Robert Ryan: A Biography and Critical Filmography

by Franklin Jarlett

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.

Genres: Biography

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1990

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Sigo Paolini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unless you absolutely love RR there is little reason to read this. I wanted to know about some movies I saw him in so I took a flyer. Jarlett doesn't say much about the NOIR movies other than RR was in them. RR was a decent man -- no scandals, no great mysteries -- a good American. In the world of HW where half the people are outright loons, and the other half on the make, RR was a decent hard working family guy.

He was raised Irish Catholic in Chicago. He worked in Chicago equiv of Tammany Hall -- whatever that's called -- went to Dartmouth and became an actor. He married a Quaker in an Episcopal ceremony (his mother's religion) in 1939. Went to war as a Marine, and never left Camp Pendleton for the two years of his obligatory tour of service-- I imagine his political connexions worked well for him.

But then Jarlett never really got anyone to say otherwise as RR was solid old fashioned liberal Democrat and that is the HW preference. Everyone makes a big deal that he became a pacifist as though after going to War you become a war-monger. I think it was just another political schtick like he pulled on Edmund O'Brien (a devout IC if there ever was one in HW) that he was IC to get a gig. He qupped he hadn't been to an Catholic church is high school. I think the pacific gig was something he came up with to keep himself in the publicity pages -- everyone needs a schtick.

In the end I think Jarlett was sponsored to write this feel good book. There really is nothing in here to dissuade me from my original op; he's an ok B actor. The pity in HW today isn't there aren't any -- everyone wants to be star. I'm sure RR did too but he knew enough to be a good good character actor and work with that. Today, no one understands that so their careers are far shorter. They could learn alot from a meat and potatoes actor like RR.