Peter Ustinov: The Gift of Laughter

by John Miller

Book Overview

Actor, playwright, director, novelist, wit, and raconteur, Peter Ustinov is a show business polymath. He wrote his first play before he was 20, and has since had more than a dozen produced, three of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0297646605
• ISBN13: 9780297646600
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Orion Publishing
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Kirkus Reviews is way off!

"Another conscientious text that plods through its subject's life yet misses the insights that really inform ... Despite many appreciative testimonies and anecdotes from colleagues, Ustinov remains elusive under his many hats. More a résumé than a life. For diehard fans only." Sorry, Kirkus, but I would love to read anyone's résumé if they all read like this one. It's amazing! True, as an authorized biography, it doesn't go into gossip. But Ustinov's intensely anti-autocratic mind is impossible to hide, anyways, so you hardly come away without knowing his thoughts on life. The book is incredibly funny and full of gorgeous language. Entire worlds like the theatre and the military form in your head. The world of Ustinov's family and lineage, of cavalier aristocratic fathers and disappointed sons, can be very moving. As for Ustinov, he was deeply anti-cruelty, which is more controversial than you think. He wrote political satires and white-hot letters. He came to expect rejection from heads of state and entire countries ... and was sometimes deeply surprised by them. There are loads of unexpected anecdotes here, such as how Ustinov unwittingly changed Admiral Nimitz's mind about writing his autobiography. (Impressive stuff, but more importantly, Nimitz himself is quoted here. There is a moment where you sense just how saddened by war the man possibly was.) It seems everyone has a chance at speaking in this book. Interestingly, that was precisely the criticism that was given of Ustinov's plays. They were long. Verbose. Brilliant but shapeless. They were actor's vehicles. And never a vehicle for just one actor at a time, either. Ustinov, not a fan at all of the heavy touch from the director, tended to refuse calls for cuts, or when he did cut, the plays simply grew long again as the actors had fun with their improvisations. Ustinov was beloved by the actors in his plays. But reading the review excerpts, you see how critics gave him his chances, but ended up frustrated. The fact that Ustinov's own meetings with actors (especially famous ones) are depicted as utterly outrageous and hilarious, is a reminder that Ustinov is telling the stories here to the book's author. Still, outrageous is outrageous and hilarious is hilarious. Charles Laughton, Laurence Olivier, Hermione Gingold (making improper use of a sink), John Gielgud, Edith Evans ... And there are fond recollections from Terence Stamp and others. Anegla Lansbury, who was only a kid when she met Ustinov. Ustinov was dating her sister, and Angela loved the way he used to leap into spouting nonsense languages. It may not seem very Lansburyish, but when Ustinov encouraged her to join the improvisations, she did heartily! Hardly the typical "As an actor, I was so grateful" story. Everyone is just a bit livelier in this book, it seems. They're more interesting. Possibly due to Ustinov's reminiscing, but the author writes more than well enough on his own. It's a tremendous world that this man, Ust

A wonderful man! A wonderful life!

A wonderful actor I always admired, but had not really seem much of his work. BUT he's not just a talented actor, but a writer, director, public speaker... oh the list goes on... and he does it all so well!Ever since I was young and with a group of other children got to hear his great reading of "Peter and the wolf,"(we sat there on cushons at his feet, great experience!) I've always had a spot in my heart for this jolly and warm human being.My only regret is not seeing or reading more of his work, but I will rush out and try to find as much of his work as possible!!I never realized how prolific he is, this book was an excellent insight into his life.