Star

Forget his childhood, education, and the fact that he's Shirley MacLaine's half-brother. This biography concentrates on Beatty's films (he's an actor, director, and producer), womanizing (with Madonna, Diane Keaton, Julie Christie, to name just a few), and politics (he once toyed with the idea of running for president). You might call it an extended gossip column, and David Drummond narrates it just that way. It's lively, well paced, and clear. Conversations are animated; quotations are set apart. The author brings out Beatty's faults--obsessive-compulsiveness, lack of follow-through--as well as his intelligence and loyalty to friends. This neutral stance is reflected in Drummond's tone. Those under 40 may not remember the star of hits like BONNIE AND CLYDE and flops such as ISHTAR, but those with stamina and curiosity will enjoy this. J.B.G. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Starred review from November 23, 2009
In his refreshing biography, Biskind (Easy Riders, Raging Bulls
) examines Beatty's dual—and often dueling—status as Hollywood legend and notorious womanizer without letting either subsume the other. Beatty's film career began with a starring role in director Elia Kazan's Splendor in the Grass
opposite Natalie Wood, the first of his co-stars with whom he had relationships (the list includes Leslie Caron, Julie Christie, Diane Keaton, and Annette Bening, whom he married). As producer and star of 1967's Bonnie and Clyde
, Beatty inhabited the brief and violent life of the titular bank robber in a film Pauline Kael called “the most exciting American movie since The Manchurian Candidate
.” From 1971's McCabe & Mrs. Miller
, now considered one of the finest westerns of all time, to his Oscar-winning turn as director in 1981's Reds
(which he both produced and starred in), Beatty had a hand in some of New Hollywood's most important films. But Biskind does not gloss over the fact that Beatty has not had a box office hit since 1990's Dick Tracy
, nor does he ignore the string of flops that have deflated the actor's career (Ishtar
, Bugsy
, Love Affair
, etc.). Yet his respect for Beatty never dwindles, and readers are left with a complicated portrait of a complicated man, arguably a great actor of his generation.