Zachary Scott: Hollywood's Sophisticated Cad

Hollywood Legends

by Ronald L. Davis

Throughout the 1940s, Zachary Scott (1914-1965) was the model for sophisticated, debonair villains in American film. His best-known roles include a mysterious criminal in The Mask of Dimitrios and the indolent husband in Mildred Pierce. He garnered further acclaim for his portrayal of villains in Her Kind of Man, Danger Signal, and South of St. Louis. Although he earned critical praise for his performance as a heroic tenant farmer in Jean Renoir's The Southerner, Scott never quite escaped typecasting.

In Zachary Scott: Hollywood's Sophisticated Cad, Ronald L. Davis writes an appealing biography of the film star. Scott grew up in privileged circumstances--his father was a distinguished physician; his grandfather was a pioneer cattle baron--and was expected to follow his father into medical practice. Instead, Scott began to pursue a career in theater while studying at the University of Texas and subsequently worked his way on a ship to England to pursue acting. Upon his return to America, he began to look for work in New York.

Excelling on stage and screen throughout the 1940s, Scott seemed destined for stardom. By the end of 1950, however, he had suffered through a turbulent divorce. A rafting accident left him badly shaken and clinically depressed. His frustration over his roles mounted, and he began to drink heavily. He remarried and spent the rest of his career concentrating on stage and television work. Although Scott continued to perform occasionally in films, he never reclaimed the level of stardom that he had in the mid-1940s.

To reconstruct Scott's life, Davis uses interviews with Scott and colleagues and reviews, articles, and archival correspondence from the Scott papers at the University of Texas and from the Warner Brothers Archives. The result is a portrait of a talented actor who was rarely allowed to show his versatility on the screen.

Genres: Biography

238 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Ronald L. Davis is professor of history emeritus at Southern Methodist University (SMU) where he served as director of the university's DeGolyer Institute for American Studies and the Oral History Program.

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the life and work(s) of one of the lesser-known and lesser-appreciated Hollywood stars from the “Golden Age.” The book’s title is a bit of a misnomer, perhaps even a cliched “red herring.” I say this because, unsurprisingly, there’s a huge difference between the rakish ladies man that Zachary Scott portrayed (and was typecast as for much of his professional life) and Zachery Scott the person. That’s not to say Scott was without faults, but are no anecdotes or documents in existence to refute he was a devoted husband and father. In fact, it was his first wife who left him — for John Steinbeck, no less. Sure, Scott was likely a bit pampered and unrealistic at times, but that’s not much of a shocker considering his wealthy upbringing as the son of a prosperous physician and a socialite mother with family roots in the ranching business. On his mother’s side, he was a distant cousin of George Washington.

But he was stubborn and independent enough to buck tradition (he adamantly refused to follow his father into medicine). He was so enamoured of acting he agreed to work for his own passage aboard a steamship to England, just to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

He may or may not have been bisexual, but there’s little-to-no factual evidence to support that claim either, other than vague rumours and Scott’s (unusual for the time) choice to wear a small gold hoop earring in his left ear. He apparently also enjoyed dressing well and had no problem helping with domestic chores. (Keep in mind this was in the 1940s and 50s when gender roles were sharply defined). If you were to note all of these things about Scott today, no one would think anything of it and in all-likelihood, his enjoyment of cooking would have gained him accolades from women fans.

Scott did drink heavily, particularly during the latter half of his tenure at Warner Brothers, and like most public figures of the day, he smoked to excess. These two habits combined, along with pain sustained from a car accident and later a near-death drowning experience, likely contributed to his early death from brain cancer. Still, a fascinating person, and informative look at 1940s Hollywood.

[Mark Welsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written and thoroughly researched biography, but I found it hard to get a solid sense of Scott as a person. That's a common issue with biographies that lack direct input from the subject, of course. Although Davis had access to Scott's correspondence and interviewed everyone available, it's a marked problem here. I could even say that Scott as a person is almost a reflection of one of his most famous screen roles, that of the shadowy figure of Dimitrios Markopolus. Likewise, the record of the actor's life is also compiled of second-hand bits and pieces, stories and anecdotes that never quite come together to make a full and rounded picture of the man.

The main problem is that Scott was an intensely private person, obviously troubled, despite a flamboyant, fun-loving exterior. Davis speculates that the actor may have been conflicted about his sexuality, and this might explain some of his inner conflicts. However, as Davis acknowledges, the evidence for this is limited. His first wife did sue for divorce, but it was only after 17 years and after she fell in love with Nobel Prize-winning novelist John Steinbeck! 

Fans of Scott will want to check this book out, of course, and it's hard to imagine a more comprehensive account of the actor's life and times. However, in the end, Scott remains as elusive as some of the Noir mystery men that he played.

[Barbara Buffington · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author should have viewed Zachary Scott's movies before undertaking a biography. In "Pretty Baby" with Betsy Drake, he describes the plot inaccurately, for Betsy's character doesn't buy a doll, she actually steals a doll and Zachary Scott's character tries to use her thievery as leverage in the story. Also, he makes mention of Ronald Reagan's military service and Reagan only served in the Reserves. Otherwise, his narrative is overall somewhat boring, uninspiring and the ending left me cold. There are a few interesting tidbits, here and there, but no anecdotal revelations. In a few places he hints at 'sexual ambiguity,' however, there is no proof of such and even bringing up the topic seems wrong under the circumstances. Disappointing, all things considered, although it did have a nice section of pictures.... I'm glad I borrowed the book, from the library, instead of buying it.

[Malcolm Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zachary Scott had the misfortune to appear in 2 successful films at the beginning of his Hollywood career.These typecast him and he was never able to escape this straitjacket,this in turn led to the downturn in his career.
He was fortunate to have wealthy parents who were able to support him into their old age.
This is a generally well written biography,the only Reservation being about the implications of bisexuality without any substantive proof.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorough biography of the skillful but not too well remembered actor from Hollywood's Golden Age.