Two
new biographies from the world of entertainment are receiving rave reviews –
one a moving portrait of actress Vivien Leigh and the other an in-depth look at
the troubled, but talented director/choreographer Bob Fosse. While reading about their lives and careers –
why not revisit some of the films that best capture their magic as well? Click on the titles to determine availability in the library's catalog.
Vivien Leigh is best known for her iconic performance as
Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind, which first brought her to the
attention of American audiences, but the British beauty enjoyed a successful
career that encompassed both stage and screen in England and the United
States. Other acclaimed film performances include that of aging southern
belle Blanche DuBois in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire, and
divorcee Mary Treadwell in the 1965 drama Ship of Fools. Her
role in Desire, opposite Marlon Brando as the brutish Stanley
Kowalski, earned Leigh her second Oscar as Best Actress; her first coming in
1939 for GWTW.
Leigh’s career was cut tragically short by her death in 1967 from
tuberculosis. She was 54. Kendra Bean’s lush, new biography of the
actress,
Vivien Leigh: An Intimate
Portrait, provides a thoroughly engaging review of her storied
career and her tumultuous private life, including her marriage to legendary
British actor Sir Laurence Olivier.
Gone With the Wind (1939)
The epic love triangle between
Scarlett O’Hara, Rhett Butler, and Ashley Wilkes unfolds against the backdrop
of the Civil War.
Vivien Leigh, Clark
Gable, Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland star.
Winner of 13 Academy Awards.
Director Elia Kazan’s acclaimed
film version of the Tennessee Williams play earned 4 Academy Awards, including
acting nods for Leigh, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden. Amazingly, Marlon Brando’s celebrated
performance was passed over in favor of another iconic performance that year –
that of Humphrey Bogart in African Queen.
Director Stanley Kramer’s film adaptation of
the novel by Katherine Anne Porter recounts the overlapping stories of
several passengers aboard an ocean liner bound for Germany from Mexico in 1933.
The large, distinguished cast includes Leigh (in her last film), Simone
Signoret, Jose Ferrer, and Lee Marvin. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars;
taking home the honors for cinematography and art direction.
Chicago-born Bob Fosse began his
career as an actor and dancer – and quickly gained a reputation as one of the
most talented directors and choreographers in Broadway history. His distinct and sensual jazz style of dance was featured
prominently in such Broadway hits as Pajama
Game, Damn Yankees, Sweet Charity, Pippin, and Chicago. His unique style also lent itself well to film -- as can be seen in such hits as Cabaret
and All
That Jazz. Fosse's life and career are
in the spotlight in Sam Wasson’s revealing new biography of the troubled genius.
Fosse won an Oscar for his
direction of the classic film version of the Broadway hit, which is set amidst
the rising tide of Nazism in 1931 Berlin.
Liza Minnelli also scored an Oscar for her signature role as seedy Cabaret
performer Sally Bowles.
Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, and
Ann Reinking star in Fosse’s semi-autobiographical tale of the excessive
lifestyle of a driven dancer. The film
is chock full of examples of Fosse’s legendary choreography.
Fosse had hoped to bring his
huge Broadway hit Chicago to the screen – but the project failed to get off the
ground before his death in 1987. When director
Rob Marshall tackled the film project in 2002 – winning the Oscar for Best
Picture in the process -- he paid tribute to Fosse's influence by emulating Fosse’s style in his own choreography for the film.
Professional book reviewers often compile lists of their favorite books at the end of the year. There's lots to choose from and the experts don't always agree. As 2013 comes to a close, have you thought about compiling your own list?
This year, my favorites included the novels Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan and Visitation Street by Ivy Pochada. Of the nonviction titles I read, Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo and Cooked by Michael Pollan top my list. What about you? What have you read this year?
And, because I always have two or three books by my bed, I'm already thinking about what I'll read next. Here are some popular lists for the "Best Books of 2013" that I'll definitely explore for my 2014 reading.
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