Edward Sorel

Edward Sorel’s illustrated biography of Mary Astor is clearly a work from the heart; the 87 year old (now soon to be 91) graphic artist filled these pages with his love for the actress, 50 original illustrations, and ruminations of the past. It’s as if you were sitting on the porch with the guy, listening to him weave the story based on a solid amount of research, and with anecdotes and tangents about his personal life thrown in. I think in general it’s a mistake for authors to slip their own stories into biographies of others and reflects a fair amount of ego besides, but in this case I gave Sorel a fair amount of latitude. You’ll also have to forgive him for not being politically correct when it comes to women (calling some bitches), as well as some pretty ugly passages where he ‘speaks’ to Astor and berates her for not standing up for herself – I hated this, as it was essentially blaming a victim of domestic abuse.

With all that said, I really enjoyed the work. The story is phenomenal - Astor’s awful parents, her seduction by John Barrymore when she was a teenager, her poor decisions in men, and her torrid affair with George Kaufman, which she made the mistake of recording in her diary is all here. The fact that she was a woman with a regal mien to match her chosen stage name, Astor, and yet had such a passionate side to her is compelling (apparently the sessions with Kaufman were of the all-through-the-night variety), and adds depth to seeing her in old movies. I loved how Sorel provides the larger context of her life both before and after the scandalous child custody trial, and added information from the filming of Beau Brummel, Don Juan, Red Dust, and Dodsworth, among many others. And despite all her flaws, I admire Astor for standing up to a gang of powerful studio execs to prioritize her child over possible damage to her career, at a time when publicity was so sensitive in Hollywood. This is an enjoyable, informative read, and in a format that’s both beautiful and easy to digest. I’d love to see more like it.… (more)