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Robert Ryan: A Biography and Critical Filmography
This first in-depth Ryan work has two parts: The biographical provides behind-the-scenes information and never-before-published interviews with Ryan's children. The reference part contains a filmography (70+ films: plot lines, themes, technical aspects, casts, credits, criticism), and a listing of stage appearances, television performances, narrations, guest appearances, recordings and videocassettes.
- GenresBiography
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1990
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September 23, 2014
This is a decent biography of Ryan, providing us with his (not too personal) history from cradle to coffin. Ryan might have made a living on stage and in film, but it wasn't because he couldn't do anything else; at various times he was a marine, an engine room janitor on a ship, and a ranch hand. He was also undefeated in four years in the boxing ring in university. Ryan was no mincer; a man's man right from the start.
Mr Jarlett has done a good job outlining Ryan's career in the narrative, and I do mean outline; to go into detail on Ryan's vast body of work would require many more pages than Jarlett allotted us here. Sadly, this meant that he didn't dwell much on what I really wanted to read: Ryan's work on the movie The Wild Bunch. Just the same, he touches all the bases covering Ryan's career as well as his social and political activism. He follows the biography up with what is probably the best and most detailed critical filmography I have ever read.
Jarlett's work isn't perfect. I noted a few, very few small errors. For instance, on page 142 he states that Ryan's character in Custer of the West, Sgt Mulligan, was hanged for desertion when in fact the movie actually depicted Mulligan being executed by firing squad. A small booboo, I know, but it makes me wonder how many others he has made.
In spite of the fact that the book didn't provide the Wild Bunch fix I craved, it was still a very good read.
Mr Jarlett has done a good job outlining Ryan's career in the narrative, and I do mean outline; to go into detail on Ryan's vast body of work would require many more pages than Jarlett allotted us here. Sadly, this meant that he didn't dwell much on what I really wanted to read: Ryan's work on the movie The Wild Bunch. Just the same, he touches all the bases covering Ryan's career as well as his social and political activism. He follows the biography up with what is probably the best and most detailed critical filmography I have ever read.
Jarlett's work isn't perfect. I noted a few, very few small errors. For instance, on page 142 he states that Ryan's character in Custer of the West, Sgt Mulligan, was hanged for desertion when in fact the movie actually depicted Mulligan being executed by firing squad. A small booboo, I know, but it makes me wonder how many others he has made.
In spite of the fact that the book didn't provide the Wild Bunch fix I craved, it was still a very good read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review