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How Warren Beatty Seduced America

By Biskind, Peter

Publishers Summary:
In this compulsively readable and constantly surprising book, Peter Biskind, the author of the film classics Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and Down and Dirty Pictures, writes the most intimate, revealing, and balanced biography ever of Hollywood legend Warren Beatty.Famously a playboy, Beatty has also been one of the most ambitious and successful stars in Hollywood. Several Beatty films have passed the test of time, from Bonnie and Clyde (which confirmed for him the importance of controlling the projects he was involved in) to Shampoo, Heaven Can Wait, Reds (for which he won the best director Oscar), Bugsy, and Bulworth. Few filmgoers realize that along with Orson Welles, Beatty is the only person ever nominated for four Academy Awards for a single film -- and unlike Welles, Beatty did it twice, with Heaven Can Wait and Reds. Biskind shows how Beatty used star power, commercial success, savvy, and charm to bend Hollywood moguls to his will, establishing an unprecedented level of independence while still working within the studio system.Beatty's private life has been the subject of gossip for decades, and Star confirms his status as Hollywood's leading man in the bedroom, describing his affairs with Joan Collins, Natalie Wood, Leslie Caron, Julie Christie, Michelle Phillips, Diane Keaton, and Madonna, among many others.Throughout his career, Beatty has demonstrated a fascination for politics. He was influential in the 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns of Gary Hart. It was said of Hart and Beatty that each wanted to be the other, and Biskind shows that there was considerable truth in that wry observation. As recently as a few years ago, Beatty was speaking out about California politics and contemplating a run for governor.Biskind explains how Beatty exercised unique control, often hiring screenwriters out of his own pocket (and frequently collaborating with them), producing, directing, and acting in his own films, becoming an auteur before anyone in Hollywood knew what the word meant. He was arguably one of the most successful and creative figures in Hollywood during the second half of the twentieth century, and in this fascinating biography, Warren Beatty comes to life -- complete with excesses and achievements -- as never before.

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ISBN
978-0-74324-658-3
Publisher
Simon & Schuster


REVIEWS

Library Journal

Reviewed on December 10, 2009

Biskind (Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood) takes on the gargantuan task of pinning down Warren Beatty, known for his uncommunicative style and his manipulative behavior; the author likens finishing this book to "recovering from a lingering illness." But the result is an exhaustive (there are 42 pages of notes) yet readable biography on this Hollywood icon. Biskind doesn't dwell long on Beatty's childhood but jumps right into his rocky rise to stardom as a handsome yet untrained actor and his eventual success as a Hollywood director who was able to work within the system and still achieve an unparalleled level of independence through his savvy and charm. Biskind also includes juicy details about Beatty's success with women-his high-profile affairs with Natalie Wood, Julie Christie, Diane Keaton, Madonna, and others. Verdict This definitive work on Beatty is well written and compulsively readable. For all readers of celebrity biographies as well as film enthusiasts and Beatty's many fans.-Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA Copyright 2009 Media Source Inc. Copyright 2009 Media Source Inc. ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

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