.” As though a man as smart, discriminating, and well-connected as Roddy McDowall would, after his death mind you, choose a complete stranger to tell his story who has only a peripheral handful of his correspondence, no access to his life-long friends and confidants, and who possesses absolutely no talents or insights to do an even halfway adequate job?

This author should get a better psychic, and, for all of our sakes, a different occupation.

[Erin Mallows · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have been a Roddy McDowall fan for many years and frustrated at the scarcity of information available on his life after all this time. So I was thrilled to see this title pop up unexpectedly and began reading it immediately. But I realized I might be headed for a sobering disappointment when the author, right in the introduction at the top of the book, said that Mr. Bernstein believes Roddy communicated from beyond through a psychic that he wanted him to write this biography. I paused for a moment to ponder the claim, then did a quick online check to see if Mr. Bernstein was sane and then to see if he had authored anything else. Not surprisingly, I noted quite a few disappointed readers of his other books but still I decided to forge ahead, hoping to learn more of Roddy. I didn't. Virtually everything in this book is old information. Even the handful of new quotes from Mr. Bernstein's interviews with a few people that knew or worked with Roddy offered nothing more than what a nice guy he was, none of them seeming to be anything closer than acquaintances. The important people from his life that are still alive, like Carol Burnett, Julie Andrews, Warren Beatty, etc., as well as one still living romantic partner, and even the man who knew him well enough for Roddy to ask him to take care of him through his final illness are all absent.

That is problematic enough without all the inaccuracies and misinformation throughout. Stephen Sondheim had prostate cancer? Really? Roddy and his family fled London under falling German bombs? Seriously? Elizabeth introduced Roddy to Montgomery Clift in Los Angeles, who then encouraged Roddy's move to New York? That's odd, considering Roddy was already living there before Elizabeth ever met Monty. The FBI returned all of Roddy's films that they stole from him? No, they didn't. It doesn't take much research to find out that none of these are true, let alone the many other speculations the author comes up with in here. It's just plain laziness. And there are many instances where he simply writes words along the lines of "No one knows" as an excuse to just leave all his speculating in. Far too much of his writing is dependent upon pasting quotes from magazines and the memoirs of others, which are only good resources for writers who either can't or won't dig deeper for facts.

Author inertia might also explain the reason why, I kid you not, easily 80% of the book is just an elongated resume of Roddy's roles in film, television (even every game show appearance!), stage and radio. And every title gets its own synopsis, cast and crew list... and reviews! It's an easy cheat to fill up a book with useless and easily attained internet information, much of which has absolutely nothing to do with Roddy. There is so much of this wasted page space spent on endless and pointless lists that, out of frustration and boredom, I eventually started skipping over them in hopes of getting to some interesting reporting, but it's just not there. For instance, there are many pages devoted to Cleopatra that one must crawl through and not one word of it is anything you haven't already known for years. There are only 7 chapters that make up for a little over half of the page count. The rest of the pages are just reference lists of everything that has already been mentioned in the text. If I had purchased this book I would definitely feel like I had been conned. He even devotes a few pages in the introduction to himself, even though he had never met the man he is writing about!

I finished the book in one sitting and felt afterward like I was back at square one, only now with even more questions and hopes that someday we will see a real and insightful study of this fascinating and still unexplored subject. I went to Mr. Bernstein's Instagram feed and saw a video of him humble-bragging that someone told him this book on Roddy was going to be the biography with which all biographies will be measured. I would easily agree with that statement if the word "favorably" was placed at the end of it. And if it is true that Mr. Bernstein was chosen to write this book, then Roddy's ghost must be up in heaven somewhere kicking itself and trying hard not to come up with any more bright ideas.

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I want to say that I am a huge classic film buff, and own thousands of them. I don't care for the movies made today; and I feel that I should say that before reviewing this book. that being said, I have always been a fan of Roddy McDowall.

From his sad face in How Green Was My Valley to his obvious enjoyment of Planet of the Apes, there was always a charisma surrounding him. His acting was wonderful, his timing impeccable. Just a minor role in Midnight Lace tells you all you need to know. When he looks malevolently at Doris Day, you do believe that he would have no problem doing her harm. (Spoiler: he doesn't).

He always drew me in while watching his films. The magnificent oration in Cleopatra (which I learned, sadly) had part of it cut), was indeed something worth watching. He gave the best performance of the film, and that is saying something, since he was surrounded by actors such as Rex Harrison, Elizabeth Taylor, and Richard Burton.

The author has done justice to Roddy with this book. He begins when Roddy is just a child in England; his mother, Wineifrede, wants to be an actress but has neither the looks nor form for it, so she begins to groom her two children, Roddy and his older sister Virginia, for starring roles.

When they are sent to America by their father during World War II, Roddy is just twelve years old. His mother, still starstruck, goes to Hollywood and eventually s director sees Roddy's potential. Eventually, How Green Was My Valley not only becomes a starring vehicle for the young Brit, but it wins Best Picture that year at the Oscars. Roddy's star is born.

Unfortunately, as often happens, child stars don't always morph immediately into teenage roles, and Roddy was no exception. Although his childhood films were wonderful (some made me cry), his later films weren't as successful; but when he became a man his career once again took off.

So did Roddy...right for New York, and a new world of theater opened up. He loved Broadway, and Broadway loved him. Roddy loved being around people, and his many friends (too many to list, but most were A-listers themselves) surrounded him, protected him, and enjoyed his many dinner parties. He never lacked for companions, nor companionship. I have no doubt most people know that Roddy was gay, although it didn't define his life. I don't think, 'this is a gay actor,' I think, 'this is a great actor who also happens to be gay'. I never cared, and I still don't. This was a handsome, enigmatic man whose face could carry any emotion and convey it to the audience. His words only added to the charm.

He was involved in many charities, and did what he could for the preservation of film. So many films are lost forever by those who never thought that future generations might enjoy them. Roddy did care.

Yes, I am fond of Roddy, but it did not color my reading of the book. There was extensive research done, and interviews with friends who survived him. Their thoughts were kind. In fact, I could not find any negative thoughts at all. This was a man who took care of his family, forgave them their faults, held his friends close and kept their secrets.

The last part is actually difficult for me to write. It's about Roddy's last days and his death. I cried through those pages, and I am crying now while I relive it. It is the pain that his friends felt upon losing him; and even in his last days he showed his love. I only wished I could have met him. At least I have his films.

In the end, this is a wonderful biography that gives Roddy McDowall the justice he deserves. Do yourself a favor: Watch a few of his movies and then read this book. You won't regret it. Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Citadel for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The year was 1995. My future husband and I had front row seats to Dial M for Murder, a touring production, starring Roddy McDowall, John James, and Nancy Allen. I was there to see Roddy because I had been obsessed as a child with the Planet of the Apes films and TV series. He was, in a word, magnificent. Which is why I was so excited to see this first full-length biography of him.

Roddy McDowall had a mother who never made it as an actor, so she raised her two children, Roddy and Virginia, to be stars. They both worked in film in Great Britain, and the family moved to the United States during World War II. Virginia didn’t care much about acting, but Roddy was a very dutiful, thoughtful son who did as he was told. And he was good at it. His breakout role was My Friend Flicka. He met a young Elizabeth Taylor, and she became his lifelong best friend.

In fact, the story of Roddy McDowall’s life was not only as a very good artist, from acting to photography, but his role as good friend. Everybody who knew Roddy could call him friend. He was truly a nice guy who knew ALL the secrets of Hollywood, and people could trust him to never tell a soul. Later in life, many people urged him to write a tell-all book, but that’s not who Roddy was, to betray friends and confidences. He was a closeted gay man who had several long-term relationships in adulthood, and everyone kept his secret.

Over the course of his six-decade career, Roddy performed in 121 films, 877 appearances on television, 35 stage plays, and 44 audio recordings. That includes the Flicka movies, Lassie, Come Home, Cleopatra, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Poseidon Adventure, Fright Night, and A Bug’s Life. He was a frequent guest on game shows like Password, Match Game, and Hollywood Squares. His work ethic was incredible.

This is a great biography of very good and talented man.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading biographies. It's probably one of my top 2 favorite genres, and I feel like I was born in the wrong generation. Because I love Hollywood movies. When they were at their finest, I don't like saying old Hollywood movies because I feel like it's not respectful. The Times of Elizabeth Taylor.(queen, icon,legend), BurtLancaster, Frank Sinatra, Roddy McDowell and more i was obviously super excited to read this book to learn more about Roddy and the Golden Age of movie making and his life. It was an okay book. It felt very research paper presenting like- it gave great information, but I kind of wanted more.And I get that because the author said that a lot of stuff came from his nose, no notes and notes that were in archives, and there were no extensive.One on one interviews with people in his life, I loved hearing the antidotes, though, with other people and the stories of course.From that time and the one thing I scott was really interesting and coa was at the end. The author had a literal breakdown of everything that he'd been in and done and magazines plays television appearances that was pretty cool to see all in all I enjoyed it like. I said I love reading about Hollywood's Golden Age and the performers. So I'll probably go and watch one of his movies now. Probably the precise and adventure, even though he does die first. (Spoiler sorry)

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book "Roddy McDowall' from NetGalley. I have always been a fan of Roddy McDowall. I have read many memoirs of other actors who have mentioned Roddy McDowall and they have always had wonderful things to say about him. not one person had a negativity remark about him. So, I was glad to see a biography written about is talented actor. The author goes to great lengths to describe his work and his relationships with friends. He writes of his overprotective mother and sadly her reluctance to accept the fact that Roddy was a gay man.
Parts of this book I enjoyed like not being surprised that Roddy did indeed have a ton of friends who adored him. He especially wrote about Elizabeth Taylor. And of course they all adored him.
I liked reading about his career but felt some of the chapters were way too long. Sometimes this book read like a very long term paper. It was interesting sometimes. But too wordy in other parts. Good for the most part.

[Victoria Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

meticulously represented the breadth of McDowall's career, from childhood movie star to stage and television stalwart, to more movies and eventual voicework. He was apparently a genuinely nice person who loved being a social connector; his social gatherings were legendary and he was diligent about his correspondence. However, the entire book is in present tense, which I found distracting and didn't really understand the use of. Also, I felt some of the long lists of people's names needed to be either trimmed or given more context. I understood McDowall knew a lot of people who didn't necessarily know each other fairly early on, but once I knew that, reading an entire page at a time of nothing but names felt like a bit of a slog. McDowall left detailed archives, and I would have appreciated a bit more curated detail.