Stefan Kanfer (1938–2018)
Author of Groucho: The Life and Times of Julius Henry Marx
About the Author
Stefan Kanfer, acclaimed biographer of Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx, now gives us the definitive life of Marlon Brando, seamlessly intertwining the man and the work to give us a stunning and illuminating appraisal.
Image credit: Andrew Castle
Works by Stefan Kanfer
Serious Business: The Art and Commerce of Animation in America from Betty Boop to Toy Story (1997) 54 copies
A Summer World: The Attempt to Build a Jewish Eden in the Catskills, from the Days of the Ghetto to the Rise and… (1989) 49 copies
Stardust Lost: The Triumph, Tragedy, and Mishugas of the Yiddish Theater in America (2006) 39 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Kanfer, Stefan
- Birthdate
- 1938
- Date of death
- 2018-06-19
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Place of death
- Sleepy Hollow, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- New York, New York, USA
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA
Kendal-on-Hudson, New York, USA - Education
- New York University
- Occupations
- film critic
magazine writer
editor
biographer
author
comedy writer - Organizations
- Time
City Journal - Awards and honors
- Literary Lion, New York Public Library
Penney-Missouri School of Journalism Prize
Westchester Writers Prize
Members
Reviews
A Journal of the Plague Years by Stefan Kanfer
There's a long list of 'characters' in this one - blacklistees and blacklisters - but Kanfer does a good job of reminding us who's who. One chapter switches to present tense, which is off-putting, and Kanfer sprinkles the text with many metaphors and asides (maybe it's a 1970s thing?), yet it is a good read about an awful time. The performative HUAC hearings and the 'concerned' citizens out to make a buck are strangely reminiscent of the MAGA crowd. Plus ca change.
½
As a biography it's a bit tedious, listings of films and appearances and anecdotes about their making. As a cultural history of the first half of the 20th century it's quite possibly the best book I've read. A nearly perfect encapsulation of the zeitgeist of the times. A real surprise find for me - I didn't expect the nuance and color at all. For history buffs, a must read.
Humphrey Bogart grew up in a progressive family where his parents were successful. They did, however, not lavish him with much attention. Au contraire, Bogart grew up an anti-authorative thespian who played theater before becoming the world-famous movie star and icon that he is known as today.
A libertine and man of his word - while it is argued that he was a serial adulterer - Bogart seems to have stayed true to his friends and work for as long as he lived. Half self destructive, half great at what he did, he believed in being a "man" and having a lot of fun.
The book turns him out as a no-nonsense kind of guy who always went for the truth, except in his most alcoholic moments. It shows his ups and downs, and how he always turned around some really bad situations in his life.
This book is straight-forward. There are no revelations in here, and the contents are put out chronologically in one simple way. There is no personal style to the writing, and towards the end I got the feeling that the author simply wanted to finish it off.
There are a lot of enthralling stories on how Bogie and Hollywood worked in the 1940-1960s, not to mention some comparisons between the man and modern-day actors.… (more)
A libertine and man of his word - while it is argued that he was a serial adulterer - Bogart seems to have stayed true to his friends and work for as long as he lived. Half self destructive, half great at what he did, he believed in being a "man" and having a lot of fun.
The book turns him out as a no-nonsense kind of guy who always went for the truth, except in his most alcoholic moments. It shows his ups and downs, and how he always turned around some really bad situations in his life.
This book is straight-forward. There are no revelations in here, and the contents are put out chronologically in one simple way. There is no personal style to the writing, and towards the end I got the feeling that the author simply wanted to finish it off.
There are a lot of enthralling stories on how Bogie and Hollywood worked in the 1940-1960s, not to mention some comparisons between the man and modern-day actors.… (more)
I must have not been in the right frame of mind for this one. Yawn. I thought it was very boring.
Lists
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 17
- Members
- 1,403
- Popularity
- #18,302
- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 21
- ISBNs
- 82
- Languages
- 6