Overview

Based on new and revelatory material from Brando's own private archives, an award-winning film biographer presents a deeply-textured, ambitious, and definitive portrait of the greatest movie actor of the twentieth century, the elusive Marlon Brando, bringing his extraordinarily complex life into view as never before. The most influential movie actor of his era, Marlon Brando changed the way other actors perceived their craft. His approach was natural, honest, and deeply personal, resulting in performances--most notably in A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront--that are without parallel. Brando was heralded as the American Hamlet--the Yank who surpassed British stage royalty Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, and Ralph Richardson as the standard of greatness in the mid-twentieth century. Brando's impact on American culture matches his professional significance; he both challenged and codified our ideas of masculinity and sexuality. Brando was also one of the first stars to use his fame as a platform to address social, political, and moral issues, courageously calling out America's deeply rooted racism. William Mann's brilliant biography of the Hollywood legend illuminates this culture icon for a new age. Mann astutely argues that Brando was not only a great actor but also a cultural soothsayer, a Cassandra warning us about the challenges to come. Brando's admonitions against the monetization of nearly every aspect of the culture were prescient. His public protests against racial segregation and discrimination at the height of the Civil Rights movement--getting himself arrested at least once--were criticized as being needlessly provocative. Yet those actions of fifty years ago have become a model many actors follow today. Psychologically astute and masterfully researched, based on new and revelatory material, The Contender explores the star and the man in full, including the childhood traumas that reverberated through his professional and personal life. It is a dazzling biography of our nation's greatest actor that is sure to become an instant classic. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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9781982661717

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Reviews

Deeply engaging and perceptive from page one. Neither hagiography nor scandal sheet, it's a clear reckoning of a complex man. The author explores the films, of course, but mostly Brando himself: his difficulties with his father, his exponential growth as an actor, his awakened activism concerning racism in America, and his endlessly complicated relationships with women...A thoroughly enjoyable, illuminating read, and a must for all libraries. -- Library Journal (starred review) An insightful and well-researched portrait of Marlon Brando. Taking a cinematic approach, Mann swoops in on pivotal moments in Brando's life. Though sympathetic to Brando, Mann doesn't shy away from his flaws, such as his often callous treatment of women. The result is a thoughtfully considered study of a supremely talented, observant, and imaginative man who became a reluctant cultural icon. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

An insightful and well-researched portrait of Marlon Brando. Taking a cinematic approach, Mann swoops in on pivotal moments in Brando's life. Though sympathetic to Brando, Mann doesn't shy away from his flaws, such as his often callous treatment of women. The result is a thoughtfully considered study of a supremely talented, observant, and imaginative man who became a reluctant cultural icon. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) Deeply engaging and perceptive from page one. Neither hagiography nor scandal sheet, it's a clear reckoning of a complex man. The author explores the films, of course, but mostly Brando himself: his difficulties with his father, his exponential growth as an actor, his awakened activism concerning racism in America, and his endlessly complicated relationships with women...A thoroughly enjoyable, illuminating read, and a must for all libraries. -- Library Journal (starred review)

Taking a cinematic approach, Mann swoops in on pivotal moments in Brando's life. Though sympathetic to Brando, Mann doesn't shy away from his flaws...The result is a thoughtfully considered study of a supremely talented, observant, and imaginative man who became a reluctant cultural icon. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) Marlon Brando reigned over Hollywood in an era before it was possible to know every little thing about an actor's life--but this biography is going to change that. Mann went through Brando's personal archives to craft a story that covers not only his behind-the-scenes persona but the way in which he led the charge for a merging of Hollywood and protest culture. -- Entertainment Weekly Deeply engaging and perceptive from page one...The author explores the films, of course, but mostly Brando himself: his difficulties with his father, his exponential growth as an actor, his awakened activism concerning racism in America, and his endlessly complicated relationships with women...A thoroughly enjoyable, illuminating read, and a must for all libraries. -- Library Journal (starred review)

Deeply engaging and perceptive from page one...The author explores the films, of course, but mostly Brando himself: his difficulties with his father, his exponential growth as an actor, his awakened activism concerning racism in America, and his endlessly complicated relationships with women...A thoroughly enjoyable, illuminating read, and a must for all libraries. -- Library Journal (starred review) Marlon Brando reigned over Hollywood in an era before it was possible to know every little thing about an actor's life--but this biography is going to change that. Mann went through Brando's personal archives to craft a story that covers not only his behind-the-scenes persona but the way in which he led the charge for a merging of Hollywood and protest culture. -- Entertainment Weekly Taking a cinematic approach, Mann swoops in on pivotal moments in Brando's life. Though sympathetic to Brando, Mann doesn't shy away from his flaws...The result is a thoughtfully considered study of a supremely talented, observant, and imaginative man who became a reluctant cultural icon. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Author Information

William J. Mann is the bestselling author of Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn; How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood; Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand; and Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines. He divides his time between New York and Provincetown, Massachusetts. Will Damron has won several Earphones Awards and been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has had acting roles off-Broadway and on stage and screen throughout the country.

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