Brit Movie

+ Reply to Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 21 to 35 of 35
  1. #21
    Senior Member Country: UK
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    289
    Liked
    0 times
    To be fair, there isn't alot out there on Baker's personal life, mostly as he didn't really discuss it much.
    It's the job of the biographer to go digging and unearth the details. While some of his fellow actors such as Richard Burton are no longer with us, many other actors who worked with him are still alive, and the author had the full co-operation of Ellen Baker. Perhaps it's wrong to criticize a book for what it isn't rather than what it is, but then, as I said before, as study of his work I don't think it's very interesting, and ultimately it feels to me like a missed opportunity.

  2. #22
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    2,281
    Liked
    0 times
    Of the many biogs of British actors i have ready recently this is by far and away the dullest.A book should not become tiresome in the way that this is.

    By the way if you are interested in stars of the 30s then try to get the biog on Kay Francis "A Passionate life and Career".It really is one of the best star biogs in a long time.I got it from my library on the inter loan scheme.Highly recommended.

  3. #23
    Super Moderator Country: UK batman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    25,707
    Liked
    255 times
    I quite enjoyed it.

  4. #24
    Senior Member Country: UK Windthrop's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    4,360
    Liked
    44 times
    Robert Shaill is an academic not a glittzy showbiz biographer and therefore was always going to tend towards the serious.

  5. #25
    Member Country: England
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    44
    Liked
    0 times
    It's the job of the biographer to go digging and unearth the details. ... ultimately it feels to me like a missed opportunity.
    I've never really much liked the 'digging & unearthing' kind of biog variety. It always sounds too much like people want to read hearsay and scandal, ..though I'm not suggesting you wanted the book like that. The biograher in this case was trying to tie in Baker's career with his patriotism I believe, hence the references to Wales etc. The biographer himself works with the Unversity of Wales.The real missed oppotunity in Bakers case was the Anthony Storey biog, which was a complete mistake imo. To have your subject close at hand, should have been a glorious opportunity, but with Baker ill and quite obviously in pain, that particular offering went off the rails too much.

    If you're a Baker fan, I've learnt to taken what's on offer. Unfortunately he doesn't get the 'coverage' (for want of a better word) than say Burton or Caine get. Which imho is a great pity.

  6. #26
    Super Moderator Country: UK batman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    25,707
    Liked
    255 times
    If you're a Baker fan, I've learnt to taken what's on offer..
    Absolutely!

  7. #27
    Senior Member Country: UK
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    289
    Liked
    0 times
    I've never really much liked the 'digging & unearthing' kind of biog variety. It always sounds too much like people want to read hearsay and scandal, ..though I'm not suggesting you wanted the book like that.
    No I wasn't calling for sensationalism, but for research. Good biog's I've read recently include Lee Server's book on Robert Mitchum "Baby I Don't Care" (which I liked enough to pick up the author's Ava Gardner biog) and Chris Salewicz's "Redemption Song" on Joe Strummer. You really get to know the subject. Christopher Frayling's biog of Sergio Leone "Something to Do With Death" is an example of an academic doing a better job than Shail, though it's not perfect and like many similar books seems to deal with the director or actor's early life in depth but then seems to rather forget their private life once they start analysing their work.

  8. #28
    Senior Member Country: UK
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    2,477
    Liked
    1 times
    The Mitchum book is a really good read, and quite sad at the end as it is revealed that Mitchum's reputation as a heroic drinker led to his being impotent for years before his death and led to erratic behaviour.

  9. #29
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    2,281
    Liked
    0 times
    I too read the Mitchum biography and it gave a good picture of him.To me the nastier side of his character made him a rather dislikeable person particularly the pain he must have caused his wife.

    By the way i have taken the Hancock biog by John Fisher out of the library.Bearing in mind what a bore Fishers book on TC was anyone read it and have any views.It is a very long book.

  10. #30
    Senior Member Country: UK
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    289
    Liked
    0 times
    I too read the Mitchum biography and it gave a good picture of him.To me the nastier side of his character made him a rather dislikeable person particularly the pain he must have caused his wife.
    I didn't come away from the book disliking Mitchum. I guess his wife loved him and was willing and able to deal with his behaviour, which seems rather par for the course for Hollywood...some other women would probably have not stuck with him. To bring the discussion back onto its subject, I wonder if Mitchum's role in Losey's SECRET CEREMONY was originally intended for Baker?

  11. #31
    Senior Member Country: UK Windthrop's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    4,360
    Liked
    44 times
    I didn't come away from the book disliking Mitchum. I guess his wife loved him and was willing and able to deal with his behaviour, which seems rather par for the course for Hollywood...some other women would probably have not stuck with him. To bring the discussion back onto its subject, I wonder if Mitchum's role in Losey's SECRET CEREMONY was originally intended for Baker?
    Or Burton ?

  12. #32
    Senior Member Country: UK
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    289
    Liked
    0 times
    Or Burton ?
    But Baker had already been in 4 of Losey's films and was a good friend, though they drifted apart after ACCIDENT.



    Finished the book, which sadly failed to shed much light or show much enthusiasm for films I'm dying to see again and would desperately like to see out on DVD such as SANDS OF THE KALAHARI, THE LAST GRENADE and INNOCENT BYSTANDERS.



    Shail came up with a mind-boggling criticism of Baker in ROBBERY: "...the first in a series of unfortunate macho moustaches," though the only mention of him wearing a wig on (or off) screen was in a quote from Bogarde; I guess it was sort-of expected in those days for stars to have a full head of hair but I'm not sure how many continued the charade when the cameras weren't rolling...the likes of Bogey and Connery didn't but it would appear that Baker did.

  13. #33
    Member Country: England
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    44
    Liked
    0 times
    One story out of Sands of the Kalahari was about the 'lead' baboon, which was due to fight Whittman. The baboon somehow got loose and ran off into the desert, which lead to Stanley Baker leaping into a landrover and haring after it before anyone else could act. He apparently chased it for 2 miles, when eventually the baboon ran out of steam, and was cornered against some rocks. Baker then lured the baboon into the back of the landrover using some fruit, and was said to be very pleased with his efforts when the ape got in! Unfortunately he forgot that there was no partition between the front cab and the back of the vehicle, and he got in! The baboon took a great dislike to its capture and promptly went beserk, biting Baker's leg badly. According the interview Baker gave, he commented he'd never moved so fast as when he got out of that landrover. He then had to walk back to get someone to come and sedate the baboon. By the end of the film, the entire cast were like pin cushions apparently, after having so many tetnus jabs!

  14. #34
    Member Country: UK
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    57
    Liked
    0 times
    I haven't read this book, but my understanding is that's about his work rather than his life. I think it needs to be judged regarding it's success in covering his career in the film industry rather than be critical of it for not being what it was never meant to be.

  15. #35
    Senior Member Country: UK Moor Larkin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    5,156
    Liked
    120 times
    Watched Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951) on TV yesterday afternoon and spotted big Stan in a small part (although he launches the Trailer!!), along with James Robertson Justice, in a somewhat bigger part, Christopher Lee in a fairly nice part as a dusky Spanish Captain, but failed to recognise Richard Hearne as the batman...........



    They even got away with referring to the Spanish baddie as *Monkey Face* (not Christopher of course)..............



    IMDb Video: Captain Horatio Hornblower

Similar Threads

  1. Stanley Baker
    By Wee Sonny MacGregor in forum British Television
    Replies: 26
    Last Post: 23-07-11, 10:52 PM
  2. Stanley Baker
    By SteNottingham22 in forum Actors and Actresses
    Replies: 160
    Last Post: 05-03-11, 06:03 PM
  3. Old Film Magazines - Sid James/Stanley Baker
    By Lord Brett in forum Publications
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 01-08-09, 02:53 PM
  4. Stanley Baker Bio
    By batman in forum Publications
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 13-01-09, 08:46 PM
  5. Odd Stanley Baker Film
    By batman in forum Actors and Actresses
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 25-04-08, 01:33 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts