Overview

""Sometimes I think life is a terminal illness."" - Spencer Tracy Often described as a ""man's man,"" the talented and versatile Hollywood legend Spencer Tracy's lasting legacy is that of the ""actor's actor."" The iconic film hero overcame a turbulent and rebellious adolescence by discovering an outlet for his demons in the theatre, where he was described as ""the best goddamned actor I ever saw"" by none other than Broadway iconoclast George M. Cohan. Tracy's inevitable move to Hollywood began a remarkable career that included such unforgettable films as Bad Day at Black Rock, Inherit the Wind, Adam's Rib, Pat and Mike, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Captains Courageous, and Boys Town (the last two of which made him the first to ever win back to back Academy Awards for Best Actor.) His off-screen life was much more complicated; Tracy battled alcoholism and diabetes, he was tormented with guilt over his son's disability, and his Catholic upbringing prevented him from ever ending his unhappy marriage. Tracy's decades-long relationship with frequent co-star Katherine Hepburn, one of Hollywood's most enduring love story, remained a closely guarded secret for years. Author Larry Swindell pulls back the curtain on this often cantankerous, sometimes lovable, and always mesmerizing superstar. Readers interested in related titles from Larry Swindell will also want to see: Body and Soul (ISBN: 1626546150), Charles Boyer (ISBN: 162654610X), Screwball (ISBN: 1626546258), The Last Hero (ISBN: 1626545642).

Full Product Details

9781626548077

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Larry Nolan Swindell is formatively a Californian and UCLA graduate but is a native Texan who, in 2014, was inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. His five published biographies, all focused on leading stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, are deeply rooted in the history of American movies, his consuming passion. Now retired, logged 45 years as a newspaper journalist and editor. He was literary editor and critic-at-large for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram from 1980 to 2000. Concurrent with his journalistic odyssey, he was an instructor in literature and composition at five universities, including a 20-year stretch at Texas Christian University. In 1974 he founded the ""Bookshelf"" column, which was syndicated nationally by The New York Times and the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain for a decade. He also reviewed Broadway productions for dailies throughout New York's Westchester County. Larry is father to three daughters and two sons, and he has eleven grandchildren. He was married to Broadway actress Eleanor Eby until her death in 1983. He is now living California with his second wife (and childhood sweetheart), Patricia Volder.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available