REVIEWS+

Raoul Walsh

The True Adventures of Hollywood's Legendary Director
by Marilyn Ann Moss
Raoul Walsh: The True Adventures of Hollywood's Legendary Director. Univ. Pr. of Kentucky. (Screen Classics). Jun. 2011. c.512p. photogs. filmog. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780813133935. $40. FILM
COPY ISBN
Raoul Walsh, dubbed Hollywood's original iconoclast, was known for directing gritty gangster dramas, Westerns, sea stories, and war films driven by his love of storytelling and adventure. In this first major study of Walsh, Moss (Giant: George Stevens, A Life on Film) describes a colorful man who was present at Hollywood's creation (he played John Wilkes Booth in D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation). Although he had his differences with the Warner Brothers studio bosses, the company's socially conscious themes and fast-working methods particularly suited him. Walsh worked with Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Mae West and helped discover Rock Hudson, but some of the book's most interesting material concerns the seven films Walsh made with Errol Flynn and their brotherly relationship.
VERDICT Although Raoul Walsh is now a half-forgotten name in film history, many of his films are still fondly remembered, and this well-written and -researched biography—which benefits from the author's access to scholars and Walsh's family and friends—should help restore luster to his reputation. It should be popular with serious film students.
Reviewed by Stephen Rees, formerly with Levittown Lib., Bucks Cty., PA , Jun 01, 2011
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?