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Searching for Candy - John Candy: A Biography
An unauthorised biography about John Candy.Legendary comedic actor, John Candy, is often described as one of the sweetest men in Hollywood.Police Academy legend, Tim Kazurinksy, once said that “John wasn’t just a one in a million guy - he was a one in a hundred million guy”. Incredibly talented, full of heart and extraordinarily hard working, with over forty movies under his belt, Candy was a screen icon during the 80s and early 90s. His starring roles in Uncle Buck, Cool Runnings, Spaceballs and Planes, Trains and Automobiles are testament to a rare and much loved talent. Candy could make you laugh and cry on the turn of a dime.Searching for Candy is an extensive overview of his career. The book reveals his early years growing up in post-war Toronto, his breakthrough as part of the legendary Second City comedy group, Candy’s wonderful movie career and his stint as a co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts Gridiron Team, right through to his tragic passing in 1994. The book features first-hand original interviews with over 70 of Candy’s colleagues and friends, some speaking on record for the first time. Stars interviewed include Mel Brooks, Mariel Hemingway, Carl Reiner, Dave Thomas, Juul Haalmeyer, Valri Bromfield and others, building a vibrant and authentic portrait of the much-missed actor, comedian and humanist.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2019
169 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
About the author
Tracey J. Morgan
5 books17 followersMorgan is an animal lover and John Candy biographer. She lives in Shrewsbury, UK, with a clowder of cats and her long-suffering boyfriend. She loves her allotment, making jam, listening to music, 80s movies, kitchen dancing, napping and she daydreams - a lot.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 15, 2019
This unauthorized biography of the guy often called the sweetest man in Hollywood is as engaging as the actor himself, featuring interviews with more than 70 of his colleagues and friends. Includes an extensive review of his legendary career in comedy and film, from Second City to movies such as Cool Runnings and Spaceballs. It’s a compelling Candy tribute, capturing the charisma of the guy who especially won my heart in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which my husband and I saw just weeks ago. I remarked then how magnetic he was on screen, his intelligence and big-heartedness plainly evident. SEARCHING FOR CANDY reveals exactly why, and underscores our great loss with his too-early death at 43.
Pub Date 05 Mar 2019.
Thanks to the author, Xpresso Book Tours, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#SearchingForCandyJohnCandyABiography #NetGalley
Pub Date 05 Mar 2019.
Thanks to the author, Xpresso Book Tours, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#SearchingForCandyJohnCandyABiography #NetGalley
August 14, 2024
I may be biased. 5*
May 7, 2019
This biography reads like a 7th grade book report. It's rife with grammatical errors and makes me wonder whether English is the authors first language. A very awkward cadence that I was never able to get in step with. The list of people that declined to be interviewed for this book (including Candy's family) is impressive. In fact, the only SCTV cast member to contribute was Dave Thomas. Overall, a very shallow examination of a talent who deserves better.
October 6, 2024
When I was a kid, I loved John Candy. I was absolutely enthralled with his movies, especially The Great Outdoors, Brewsters Millions, Splash, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck … Plus the greatest cameo in a movie ever, The Blues Brothers (I still quote him from this movie, even though his role was small, his presence was large ...Orange Whip anyone?). As a teenager, myself and a group of friends went to see Cool Runnings, really expecting, well, not much from a Disney Movie about some Jamaican bobsledders. But emerged into the sunlight quoting and laughing at the movie, John could do this to people.
When he died, i was of course really saddened by this. His life on screen had been such a large part of my childhood. But it coincided with me growing up and in a way kind of forgetting about John for many years. Thankfully, picking up Searching for Candy has reignited by love not only for John Candy's movies, but for the man himself.
First of all, I must say how incredibly well researched this book is. I counted myself as a pretty big fan of John, but i knew pretty much nothing about what is in this book. About his life, the people who knew him well and the background to the films he was making. The book starts even before he is born and goes through his youth and his early days as an actor / comedian and gives a real sense on what made John the man he became.
As you move through the book, the author gives a great narrative on the emergence of John's success, and his utter enthusiasm for what he was doing. The interviews and anecdotes from people who knew John well and people who even just had chance meetings with him really take you to that time and place. I sat with a bit grin on my face at the stories about John's kindness and genuine enthusiasm for what other people were doing and how he could help them to be happy, comfortable in his presence.
As the book progresses, the descriptions of Johns movies and anecdotes from the people who he worked with on the movies come thick and fast. His success is tangible, the fact that he himself changed not one bit, he still was the loveable, kind man that he had always been (as witnessed through the interviews from people who were present, some you will definitely know, some from people who you wont, all of whom have fantastic stories about John).
Searching for Candy is a well balanced book in this way, it doesn't concentrate on one great part of Johns life. It's a really great life / career overview without being a book that just skims the surface. Interviews with stars such as Mel Brookes are entwined interviews friends and from people who only knew him briefly, who have one solid gold anecdote about the great man. But what a meeting it was! It gives the impression that every minute of John's life was a pleasure, at least for the people around him, he made no secret of his inner demons but that never stopped him from being someone who people loved in every way.
I really enjoyed this book. Every page oozes with love from the author, from John's friends, from random strangers who knew John briefly. And in a world where most biographies and autobiographies are sensationalist, that lets face it, often tell some lies or embellish on things to sell books, Searching for Candy is an refreshing change. It's an honest account of a genuinely nice man, who just happened to be a really funny, incredibly talented world famous actor.
I forgot about John for many years. This book has made me dig out all of his old movies and even grab hold of some that I have never even seen. Big thanks to the author for lighting the way back to John. If you'd like to learn more about a Hollywood legend who seems to be pretty unappreciated these days, then this is the book for you. Highly recommended.
When he died, i was of course really saddened by this. His life on screen had been such a large part of my childhood. But it coincided with me growing up and in a way kind of forgetting about John for many years. Thankfully, picking up Searching for Candy has reignited by love not only for John Candy's movies, but for the man himself.
First of all, I must say how incredibly well researched this book is. I counted myself as a pretty big fan of John, but i knew pretty much nothing about what is in this book. About his life, the people who knew him well and the background to the films he was making. The book starts even before he is born and goes through his youth and his early days as an actor / comedian and gives a real sense on what made John the man he became.
As you move through the book, the author gives a great narrative on the emergence of John's success, and his utter enthusiasm for what he was doing. The interviews and anecdotes from people who knew John well and people who even just had chance meetings with him really take you to that time and place. I sat with a bit grin on my face at the stories about John's kindness and genuine enthusiasm for what other people were doing and how he could help them to be happy, comfortable in his presence.
As the book progresses, the descriptions of Johns movies and anecdotes from the people who he worked with on the movies come thick and fast. His success is tangible, the fact that he himself changed not one bit, he still was the loveable, kind man that he had always been (as witnessed through the interviews from people who were present, some you will definitely know, some from people who you wont, all of whom have fantastic stories about John).
Searching for Candy is a well balanced book in this way, it doesn't concentrate on one great part of Johns life. It's a really great life / career overview without being a book that just skims the surface. Interviews with stars such as Mel Brookes are entwined interviews friends and from people who only knew him briefly, who have one solid gold anecdote about the great man. But what a meeting it was! It gives the impression that every minute of John's life was a pleasure, at least for the people around him, he made no secret of his inner demons but that never stopped him from being someone who people loved in every way.
I really enjoyed this book. Every page oozes with love from the author, from John's friends, from random strangers who knew John briefly. And in a world where most biographies and autobiographies are sensationalist, that lets face it, often tell some lies or embellish on things to sell books, Searching for Candy is an refreshing change. It's an honest account of a genuinely nice man, who just happened to be a really funny, incredibly talented world famous actor.
I forgot about John for many years. This book has made me dig out all of his old movies and even grab hold of some that I have never even seen. Big thanks to the author for lighting the way back to John. If you'd like to learn more about a Hollywood legend who seems to be pretty unappreciated these days, then this is the book for you. Highly recommended.
May 18, 2024
Okay, so John Candy was always my favorite actor. But after reading Tracey’s book I learned so much more about him as an actual person from those who knew him, those who met him and most of all those that loved him. If you loved John’s movies as much as I do I highly recommend this book to really understand how much the man put his soul and literally his heart into his work. Hollywood gets a lot of flack from actors acting like jerks, crazy marriages, etc. but here was just a guy who loved what he did and loved his family.
March 16, 2025
I was about 10 or 11 when I discovered Second City TV, (SCTV) in the late 70s early 80s. My favourite character was always Johnny LaRue. This book was a trip down memory lane for me, as I remember about 90% of John's work and have seen most of the movies he was involved with. When I had learned he had passed away, I was very sad because I knew a bright light had gone out, and I knew my world would never be the same. John had so much more to give and I always wanted to see what would come next. If you like John Candy it's a must read, a great collection of stories and memories that will make you laugh and cry, and gives you an idea of the kind of person he was, a loving family man, kind and giving, with good morals and a strong work ethic. I'll never forget that day in April 1994 when I attended the memorial mass at St. Basils in Toronto. It was a chance to say one last goodbye and give thanks for all the laughter.
Thank you Tracey.
Thank you Tracey.
March 24, 2019
Candy bio
This is the first Candy bio I've read, and by that token, I learned a lot. That said, I have to comment on the writing. I didn't catch any misspelled words, but oh, the run-on sentences! The author states at the beginning of the book that she isn't really a writer. My goodness, that is quite an understatement. An editor would have certainly fixed those problems easily. I did enjoy the book and am pleased that the author shared all the info she worked so hard to glean. Thanks for the memories...
This is the first Candy bio I've read, and by that token, I learned a lot. That said, I have to comment on the writing. I didn't catch any misspelled words, but oh, the run-on sentences! The author states at the beginning of the book that she isn't really a writer. My goodness, that is quite an understatement. An editor would have certainly fixed those problems easily. I did enjoy the book and am pleased that the author shared all the info she worked so hard to glean. Thanks for the memories...
December 25, 2024
The first time I remember seeing John Candy, he was portraying the one of a kind, Del Griffith. This book takes us through Candy’s career and all those great movies. I had forgotten about a few of them, such as his role in Home Alone. If you are a Candy fan, you know about SCTV and The Great Outdoors, this book will take you behind the movie to how things happened. The author did a superb job on this one.
Hanks to NetGalley for letting me get my hands on this one.
Hanks to NetGalley for letting me get my hands on this one.
April 28, 2019
A beautiful trip down memory lane.
This book prompted me to go and watch all the movies John Candy made in his lifetime. I spent countless hours watching SCTV footage and going down rabbit trails watching all of John's former co-stars in roles that they have played. This book was beyond just reading entertainment for me, it prompted months of fun reminiscing.
This book prompted me to go and watch all the movies John Candy made in his lifetime. I spent countless hours watching SCTV footage and going down rabbit trails watching all of John's former co-stars in roles that they have played. This book was beyond just reading entertainment for me, it prompted months of fun reminiscing.
July 26, 2019
Great topic, terrible writing
March 11, 2021
Fantastic read about a fantastic man!! Really enjoyed it.
January 31, 2022
Heartfelt, but awkwardly written.
July 13, 2024
Did anyone edit this?
Most poorly edited book I have ever read. Took away from what should have been some great stories about a great comedian.
Most poorly edited book I have ever read. Took away from what should have been some great stories about a great comedian.
June 30, 2019
3.75 stars, but rounded to 4. A heartfelt tribute to a legend. Jordan amasses an impressive slew of people who interacted with Candy throughout his life, and the many anecdotes generate a sweeter story than what an everyday biography would otherwise provide. As is likely the author’s goal, it’s apparent that the man only became a more charitable and lovable human as time went by. So many of these celebrity stories really bring out the duality of man; he sure seems to have been an exception to that.
Jordan’s admiration and love is infectious—her prose isn’t going to knock your socks off, but this work has a grassroots/big-hearted aspect to it that makes it a speedy (as well as stupendously informative) read.
In terms of drawbacks, I have to assume that the version I read is some sort of draft, so certainly some of the editorial passes were still to come, which really leaves only one thing, and it’s a pet peeve in these books: I’m cool with the authors having their own feelings about films, but I’ve yet to see their opinions spruce up or improve their work. Mini-film reviews don’t really do anything but (a) turn off a reader to experiencing a certain film (and, if you’re writing a book in tribute, don’t you want the person do dive into that filmography as much as possible?) and/or (b) stop the book dead in its tracks. Ultimately, though, it’s up to the author, so whatever. I’d just include a chapter (or a section at the end of each chapter) with personal notes/thoughts on the movies.
That Ken Tipton story she includes is worth reading the whole book for. It will gut you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance review.
Jordan’s admiration and love is infectious—her prose isn’t going to knock your socks off, but this work has a grassroots/big-hearted aspect to it that makes it a speedy (as well as stupendously informative) read.
In terms of drawbacks, I have to assume that the version I read is some sort of draft, so certainly some of the editorial passes were still to come, which really leaves only one thing, and it’s a pet peeve in these books: I’m cool with the authors having their own feelings about films, but I’ve yet to see their opinions spruce up or improve their work. Mini-film reviews don’t really do anything but (a) turn off a reader to experiencing a certain film (and, if you’re writing a book in tribute, don’t you want the person do dive into that filmography as much as possible?) and/or (b) stop the book dead in its tracks. Ultimately, though, it’s up to the author, so whatever. I’d just include a chapter (or a section at the end of each chapter) with personal notes/thoughts on the movies.
That Ken Tipton story she includes is worth reading the whole book for. It will gut you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance review.
March 31, 2020
Perfect for fans
This is a fan written biography, a true tribute and a great read for all fans, old and new. The author researched well, made so many good connections with friends and coworkers of Candy, and relates the story with admiration. The conversational style honestly reads easily, while it is not necessarily excellent, and there are some editing issues (not referring to the difference between British and American English- that's not an issue). To me it makes it better because I am a big fan too, from the same generation, and I can relate to her reactions and opinions. I was impressed by how many stars and pros shared memories and anecdotes. But not surprised that so many people wanted to talk about him, how much he helped and entertained everyone. The main message is what a good, sincere man he was, a family guy who just loved his job and making people laugh. He was a star, really talented and we all lost a chance to see him grow even more. I am ready for a great movie marathon after this! Of course, I have old favorites but was also reminded of some classics that I need to revisit. Thank you for this great tribute, from a fan!
This is a fan written biography, a true tribute and a great read for all fans, old and new. The author researched well, made so many good connections with friends and coworkers of Candy, and relates the story with admiration. The conversational style honestly reads easily, while it is not necessarily excellent, and there are some editing issues (not referring to the difference between British and American English- that's not an issue). To me it makes it better because I am a big fan too, from the same generation, and I can relate to her reactions and opinions. I was impressed by how many stars and pros shared memories and anecdotes. But not surprised that so many people wanted to talk about him, how much he helped and entertained everyone. The main message is what a good, sincere man he was, a family guy who just loved his job and making people laugh. He was a star, really talented and we all lost a chance to see him grow even more. I am ready for a great movie marathon after this! Of course, I have old favorites but was also reminded of some classics that I need to revisit. Thank you for this great tribute, from a fan!
July 22, 2024
I read biographies to find out facts about the subject. This book was written by a super fan who injected herself and her opinions in way too much. She imagines how he felt in situations and skips over actual facts about events. What was John’s knee injury?
I did enjoy the parts with other people, I learned a lot from that, but the fangirl stuff was too much for me.
I’d recommend this to people who don’t mind someone gushing all over a topic.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
I did enjoy the parts with other people, I learned a lot from that, but the fangirl stuff was too much for me.
I’d recommend this to people who don’t mind someone gushing all over a topic.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
March 25, 2019
As someone who has loved John Candy since childhood, I didn't know that it was possible to love him even more, but this book proved me wrong.
In 'Searching for Candy', Tracey, using beautiful and illustrative language and vignettes, has highlighted so many wonderful things about John and showered him in heaps of love, which he is very deserving of. I hope that so many more people will pick up this book and come to know what a beautiful soul John Candy is.
In 'Searching for Candy', Tracey, using beautiful and illustrative language and vignettes, has highlighted so many wonderful things about John and showered him in heaps of love, which he is very deserving of. I hope that so many more people will pick up this book and come to know what a beautiful soul John Candy is.
February 4, 2020
Heartfelt, but sorely in need of a copy editor
You'll read some interesting stories about John Candy as well as be reminded of all of the great roles he has played. But, you'll also have to endure poor sentence structure, bad spelling, and a clear lack of fact checking.
These problems make me question the reliability of the author to tell us an accurate story, I'm afraid, so I'd be more interested in reading a biography that pays attention to the details.
You'll read some interesting stories about John Candy as well as be reminded of all of the great roles he has played. But, you'll also have to endure poor sentence structure, bad spelling, and a clear lack of fact checking.
These problems make me question the reliability of the author to tell us an accurate story, I'm afraid, so I'd be more interested in reading a biography that pays attention to the details.
April 26, 2019
Special Biography
I felt this biography added a very real look at John Candy's life. He is one of my favorite actors and now after reading this book, he is one of my favorite people.
I felt this biography added a very real look at John Candy's life. He is one of my favorite actors and now after reading this book, he is one of my favorite people.
November 9, 2019
i love john candy, i first saw him in Uncle Buck and have since tried to watch all the movies. hes a huge larger than life guy and this boom cements that.
its well written with some great interviews and story's
its a must read for any candy fans
its well written with some great interviews and story's
its a must read for any candy fans
March 13, 2019
I’m a big fan of John Candy, love so many of his films. This book made me love him even more.
March 13, 2019
A masterful telling of the life of an amazing man. I can heartily recommend it to fans of John, and those new to his legacy. 5*
April 23, 2019
Great read, fascinating. Well written.
May 8, 2019
A lovely trip through John Candy’s life written in a beautifully informal style that reflects the manner of the man it describes. Thank you Tracey for sharing your life’s work with us all
May 9, 2019
I enjoyed this book greatly
It was written with love and affection for an amazing man and actor.
It was written with love and affection for an amazing man and actor.
May 29, 2019
A beautiful, heartfelt book. Informative , enjoyable and a must-read for anyone who loves the great man that was John Candy.
March 6, 2020
Best part of this book includes his filmography!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2020
Comedy Royalty
Learned things about this comedy actor that I never knew before. He was a kind gentle giant who was gone too soon
Learned things about this comedy actor that I never knew before. He was a kind gentle giant who was gone too soon
March 24, 2019
John Candy was the first celebrity death I remember, and was most certainly the first one that affected me. Growing up as an only child with parents that couldn't very often afford a babysitter, TV was my babysitter and I watched pretty much nothing but comedies and horror movies. I was 10 when John passed, but I had seen every movie of his at that point, most more than once. I was devastated to learn an actor I loved so much had been taken so soon. This, unfortunately, would be repeated in life with the deaths of Chris Farley, John Ritter, Patrick Swayze and Robin Williams, but John Candy was the first.
I enjoyed this book, but feel it could have been better written. At first glance I thought it would be anecdotes of the people that knew and worked with and loved John, but it turned out to be more of a glorified IMDb breakdown of his movies, with some little "stories" about him here and there. There was a lot that just didn't connect with me, and that I feel could have been left out. Maybe that's just me though.
As of this writing, John has been gone 25 years and I still miss him every time I watch one of his movies. Like the author, he left a lifelong impression upon me and my heart, and while he isn't here anymore, he will always be there on-screen, which is quite comforting.
If you're a fan of John Candy like I was/am, you should give this book a read. Just bear with it through certain parts though, as the flow kind of gets muddled at times due to the writer's style.
I enjoyed this book, but feel it could have been better written. At first glance I thought it would be anecdotes of the people that knew and worked with and loved John, but it turned out to be more of a glorified IMDb breakdown of his movies, with some little "stories" about him here and there. There was a lot that just didn't connect with me, and that I feel could have been left out. Maybe that's just me though.
As of this writing, John has been gone 25 years and I still miss him every time I watch one of his movies. Like the author, he left a lifelong impression upon me and my heart, and while he isn't here anymore, he will always be there on-screen, which is quite comforting.
If you're a fan of John Candy like I was/am, you should give this book a read. Just bear with it through certain parts though, as the flow kind of gets muddled at times due to the writer's style.
July 8, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book
I loved learning about John Candy. I'm a HUGE fan of him as a person and his work, as though you could separate the two. While I loved all the little things the book taught me there was just too much wrong with the book to overlook.
I didn't like the way the book was written. It didn't pace together the way a book should. It left so much to be desired. At times I would find myself trying to understand what the author was trying to tell me.
Because it was written from a Brittish author it made it hard to know what she was talking about. Money was written in pounds and there was a lot of Brittish slang so it made it hard to know what was being written.
A lot of the times the author would be referencing someone but you'd have no idea who was saying what or where their part of the conversation ended. It would just jump from one person talking to her talking, and back to the other person talking all within the same paragraph, which made it confusing to follow what was being said. I loved hearing what people had to say but it would have been nice knowing who said what and what the author thought, without the two of them overlapping each other at times.
Overall an okay book.
I loved learning about John Candy. I'm a HUGE fan of him as a person and his work, as though you could separate the two. While I loved all the little things the book taught me there was just too much wrong with the book to overlook.
I didn't like the way the book was written. It didn't pace together the way a book should. It left so much to be desired. At times I would find myself trying to understand what the author was trying to tell me.
Because it was written from a Brittish author it made it hard to know what she was talking about. Money was written in pounds and there was a lot of Brittish slang so it made it hard to know what was being written.
A lot of the times the author would be referencing someone but you'd have no idea who was saying what or where their part of the conversation ended. It would just jump from one person talking to her talking, and back to the other person talking all within the same paragraph, which made it confusing to follow what was being said. I loved hearing what people had to say but it would have been nice knowing who said what and what the author thought, without the two of them overlapping each other at times.
Overall an okay book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews