Who the Hell's in It

July 19, 2004
While Who the Devil Made It
allowed Bogdanovich to chat with Hollywood's great directors, this work finds him hobnobbing with some of the screen's legendary actors. He arranges the profiles according to when he met the subjects. Bogdanovich began as an actor, studying under Stella Adler, but met many of his subjects as a journalist for Esquire
and other publications in the 1960s. Some of those encounters resulted in lifelong friendships with stars like Cary Grant and Jerry Lewis, but once Bogdanovich began writing and directing his own movies (like the Oscar-nominated The Last Picture Show
), several relationships became professional, too, which leads to tales of working with legends like Boris Karloff and Audrey Hepburn at the end of their careers, as well as a heartbreakingly poignant chapter on the making of River Phoenix's last film. There's someone for just about every sort of film buff: from Bogart and Bacall to Sinatra and Martin, from John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart to John Cassavetes and Ben Gazzara. Despite the strong autobiographical context, Bogdanovich never dominates, always giving his stars center stage and ending each chapter with a list of recommended viewing. Those who like classic movies will fall in love with this book and, despite its nearly 600 pages, they'll find themselves wishing for more. 120 photos. Agent, Sherry Arden.