Lee Server (1953–2021)

Having read Martin Short's "Crime Inc" many times, I could not for the life of me remember coming across Johnny Rosselli's name in any context. In fact, I picked up the book again to ensure that I hadn't missed it - I hadn't - he's not listed or mentioned.

So who was this shadowy figure? From Server's well-researched and vivid biography, Rosselli is hardly camera shy, being involved in some of the biggest Mob activities from the 1920s to the 1960s. Server does well to tease out the little show more that is known about Rosselli's life, particularly his early life in Boston, which he himself endeavoured to keep secret - changing his name to ensure that it was. He moved in notable crime circles with the likes of Capone, Siegel, Lansky, Luciano, Giancana; produced two Hollywood films; was a mover and shaker in the early Las Vegas casino era of the 1940s & 1950s, where he hob-nobbed with the likes of Hollywood's Rat Pack, aspiring politicians and dodgy union bosses.

Yet nearly everything about Rosselli was cloaked in mystery; that is, until the FBI had him in their crossfire, and his wheeling and dealing was revealed, via a snitch. This investigation by the FBI opened up old wounds and long kept secrets, and eventually involved the CIA. Even in death, another mystery; why was Rosselli killed (or rubbed out) and by who - the Mob, the FBI, the CIA? Theories still abound.

Quite frankly, you can't make this stuff up - even if it does read like fiction. Rosselli lived through some of the most fascinating events and decades in history: the Roaring Twenties, Prohibition, the Great Depression, the Second World War, McCathyism, JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Server research stands him in good stead in bringing to the fore a man who had his finger in many pies - and yet, Rosselli still somehow manages to remains an enigma. If the Mob history is your genre, then add this to the shelves of your library. show less

He was a poet with an ax. Beneath this deity of indifference beat the heart of a lyricist who used the adventures of his early life to become one of the last Golden Age film stars. Masculine. Tough. Sarcastic. Charismatic. The Bard of BadAss.

Mitchum didn't need to do much. The great film critic, James Agee, once aptly described him as, "Bing Crosby...on barbiturates". The languorous big dude had presence, and that's what makes a movie star. Watching the camera close in on Mitch's simmering show more profile in its B&W glory on Pursued, one wishes we had someone on the screen today who could exude the same good/evil battle that defined Mitchum's magnetism.

After hearing Elia Kazan tell Robert DeNiro to think of something different while saying his lines, Mitchum retorted, "Shit, I've been doing that for years".

Lee Server provides a lengthy take on Robert Mitchum's life and screen roles. As someone who had only seen some of his later movies, it was worthwhile to hunt down some of the films to see if Server's enthusiasm was justified. It certainly was. I enjoyed the book and the detailed research. Mitchum's films are now part of my collection, so I would say the book is a success.

They certainly had faces then.

Book Season = Summer (let me tell you the story about right hand/left hand) show less

Robert Mitchum was a fascinating and iconoclastic figure in 50s and 60s Hollywood, but he often gets lost in this bloated biography and is absent for pages at a time while author Server wanders off to discuss American politics, styles of the day, and miscellaneous bit players in the actor’s life.

The scope narrows down considerably about midway through the book, as Mitchum gets out from under the onerous contract with Howard Hughes’ RKO Pictures and moves away from B-movie parts into the show more varied and notable mid-career films for which he is best known today. Unfortunately, things begin to drag again in the final chapters of the book as Mitchum’s drawing power begins to fade and the hard-living years take their toll on his health.

Overall, it’s a fascinating look at a powerful actor who too often took (or was forced into) crap parts, an articulate and intelligent man who could also be incredibly crude, an alcoholic drug abuser who was either – depending on which co-workers you asked – a thoughtful and supportive performer or a raging, set-destroying maniac, and a philandering skirt-chaser who nonetheless stayed married to his one and only wife until his death. One simply wishes Server had left many of the 500+ pages on the cutting-room floor. show less

This book celebrates the pulp paperbacks of the 1940s and 50s, mostly the art of the covers, which is totally an art form itself. A good starter book on this subject. Lots of photos of covers and it covers all genres, mysteries, romance, jouvenile delinquents, etc. Fun and a fast read.