Amazon.com
One of the most important theater autobiographies of the 1980s, Elia Kazan: A Life, has finally been released in paperback. The extra decade adds to the book's poignancy and its value: a history of backstage personalities and politics in the 20th century is included in this release. Elia Kazan was a founding member of the Group Theatre, was among those shouting "Strike! Strike!" on the legendary opening night of Waiting for Lefty, directed the two greatest Broadway dramas ever--Death of the Salesman and A Streetcar Named Desire--and earned countless other credits, but he also played a flawed role in the greatest real-life moral drama of his era: the McCarthy Communist witch hunts of the 1950s. Kazan offered names to the House Un-American Activities Committee. He cut his conscience to fit the fashion of the time, and his conscience continues to bleed. Though this book is framed, like so much of Kazan's best stage and film work, as a lifelong search for man's proper relationship to society, the book serves as a massive explanation and apologia for Kazan's one monumental lapse. He lived his life intensely, a life in which a single word could transform you, where a misdeed might be "never forgotten or forgiven." Such were the times, and Kazan captures them with appropriate drama. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

A Master tells his own story...
This is the best show-biz biography I have ever read. Poor, Greek immigrant, Kazan fought his way up the entertainment ladder to direct my favorite movie (On The Waterfront) and my favorite play (Death of A Salesman). Along the way to these achievements he was an original member of the Group Theater; he relates his experiences there including an in-depth retelling of his relationship with Lee Strasburg. He met prectically everyone in the business from an aspiring Marylin Monroe, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Arthur Miller and what seems thousands of others in the theater and movie world.His antecdotes are fresh and revealing, even those that may be common knowledge. Of particular note are the chapters devoted to themaking of Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. His work with Brando, who was seldom better than when he worked with Kazan, is discussed. Along with his great movies and plays, Kazan tells his side of the House On Unamerican Affairs controversy that swirled about him until his death. While the book is massive at 864 pages, it is over too soon. It is a rare, literate portrait of the man Kazan, who changed American movies and theater forever-- and for the better.

Possibly the greatest autobiography ever written
One of the most honest, compelling, brilliant, wise, stunning books I've ever read. Kazan's life was awe-inspring, and to have it retold with such lucidness and unflattering candour is a gift for the ages. Not only was he one of the greatest theatre directors and film directors of the 20th Century, he writes like a blessed demon. This was a spellbinding, page-turning read. Immersed in its pages, I learnt so much about life, America, directing, theatre/cinema history, and myself. I also learnt more than I've ever known about how men think! (wish I'd read this years ago)

It's such a pity Kazan's life has become simplistically defined by one act, and his artistry overshadowed - ironic, too, considering he made films with a deep, compassionate, liberal humanity. You can look at his life through through the prism of that one act, or read this for a much richer, fuller, deeper understanding of Kazan - the good, the bad, the ugly. And the genius.

This book made me want to live my life more fully, view myself less vainly, and create my work more honestly. Can't ask for more than that.

Perhaps the best of all 'Show-Business Autobiographies'
I was truly surprised by this book when I read it some years ago. I was surprised by how engrossing and powerful it was , all the way through. This man lived a tremendously interesting life, rich in great creative challenges and triumphs, rich in meetings and experience with remarkable people, rich in sexual adventures and complex human relationships. The story of how the child of Greek immigrants came to become the director of two of the classics of the American Theatre "Death of a Salesman" and a 'Streetcar Named Desire" and of two of the great American movies, "On the Waterfront" and " East of Eden"is told with remarkable frankness and perceptiveness.
Kazan does not come across in this work as a saint, but rather as a truly strong person who took what he wanted from life, even if this meant hurting others. His personal and inner torments however too make up an interesting part of this story.
One more point. His writing follows the rule of Henry James and is always interesting. This is a work whose richness in anecdote and event are so great that it fits into the 'couldn't put it down' category.

Yesterday/Today: Right Wing Uses Same Tactics
With a former Supreme Court Justice warning the USA today (March 10, 2006) about starting down the road toward a dictatorship, it seemes fitting to re-visit the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in the 1950s when the right-wing was trying to scare our citizens into giving the government supreme power, just as neocons are trying now.

Elia Kazan defends his decision to name names during the Hollywood Hearings of the 1950s, saying that his ideas toward the Communist Party had changed and he thought the higher ups (maybe from Russia) were dictating policies to the American communists in the movie business.

Maybe so, but he also admits the Hearings already had all the communists' names and admits they were only showing their power to control people here in Hollywood,using intimidation to instigate the blacklist. In real life, the USA government was the bully, not the old, tired communists of the 1930s.

If so, then why did he ever think the movie he directed, "On The Waterfront," was a good analogy for what he faced? The USA government caused the black list and precipated suicides and family break-ups in their Hollywood investigation.

It was the mob who caused the deaths and intimidation in "On The Waterfront." Is Kazan saying that Congress behaved like the mob? Or that the mob behaved like Congress?

Granted, Kazan was a great director, brilliant at times. But to him the bottom line was the bottom line, and to keep his position as an all-star director, he had to name names. While he tries to seem noble, the reader can see his 'reel' motivation was money and his career. So what if he named names! He was working.

Today, we see the right wing using similar tactics in the Bush administration: questioning people's patriotism, using smears and mud-slinging against opponents, trying to get people fired if they disagree with neocon policies, keeping a blacklist of university professors who oppose them, and most recently, equating the AARP group of loving gays instead of our troops.

After reading Kazan's book, I did gain a firm insight into right-wing politics, and these politicians use juxtaposition of images to label their opponents. Right-wingers still don't care if they distort the record. To them, winning is everything.

Say what you will about his politics, this book is great!
First, let me state I have often judged other people by their past actions. Was Kazan wrong for providing names of alleged Communist Party members? I can't answer this, and you shouldn't answer it, not until you read this book! Yes, Kazan named names. Yes, he did ruin the careers of certain artists. Please, don't judge until you have read his story! This is an honest, masterful show business autobiography! Kazan was a fearless, authentic, visionary director. He admits to adultery, poor parenting skills, and using people for his own good. Alfred Hitchcock allegedly tortured Tippi Hendren during the filming of the THE BIRDS by having the little critters thrown at her face in repeated attempts. Why? To foster the character's psychological terror. Would you want that man house-sitting for you while you are on vacation? Hell no......Can Kazan be rewarded for his art, yetescape judgement for his past behavior? You decide, but read his story first! Kazan's films never shirked from dealing with pressing social issues, yet the movies are visual poetry. Hey, you try to make a movie about corruption on the Brooklyn docks! Oh, and make it a heart-wrenching allegory, a love story, and a black-and-white masterpiece! One other thing, don't forget that the Mob basically controlled the docks at that time and were not too keen on being protrayed in an unflattering light!!

One of Kazan's gifts was his tremendous empathy. Kazan the author allows us to develop this same empathy. He is a wonderful story teller, relating anecdotes about personalities like Tallulah Bankhead, Tennessee Williams, and Brando.Granted, he worked with a pantheon of American writers, like Tennessee Williams and John Steinbeck. Granted, with source material like A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and EAST OF EDEN, and actors like Jessica Tandy, Marlon Brando, and Julie Harris, he clearly had an edge over other industry directors.

Again, before you judge his character, read his book, sit down and watch his complete output of films, and draw your own conclusions. Don't let Nick Nolte or Ed Harris, both of whom refused to applaud or stand when Kazan was given his lifetime Academy Award, decide the issue for you. This book should be a must-read for young people considering a career in film or theatre. ... Read more

Amazon.com
The presentation of a lifetime achievement award to Elia Kazan at the 1999 Oscar ceremony was one of the most controversial events in American movie history. Kazan's theatrical résumé includes the original productions of The Skin of Our Teeth, Death of a Salesman, and four of Tennessee Williams's best dramas. For the screen, he created Pinky, A Streetcar Named Desire, East of Eden, Baby Doll, A Face in the Crowd, On the Waterfront, Wild River, and America, America. But during the red scare, the master director named names before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, ruining the careers of several of his contemporaries.

How could the man behind such thoughtful and sensitive masterpieces betray his friends? What is the relationship between an artist's personal life and his public vision? While Kazan spoke to these questions in his stunning, epic autobiography, Elia Kazan: A Life, this interview-based book offers new insight by focusing the conversation on the director's professional life. As Kazan responds to Jeff Young's probing queries, we vividly experience his uncompromising independence, determination, and strength of will.

Regarding the success of his most legendary film, Kazan says:

When I started On the Waterfront, I was what they call unbankable. Nobody would put up money for me because I had had a series of box office failures.... I had a hell of a time raising money, but I respond very well to difficulty. If somebody makes trouble for me, I come flailing out in every direction. One of my happiest moments was when I got the Academy Award for On the Waterfront.... It was especially rewarding because we had made something out of nothing.... All of a sudden no one cared what my politics were, that I was controversial, or difficult or that people were slamming me all the time. After On the Waterfront, I could do anything I wanted. That's Hollywood.

This volume provides readers with an exquisite opportunity to examine the mind and work of a major artist--including details about Kazan's collaborations with Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, John Steinbeck, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, and many others--as well as the chance to experience the creation of some of the century's most indelible works of art. --Raphael Shargel Book Description
First time in paperback--Selected by the Los Angeles Times as one of the Best Books of 1999, these never-before-published interviews conducted in the early 1970s prove to be "an invaluable addition to film scholarship, [which] allows aspiring filmmakers to study the working methods and wisdom of one of our greatest artists." --Martin Scorsese. Illustrated with 72 photos and 19 original movie posters, this fascinating book conveys the essence of Young's hundreds of hours of interviews with Kazan, featuring a summary of each film plot and a discussion of 18 of the director's films in his own words, concluding with Young's commentary on Kazan's final film, The Last Tycoon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A must-read
This is quite simply fascinating... It should be required reading for anyone interested in Kazan's work... Jeff Young has done us all a great service in providing this unique examination of the art of one of the greatest directors of all time.

Good insight into Kazan's films.
Elia Kazan was one of the most important film directors of the late forties to early fifties.Besides blazing a trail as one of Broadway's top theatre directors, Kazan also established himself as a top Hollywood director.His films helped blaze new ground covering social themes like anti-semitism (Gentleman's Agreement), racism (Pinky), corrupt unions (On the Waterfront), and the abuse of television (A Face in the Crowd).Films like "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Baby Doll" challenged the censorship of the day with their depiction of raw sexuality.

Kazan also pioneered the use of cinematic realism with his location shooting and the realistic performances of his cast through the use of "method" acting.Kazan would be responsible for launching the careers of Marlon Brando and James Dean.

However all these achievements have been overshadowed by Kazan's appearance before the House Un-American Activitees Committee in 1952.Unlike many other moviemakers and actors, Kazan cooperated with HUAC and named names.One of the most high profile entertainment figures to turn informer, Kazan helped to consolidate the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s.This has made Kazan arguably one of the most hated and controversial figures of the McCarthy era.As a result many people are uncertain of where to stand on Kazan.

In this book, reporter Jeff Young interviews Kazan extensively about each of his films.It's very interesting to hear a little about what it was like working with his actors and how he would coax great performances from them.Kazan was a very good actor's director in large part, I think, because he was good at empathizing with them and making them feel comfortable.Instead of telling them what to do as most directors would, he told them what to think and what to feel.It was touching hearing how when the neurotic James Dean came onto the "East of Eden" set, Kazan moved in to a trailer across from him to keep an eye on him.

It was also quite interesting hearing how Kazan got some of the ideas for his films.For instance, I didn't realize until I read it that much of the ideas for "On the Waterfront" were based on real cases and that the Terry Malloy character was based on a real person who worked on the docks.Nor did I realize that "East of Eden" was a semi-autobiographical film."Wild River" (alas, to date never released on video), stemmed from some of Kazan's documentary work during the Depression, and "America, America" stemmed from the experiences of Kazan's Greek uncle's journey to the America.

People looking for insight into Kazan's decision to name names may be disapointed.This is not really an in depth discussion of those events, but a loving look at Kazan's films.However, in case you think that Jeff Young has fallen too in love with Kazan, there is a probing question that Young asks Kazan near the end of the book.Kazan has always claimed that he named names because he thought that Communism was a threat to America, not because he was interested in personal gain.However, Kazan doesn't seem to have been prepared for the specific question that Young has to ask him.Kazan's emotional response is quite revealing and manages to take some of the gloss off the way he portrays himself.

For anyone interested in Kazan, this is a good place to start.

For all students and fans of Elia Kazan films
Illustrated with 72 photographs and 19 original movie posters, Kazan: The Master Director And His Films is based on hundreds of hours of interview during the 1970s with master film maker Elia Kazan by Jeff Young who also drew upon his considerable experience and expertise as a writer, producer, and director, and former studio head for three major film companies. This impressive professional biography and analysis features a summary of each of Kazan's film plots and a discussion of 18 of the director's films in his own words. Of special interest is Jeff Young's commentary on Kazan's final film "The Last Tycoon". Kazan: The Master Director And His Films is well commended and highly recommended reading for all students and fans of Elia Kazan films.

Kazan's sharp and sometimes irreverent take on his career
If you've read this far you may already know about Kazan's career as a filmmaker and Broadway director.But he is probably best known for his actions before the House Un-American Activities committee in the 1950s.Kazan named names.This had made him an enigma to the dominant Hollywood culture.Today, he is recognized as an important filmmaker in the history of movies, but his political views have made his life somewhat bumpy in his chosen profession.

Kazan proves to be erudite and witty and humorous and surprising.He openly hates some of his own movies, though reviewers consider them classics.He does love his version of a STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, which he also directed on Broadway.He speaks with some regret that he didn't also direct the movie version of DEATH OF A SALESMAN (another Broadway play he debuted).

That is just a small bit, but I would recommend the book to anyone interested in the politics of communism in the 1950s and its aftermath, or any film fan that likes to dissect film directors and their work.I am interested in both subjects and found Kazan illuminating on both.

How he did it
(and did not). This is unfortunately not a good book about Kazan's career as a filmmaker, not even about his films. It contains no real biographical material on his life (10 paltry pages: "he is born where, his fatherwas, studied here", do not justice to the life of a first classdirector). The reason is that Kazan was writing his own biography (some 800pages) and Jeff Young was not supposed to infringe on the master'sterritory. But the films suffer as well. We have no idea, while readingthis book, on what was "East of Eden" at the time it came out, weonly hear Kazan's voice and Young's persistent questions, most of them tootechnical to interest even a concerned reader. No general view on thesubject, no cutaways (interviews or whatever) on people who have workedwith Kazan, not a word from Brando, nor any writer or producer connectedwith his work, nor even the critics of that time. There are only theobsessive questions Young asks Kazan, going through every single scene ofsome of his films ("On the Waterfront" has some 80 pages of"why did you do this" and "how did you do that")because the interviewer (a would be director) hoped he could learn hiscraft from the Master. He was met with the sternest objections (Kazanrepeatedly proclaimed "there are no rules") to no avail. The onlyway to publish a book like that would have been to accompany the printededition with a CD containing the scenes to which the text refers. As suchindeed it would have been "an invaluable addition to filmscholarship" as Martin Scorsese is supposed to have said. Without afull library of Kazan's films, this book remains incomplete, but (forscholars) it is still a dignified contribution to the knowledge andremembrance of Elia Kazan's work. PS: By the way: Why does no studiorelease "Baby Doll" in video? This is one of his best films, andapparently the one Kazan preferred. ... Read more

Book Description

From the late forties through the sixties, Elia Kazan was the most important and influential director in America, and the only one who managed simultaneously to dominate both theater and film. In that role he manifestly shaped the conception and writing, as well as the presentation, of many of the period's iconic works, reshaping the values of the stage and bringing a new realism and intensity of performance to the screen. His various achievements include the original Broadway productions of The Skin of Our Teeth, All My Sons, and Death of a Salesman and such Hollywood films as Gentleman's Agreement, Brando's Streetcar, and Splendor in the Grass.

A non–traditional biography, this book combines social and political history with a sharp critical evaluation of Kazan's work. Schickel presents Kazan as a figure of his culture and time, much in the same way that David Remnick treated Muhammed Ali and the larger picture of American history in King of the World. History's view of Kazan is now colored by a single political act –– his naming names in testimony before the House Un–American Activities Committee. By putting the actions, work, and words of this towering figure in context, Schickel not only defends his hero and his hero's work; he also helps the reader move beyond Kazan's most infamous moment to appreciate the larger American story in which he played such a pivotal role. The result is an intelligent and lively biography and social history.

Customer Reviews (11)

An excellent biography of an excellent director: Elia Kaaan
Elia Kazan was born in Istanbul, Turkey to Greek parents. Immigrating to America at the age of 4 he was the son of a middle class rug merchant. After taking a degree at Williams College he studied drama at Yale. Kazan became a member of the radical leftist theatre groups in New York in the 1920s and the 1930s. Kazan was instrumental in organizing the Actors
Studio. He directed many hit shows on Broadway but enjoyed working in the movies more than theatre work.
Kazan had the ability to team up with greats like Arthur Miller (Death of A Salesman, All My Sons, After the Fall-on stage and in the movies) and Tennessee Williams in such film classics as "Streetcar Named Desire." His work with William Inge is also impressive most notably in "Spledor in the Grass." with Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty.
Kazan's greatest discovery was the enigmatic and volatile Marlon Brando who changed film forever following his stellar performances in Streetcar and On the Waterfront. Kazan won two best director Oscars for Gentleman's
Agreement dealing with Anti-Semitism and Watefront. He received several other nominatins and is without question a great American director of midcentury angst, anger and a quest to discover the American dream. His film work displays gritty realism with outstanding acting being notable.
Among his stars were Brando, Beatty, Wood, Malden; Kim Hunter, Vivien Leigh and many others.
Kazan received a controversial Oscar in 1999 for life achievement. He had been a friendly witness to the HUAC committee in the 1950s investigating Communism in the film industry. Kazan had briefly been a member of the Communist party in his radical New York days. Due to his testimony he has been hated, reviled and called a Benedict Arnold by many in the Hollywood Community.
Schickel does a good job in separating fact from fiction in Kazan's testimony to Congress. Kazan later apologized for his actions in his autobiography but some have never forgiven him. Kazan also wrote a few middling novels which have not stood the test of time.
Kazan was married three times. He was a philanderer and serial adulterer. He could be cold and agggresive in his career. I don't think he was a very nice man but admit he was a great film director.
The book has virtually nothing to say about his childhood focusing on his career and radical politics.
Richard Schickel is a distinguished film scholar who is Time magazine's
critic. His book is worth reading for anyone interested in American film;
the McCarthy era or the life of the fascinatingly complex Elia Kazan

Detailed Critic's Analysis
I've been fascinated by Kazan since the Ed Harris/Nick Nolte boycott of his 1999 Oscar.Why, 50 years later, would people still hold a grudge for naming names?Is it politics, animosity or stupidity?

But first, this book gives a complete chronological analysis of his career.From his low level involvement with "The Group", a self-contained theater group with strong communist influences, to his first movie directorial debut.Kazan started as an undistinguished worker and grew to an "actor's director".This is overlaid with his involvement as a Communist and early disenchantment.Later, he is called before the committee after his great success and names former stage communists with whom he worked.The initial negative input dies down and he goes on to some of his best work including the classic, "On the Waterfront".

This book will have great appeal for movie and stage historians as it really is it is an in-depth analysis.But the main appeal to me was understanding the hysteria of the Red scare and why 50 years later it would elicit such a negative response.This book demonstrates the artists coming out of the depression influence when faith in capitalism weakened.The growth of fascism heightened the "sales pitch" to this new theory of a great life for all, communism.But, as was later proven, communism had weaknesses also causing many Americans to experiment with a form of government that was cruel and a rival of America.

It's impossible to determine how difficult it was for Kazan to name names.While he lost some friends, his career continued very successfully for some time before it faltered as it does for most in show business after a good run.But 50 years later an honor becomes a media event as modern day left-leaning actors chose to make this an issue.Interestingly, some actors such as Robert Di Nero, Martin Scorcese and Warren Beatty supported and honored Kazan.They had worked with him early in their career.I don't fault Nolte/Harris.In the prism of today's world, it's easy to ostracize a snitch.But the issue is much more complex than that.Our world was in turmoil.Decisions were made.Lives were changed on both sides. Kazan became an opponent of Communism but chose to focus on his career.Not naming names of known communists would have probably ruined his career.

In summary, this is an exhaustive critical study of his work. Frankly, the study is so exhaustive that that is the weakness.This book will be most appealing to true movie and stage history buffs.Also, those with a curiosity into the Red Scare and 1950s American history such as me will receive great information.Other than that, be forewarned this is a long time consuming educational book.

The Richard Schickel Story
Schickel adds nothing to the telling of Elia Kazan's story that wasn't already written up better by Kazan himself in his huge memoir A LIFE, except for constant interjections of Schickel's own opinions on everything under the sun.He (Schickel) thought that Juliette Binoche was great in THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING.he (Schickel) disapproved of the Oscars handed out to Roberto Benigni.Who on earth cares about these irrelevant opinions?Schickel is in love with the sound of his own voice, and somewhere in the shredded cole slaw of his prose, a decent books lies unavailable to us, about the real Elia Kazan.

Provocative?Yes, crazily so.The movies of Kazan you think are great, Schickel finds overrated, and the "little" pictures you always forget, are Schickel's masterpieces--A FACE IN THE CROWD, for example.He compares it to Alexander Mackendrick's THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS in favorable terms, telling us that SWEET SMELL had a script "half-written by Clifford Odets."What do you think that means, "half-written"?He makes it sound worse than it is, but that's his TIME magazine-speak coming to the fore.Richard Schickel can't write a sentence that doesn't sound like a picture caption.

And sure, he can make Elia Kazan sound like a hero for naming names to HUAC in January 1952, but that's just special pleading."The scapegoats were all eventually welcomed back, often enough as heroes, while the committee's informers are the ones now scapegoated by polite, liberal-minded society."That's a cynical way of thinking about it, but why does Schickel say "often enough" instead of just plain "often" in the sentence above?Is it just plain hasty writing, or could he be even meaner spirited than he seems at first glance?

And why so nasty about Barbara Loden, Kazan's second wife?My God, you'd think she had started World War II he's so unrelenting against her.

The whole book is about Richard Schickel and how he wrote Kazan's acceptance speech and assembled the clip show when the Academy gave him the special award.It's about how Schickel felt when the ceremony turned into an embarrasing dud.It's about how Schickel knew Raymond Massey pretty well and often heard him rage against James Dean.How old is Schickel anyway.He looks pretty good in the jacket photo, only the nose and the combover would betray he's got to be about ten zillion years old.

A Defining Moment, a Black Cloud and a Legacy Obscured
It is amazing how one decision can discolor the image of a man who should be otherwise revered for his pioneering and enduring role in American theater and film during the middle of the 20th century. Time Magazine film critic Richard Schickel, a notable film historian in his own right, gives an insightful, unblemished account of Elia Kazan's career, which gives the man his professional due and also provides much-needed context for Kazan's perceived act of betrayal. The deep shadow that hangs over his legacy is related to just one's day testimony before the communist-hunting House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952. At the US Senate hearing, Kazan identified 16 names and two others more directly connected to the Communist party. Not only did he disclose their identities, but taking a defensive posture, he also took out an ad in the New York Times defending what he did. From that point forward, Kazan became known infamously as an informer. Moreover, his most enduring classic, "On the Waterfront", specifically Terry's decision to become a government informant, came to be viewed by some critics as a veiled defense of his naming names.

Stepping back though, Schickel recognizes Kazan for the major creative force he was, well worthy of the praise heaped upon him during his lifetime. The journalist delves into how Kazan helped mold promising young actors like Marlon Brando and James Dean into legends and establish the careers of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, all doing their best work under his aegis. Kazan's best work is a slate of unsurpassable movies and plays - the stage versions of Miller's "All My Sons" and "Death of a Salesman", the stage and film versions of Williams's "A Streetcar Named Desire" and transcendent films that were either socially conscious (anti-Semitism in "Gentleman's Agreement", racism in "Pinky", labor unions in "On the Waterfront") or expansions of literary works (Steinbeck's "East of Eden", William Inge's "Splendor in the Grass"). He was able to elicit memorable performances from diverse performers ranging from Tallulah Bankhead (Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth") to Andy Griffith ("A Face in the Crowd") to Natalie Wood ("Splendor in the Grass"). This is where Schickel writes lucidly about Kazan's emphasis on the essential rightness of his aesthetic, which seamlessly led characters' psychological events into personal behavior.

Yet, for all his accomplishments, Kazan is defined most by what he said that day and destroying the careers of those he named, including actor John Garfield who died of a heart attack the year after the testimony. Within personal and historical context, Schickel makes Kazan's thinking seem reasonable given his subject's brief membership in the Communist Party during his youth when Kazan worked with a radical theater troupe in the 1930s. As a committed liberal, Kazan felt betrayed by the atrocities of Stalin and his followers' ideological rigidity. With his liberal beliefs fortified by such memories, he cooperated with the HUAC's anti-Communist efforts in order to thwart Communists leading a liberal-biased agenda in Hollywood. Kazan stood by his decision even though it destroyed friendships with colleagues like Miller and Lillian Hellman. He regretted the decision later, but much of Hollywood remained unforgiving as symbolized by the 1999 Academy Awards ceremony where at least one-quarter of the star-studded audience refused to applaud Kazan's lifetime achievement Oscar. It was a sad sight but one that according to Schickel's thorough analysis, marks accurately the public and private halves of the man.

I've got something better for you to read....
I apologize to Mr. Schickel. I didn't read his book. Perhaps it's very good but that's for others to decide. I am however familiar with Elia Kazan's AUTOBIOGRAPHY having read the first 200 pages of this massive work (I am in the process of reading it), written in 1988. It's a masterpiece, as good as any piece of fiction or non-fiction you're likely to come across. I mean 'any'. Kazan does as good a job as anyone at being honestly self-reflective, and his writing style is crisp, clear, fresh and insightful. Powerful. Surprising. You can learn alot about human nature and desire from this book. Its emotions and insights into character ring true...some of it is disturbing, some sad, much of it funny... often riveting. Read it. You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Needs editing
The other reviewers are quite complimentary, but I thought that the book rambled.The message was clear after the first two hundred pages or so.It is an important message, but was all the information about his father central to the point that we all make accommodations to survive? Also, is it realistic to assume that the narrator has become liberated at the end or is he simply bound to create and accrue other arrangements?

The book seemed like a 250 page book extended to 500 pages.Interesting references to the narrator's Communist activities. They seemed like gratuitous inclusions until I was told about the author's past with the McCarthy hearings.

A fabulous book about love, life, and being true to oneself
This very powerful book had themes reminiscent of many others. In a way it reminded me of The Catcher in the Rye, On the Road, and Narcissus and Goldmund, in that is was a man's search for his place in the world. In this book, however, the main character, Evangelos Arness, is looking for liberation and being true to himself. At the beginning of the book, he is a a financially successful ad man who has a 'respectable' and 'comfortable' life, but he realizes, somewhere between women and unconcious suicide attempts, that he is nothing that he set out to be. So, he sets out on a journey to burn down what he had become and rebuild what he wanted to be. His trip to liberation is dark, often humorous, and sometimes sad, taking him through his past, his family, and insanity. This is the kind of book, much like the ones I named above, that becomes a part of you.

you indentify easely with the protagonist
The main character in this book is in the middle of a " middle-life crisis ", he struggles between what he has, and what he has dreamed of. The characters are so real and you identify yourself easely with themain character. I am reading this book now, ... I have read it before withthe same passion and books like this one make you think and you can't stopreading it. Sometimes the whole night !read it send your comments togabs_goldberg@hotmail.com

you indentify easely with the protagonist
The main character in this book is in the middle of a " middle-life crisis ", he struggles between what he has, and what he has dreamed of. The characters are so real and you identify yourself easely with themain character. I am reading this book now, ... I have read it before withthe same passion and books like this one make you think and you can't stopreading it. Sometimes the whole night !read it send your comments togabs_goldberg@hotmail.com

the best novel I have ever read and I read a lot!
kazan's personal experience is related to the reader in a very funny novel form.Many insights into the absurd arrangements we humans make with our mates.highly recommended because of content and funny dialogue! ... Read more

Book Description
This is a book-length study of the collaboration between Tennessee Williams and Elia Kazan. Their intense creative relationship, fuelled by a deep personal affinity that endured until Williams's death, lasted from 1947 until 1960. The production of A Streetcar Named Desire established Williams as America's greatest playwright and Kazan as its most important director; together they created some of the most influential theatrical events of the post-war era. In this book Brenda Murphy analyses this artistic partnership and the plays and theatrical techniques the artists developed collaboratively in their productions of A Streetcar Named Desire, Camino Real, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Sweet Bird of Youth. In addition, Murphy suggests alternative ways to examine the working relationship between playwright and director which can be applied to other practitioners in twentieth-century drama. The book contains numerous illustrations from important productions. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Cineaste, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2006. The length of the article is 2081 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Elia Kazan: A Biography.(Book review)
Author: Dan Georgakas
Publication: Cineaste (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 31Issue: 2Page: 73(2)

Article Type: Book review

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Queen's Quarterly, published by Queen's Quarterly on December 22, 2003. The length of the article is 690 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Elia Kazan (1909-2003).(Obituary)
Author: Maurice Yacowar
Publication: Queen's Quarterly (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 2003
Publisher: Queen's Quarterly
Volume: 110Issue: 4Page: 535(6)

Article Type: Obituary

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Book Description
This is a book-length study of the collaboration between Tennessee Williams and Elia Kazan. Their intense creative relationship, fuelled by a deep personal affinity that endured until Williams's death, lasted from 1947 until 1960. The production of A Streetcar Named Desire established Williams as America's greatest playwright and Kazan as its most important director; together they created some of the most influential theatrical events of the post-war era. In this book Brenda Murphy analyses this artistic partnership and the plays and theatrical techniques the artists developed collaboratively in their productions of A Streetcar Named Desire, Camino Real, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Sweet Bird of Youth. In addition, Murphy suggests alternative ways to examine the working relationship between playwright and director which can be applied to other practitioners in twentieth-century drama. The book contains numerous illustrations from important productions. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Cineaste, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2006. The length of the article is 6280 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Love hurts: performance in Elia Kazan's Splendor in the Grass.(Acting in the Cinema)
Author: Carole Zucker
Publication: Cineaste (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 31Issue: 4Page: 18(6)

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Book Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Elia Kazan, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 4471 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Mississippi Quarterly, published by Mississippi State University on December 22, 1993. The length of the article is 2413 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Tennessee Williams and Elia Kazan: A Collaboration in the Theatre. (book reviews)
Author: Albert J. Devlin
Publication: The Mississippi Quarterly (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 1993
Publisher: Mississippi State University
Volume: v47Issue: n1Page: p139(11)

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Proceso, published by CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V. on March 7, 1999. The length of the article is 2067 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Viejos izquierdistas afectados por el macartismo integran un Comité Contra el Silencio frente al Oscar especial para Elia Kazan.(TT: Old leftist affected by the witch hunting integrate a committee againstthe silence of the special Oscar for Elia Kazan.)
Author: Pascal Beltrán del Río
Publication: Proceso (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 7, 1999
Publisher: CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V.
Page: 56

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