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Final Gig: The Man Behind the Murder
Chronicles the life of Gig Young, from his early years as a shy boy growing up in St. Cloud, Minnesota, to his Hollywood success in films such as "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", to his murder of his wife and his suicide
- GenresBiographyNonfictionFilm
284 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 19, 2023
Just had to write something about this powerful book after
seeing the less than stellar review. I had always liked Gig
Young as an actor although I really knew nothing about him
and it was a shock to learn how his life ended. The first book
I've read since "The Titan" where I've actually cried.
Most people always carry some baggage with them after adverse
childhoods - Young's father always introduced him as "Byron's
a bit of a dumbbell but he's a good boy" - talk about a back
handed compliment!! Plus the fact that he could never measure
up to his older, more conventional brother, Don.
Hiding his shattered but complex personality under a debonair
and charming outer shell, with his good looks he almost instantly
found work in the movies. Unfortunately just when he was on the
verge of stardom, war intervened and by the time he left the
Coast Guards his "ship" had sailed and he was then forever thought
of as a second string leading man.
The book really delved into the nightmare world of trying to
recapture lost youth. Gig seemed blissfully happy with his
second wife who was much older than he but she died after only a
few years of marriage and distraught Gig never seemed to recover,
over the years marrying women more and more younger than himself.
One thing I thought was odd - changing his name to Gig Young
after his character from "The Gay Sisters", his first success.
I thought his real name of Byron Barr was pretty dashing and
theatrical - it seemed his final severance with the awful reality
of his younger life.
My only complaint is the "Selected Filmography". George Eels is
such a terrific film writer it would not have been such a stretch
to complete a complete filmography, after all he didn't have
the career of John Wayne say. A couple of the films I have seen
were not mentioned nor were his first films which would have
shown more thoroughly his road to success.
seeing the less than stellar review. I had always liked Gig
Young as an actor although I really knew nothing about him
and it was a shock to learn how his life ended. The first book
I've read since "The Titan" where I've actually cried.
Most people always carry some baggage with them after adverse
childhoods - Young's father always introduced him as "Byron's
a bit of a dumbbell but he's a good boy" - talk about a back
handed compliment!! Plus the fact that he could never measure
up to his older, more conventional brother, Don.
Hiding his shattered but complex personality under a debonair
and charming outer shell, with his good looks he almost instantly
found work in the movies. Unfortunately just when he was on the
verge of stardom, war intervened and by the time he left the
Coast Guards his "ship" had sailed and he was then forever thought
of as a second string leading man.
The book really delved into the nightmare world of trying to
recapture lost youth. Gig seemed blissfully happy with his
second wife who was much older than he but she died after only a
few years of marriage and distraught Gig never seemed to recover,
over the years marrying women more and more younger than himself.
One thing I thought was odd - changing his name to Gig Young
after his character from "The Gay Sisters", his first success.
I thought his real name of Byron Barr was pretty dashing and
theatrical - it seemed his final severance with the awful reality
of his younger life.
My only complaint is the "Selected Filmography". George Eels is
such a terrific film writer it would not have been such a stretch
to complete a complete filmography, after all he didn't have
the career of John Wayne say. A couple of the films I have seen
were not mentioned nor were his first films which would have
shown more thoroughly his road to success.
February 15, 2021
An interesting bio of one of the best character actors who endured during a time when being a character actor was not even recognized. If all Gig Young had to suffer from was not attaining Cary Grant status, maybe his life wouldn't have been so unruly and tragic. Author Eells makes use of a remarkable source: Young's own tape-recordings, which document his insecurities and immense distrust and self-esteem issues. But considering Hollywood is a snake pit, it doesn't explain all the man's mistakes. Young's firing from "Blazing Saddles", in his own words, captures a lot. His sloppy marriages, plus crippling drug and alcohol addiction, are other aspects of his story. Unfortunately, the portrait is often muddied by the very unpleasant and unreliable people who surrounded him and appear in the book.
April 3, 2019
I only knew of Gig Young through his work on "The Rouges" TV series, which I loved. Until I read a biography of Elizabeth Montgomery, I didn't know he'd been married to her. Nor did I know that he died a suicide after murdering his wife of 3 weeks. This book filled in the blanks, and I found it very interesting.
October 14, 2007
Almost unreadable, in fact, it is unreadable.
November 28, 2024
This was a good bio on an actor, who I had seen in some TCM movies, but didn’t realize the personal struggles. A good read but if your not fimilar with this actor it may not be a good read for you.
November 16, 2014
This book describes how alcoholics destroy their lives and the lives of those they love. It's a sad story in a way. Gig Young was a good actor but he could have been great if he'd have left the alcohol alone.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews