Gregory Peck: A Charmed Life

By Lynn Haney

Book Overview

His first screen test was a disaster, his features were large and irregular and his left ear outsized the right, yet he would one day be headlined as the Most Handsome Man in the World. And most of his leading ladies--among them, Ingrid Bergman in Spellbound, Jennifer Jones in Duel in the Sun, Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, Sophia Loren in Arabesque, Ava Gardner in On the Beach--would not disagree. Nor would Greta Konen, the vivacious hairdresser who in 1942 married a shy, insecure New York stage actor named Gregory Peck. Irreverent, candid, and refreshingly honest, Lynn Haney's carefully researched biography not only charts the remarkable career of the star who took the Oscar for his memorable performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, but also plumbs Peck's frequently troubling complexity in his off-screen roles as husband, father, lover, son. For along with Peck's engaging charm and easy generosity came an ingrained stubbornness, explosive temper, and often-melancholy turn of mind. And with his triumphs came heartbreak, personal tragedy, failure, and doubt. This is a story cast with movie moguls, directors, and nearly every major luminary in Hollywood and, starring for the first time in toto, Gregory Peck.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786714735
• ISBN13: 9780786714735
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Gregory Peck biography

Very well written, well-documented information Bit dry with a lot of chronological information Dispels a few myths about his 'charmed' life in La Jolla Shows him to be a very decent hardworking actor and person with principles Would recommend, but would be best for a true fan of his

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GREGORY PECK AND THEN SOME

This was simply one of the best books I have ever read [and I have read a lot!] Not only does the author let you into Peck's life from the beginning until the end, but also adds a lot of "Hollywood scoops" that keeps you on your toes wondering what will surprise you next. There is none of the blatant " I did this, I did that" that I found while reading Ginger Rogers' autobiography. Gregory Peck was and is a Hollywood icon. To me he will always be "Atticus Finch:" a man who represents the good that is deep inside all of us. This book is a treasure!

Expertly written bio

An extremely well writen bio of Gregory Peck. The author provies both complimentary and critical analysis of the man which I find absolute in a bio. The photos are well placed. This is a good book.