Lionheart In Hollywood

Library Journal

Wilcoxon (1905-84), an English stage actor imported by Hollywood in the mid-1930s, made an initial splash in Cecil B. DeMille's productions of Cleopatra (as Mark Antony) and The Crusades (as Richard Lionheart). After a desultory period in B-movies Wilcoxon began a second career, again with DeMille, as a producer of such films as The Ten Commandments (1956) and The Buccaneer (1959). This chatty first-person memoir concentrates on Wilcoxon's excruciating but rewarding work with the tyrannical DeMille. Wilcoxon's amanuensis Orrison preserves Wilcoxon's apparently considerable conversational skills, and his tall tales filled with famous names make for enjoyable reading. Although few casual readers will be drawn to this memoir of a relatively minor film celebrity, it has potential appeal for film fans and students of Hollywood's golden age. For large biography and film history collections.-- Anne Sharp, Ypsilanti Dist . Lib., Mich.

Booknews

The autobiography of actor/producer Wilcoxon's (1905-1984) career during his almost 30-year association with Cecil B. DeMille. Beginning in 1933 and culminating with DeMille's death in 1959, Wilcoxon, together with collaborator Orrison, works from diaries, letters, business journals, scrapbooks, tape recordings, and photographs from his personal collection to re-create DeMille, his times,, and his films. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)