James Curtis (2) (1951–)
Author of Spencer Tracy: A Biography
For other authors named James Curtis, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Image credit: photo by Kim Geary
Works by James Curtis
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1951-01-15
- Gender
- male
- Relationships
- Geary, Kim (wife)
- Short biography
- [from author's website]
James Curtis spent twenty-five years as a senior executive in the insurance and computer industries before turning to writing. His new biography of Buster Keaton was published in February by Alfred A. Knopf. He is also the author of Last Man Standing: Mort Sahl and the Birth of Modern Comedy; William Cameron Menzies: The Shape of Films to Come; Spencer Tracy: A Biography; W. C. Fields: A Biography (winner of the 2004 Theatre Library Association Award, Special Jury Prize); James Whale: A New World of Gods and Monsters; and Between Flops: A Biography of Preston Sturges. In addition, he has edited three books on film-related subjects, including a biography of actor Walter Huston. Born in Los Angeles, James Curtis and his wife, Kim Geary, are longtime residents of Brea, California. - Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, USA
Brea, California, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- California, USA
Members
Reviews
First sentence: The man in the pork pie hat is unhappy. His head down, arms akimbo, he paces grimly as a documentary crew captures him on film.
Premise/plot: What you see is what you get: James Curtis' delivers a biography of the legendary 'larger than life' film star Buster Keaton. In some ways, there was not a hat Buster Keaton didn't wear. He did all the jobs--quite literally--in the film business. And, of course, he's quite famous FOR his hats. It IS a full biography--mainly. Starting show more with his parents upbringing and subsequent marriage through his death and legacy. There's also a strong focus on his entertaining--his work on stage, on film, behind the cameras, in front of the cameras, etc. Some films get their own chapters, I believe. Though many aspects of his life--his work--is covered, the book is never gossip-y or frivolous. It is a serious book about a legendary, one-of-a-kind comic. It is PACKED with details about his silent films especially. Less so, perhaps, with his later work. But I think overall, this one will DELIVER exactly what readers want most, to learn more about the man whose creative genius gave the world unforgettable, incredible FILMS (and shorts). So if the book perhaps focuses a little more on his 'golden era' if you will, I'll allow it.
My thoughts: Yes, the book is LONG, LONG, LONG. However, it was a joyous journey. I began my deep dive into anything-everything Buster Keaton in January. It was a slow start, perhaps, two to three films a week. Nice, steady pace. By the end of January, I was gloriously in all the way and watching almost exclusively Buster Keaton related movies. In some cases, rewatching again, again, again.
As I read through the book, I'd peek to the next chapter to see which film(s) I'd need to see. I think SEEING the films (features, shorts, whatever) BEFORE reading the chapter(s) made a difference. It made me appreciate the book more, encouraged me to go back and watch the film again, and in general made me a nuisance to anyone within reach. DID YOU KNOW THAT....
I found it a fascinating read. I do wish, however, it had MORE PICTURES and LARGER PICTURES. I wouldn't mind it being a thousand pages long (instead of 800) if it meant MORE pictures of Buster. show less
Premise/plot: What you see is what you get: James Curtis' delivers a biography of the legendary 'larger than life' film star Buster Keaton. In some ways, there was not a hat Buster Keaton didn't wear. He did all the jobs--quite literally--in the film business. And, of course, he's quite famous FOR his hats. It IS a full biography--mainly. Starting show more with his parents upbringing and subsequent marriage through his death and legacy. There's also a strong focus on his entertaining--his work on stage, on film, behind the cameras, in front of the cameras, etc. Some films get their own chapters, I believe. Though many aspects of his life--his work--is covered, the book is never gossip-y or frivolous. It is a serious book about a legendary, one-of-a-kind comic. It is PACKED with details about his silent films especially. Less so, perhaps, with his later work. But I think overall, this one will DELIVER exactly what readers want most, to learn more about the man whose creative genius gave the world unforgettable, incredible FILMS (and shorts). So if the book perhaps focuses a little more on his 'golden era' if you will, I'll allow it.
My thoughts: Yes, the book is LONG, LONG, LONG. However, it was a joyous journey. I began my deep dive into anything-everything Buster Keaton in January. It was a slow start, perhaps, two to three films a week. Nice, steady pace. By the end of January, I was gloriously in all the way and watching almost exclusively Buster Keaton related movies. In some cases, rewatching again, again, again.
As I read through the book, I'd peek to the next chapter to see which film(s) I'd need to see. I think SEEING the films (features, shorts, whatever) BEFORE reading the chapter(s) made a difference. It made me appreciate the book more, encouraged me to go back and watch the film again, and in general made me a nuisance to anyone within reach. DID YOU KNOW THAT....
I found it a fascinating read. I do wish, however, it had MORE PICTURES and LARGER PICTURES. I wouldn't mind it being a thousand pages long (instead of 800) if it meant MORE pictures of Buster. show less
I came to this book with high expectations and have to admit be underwhelmed. For an individual with as much fire and character as Fields, this biography was quite bland. Fields came off more sad than anything. The writing is capable and the author debunked some of the exaggerated tales. It is thorough, if uninspired. Mild recommendation.
I would be curious if anyone has written a sympathetic portrayal of Natalie Talmidge, Keaton’s first wife. She always comes across as cold and vindictive but I can’t tell if
An exhaustive account of the great silent and sound film actor, director producer’s life and career. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is close to 1,000 pages, more if you include the notes. I taught a film class several years ago, and, of course, Keaton was part of my course. That drew me to this biography. However, I probably bit off more than I could chew. Let the record show, though, that I finished it. More for a Keaton scholar than a casual reader merely wanting to learn show more more about the great man, the amount of information about movies, personalities, Hollywood politics and scuttlebutt is mind-boggling. At times the volume of information distracts from the pleasure of reading the book. One important thing I found out having read this book was that Buster Keaton’s late career, his career in the late 1950s and 1960s was not the pathetic pity I thought it was. He was actually busier than he needed to be. The beach movies and even his final role in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum seemed a sad addition to his career, but in all of those films, he was treated as the institution he was, and he was well paid for the roles. My impression of Buster Keaton after finishing this book was greatly enhanced for having read it. One final observation. All of Keaton’s films, the shorts and the feature length films are now on YouTube, so as I read about individual films or even specific scenes, I was able to find them in a matter of seconds on YouTube. It made my appreciation of author James’ description of those films and scenes that much more meaningful. Thank goodness forYouTube. show less
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- Works
- 9
- Members
- 451
- Popularity
- #54,391
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 10
- ISBNs
- 37
- Languages
- 2