Dwayne Epstein

Before Dwayne Epstein's generally fine biography of movie icon Lee Marvin, all that was available was a fairly well-researched but obnoxiously self-impressed and over-written book by Donald Zec. Epstein does a good job of describing Marvin's career and personal demons, though the roots of the latter seem still a bit obscure by book's end. Certainly the horrors of real war and conflicting relations with his parents are enough to explain, in broad strokes, what drove Marvin toward alcoholic self-destruction, but the core of a man's pain is probably bound to be hidden, no matter how thoroughly explored. At any rate, Epstein has done a very workmanlike job of explaining Marvin's appeal and his life, and the personal information gained from letters and interviews from his family are of particular value.… (altro)

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Killin’ Generals: The Making of the Dirty Dozen, the Most Iconic WW II Movie of All Time by Dwayne Epstein takes a look at the World War II film The Dirty Dozen, from writing the book to its big screen adaptation. Mr. Epstein is a published biographer, and journalist.

Accidentally, or not so accidentally based on whatever privacy policies I was inclined to agree to, I saw this book just as I was started to watch The Dirty Dozen on one of my already-too-many streaming services. I have always enjoyed this movie, but saw it many years ago and it was nice to get a fresh perspective on this classic.

I didn’t realize how many actors evidently were propelled to fame by this movie. From Jim Brown and Charles Bronson, whose line “killing generals could get to be a habit with me” gave the book its title, to Donald Sutherland and, of course, Telly Savalas in all his bald Greek glory.

Killin’ Generals by Dwayne Epstein uses interviews, documents, and gossip to bring forth a complete story of this classic. The author also gives context to the success of the movie, by analyzing the environment in which it was released. America was in the midst of civil right protests, the Vietnam War, and other social issues. At the time Hollywood wasn’t afraid to hold a mirror up to the audiences, who certainly weren’t afraid to look.

I also never realized the impact The Dirty Dozen had on pop-culture. The movie was both a critical and commercial success, delivering superb acting, action, defying authority, mocking the military, all while killing Nazis galore. The picture was a template to other directors, and stories, which are with us to this day.

The author also tells of the dynamic relationships between the actors, the crew, and the writers. Lee Marvin, already an alcoholic was the consummate professional. Ironically, the other “big star” was popular singer Trini López, who attempted to “pull his weight” and his character was promptly killed off, and his career dwindled off. I also enjoyed seeing some of my favorite actors, Richard Jaeckel, Ernest Borgnine, George Kennedy, and Robert Ryan among others.

I certainly enjoyed reading this book very much, as a fan of the movie and as fan movie making. The author goes into great detail re-telling the story of the novel by E. M. Nathanson , and the changes that were made to the motion picture, as well as behind the scenes anecdotes which I especially appreciate.… (altro)

Brisk read is a must for fans of the actor with a thorough look at his acting work and life on and off screen. The book presents a solid collection of quotes from both the man himself, and those that knew him. The author takes care to also offer some spot-on analysis of Marvin's best work, including Point Blank and The Dirty Dozen. The bawdy stories of Marvin's hard living are presented here as well and certainly make for interesting reading. Although some of the drunken escapades are funny, the author doesn't hold back on showing the darker side to Marvin's drinking and his behavior. To boot, the book's early chapters offers a sampling of Marvin's letters to his family during the war allowing the reader a glimpse of a soldier's life during that war. This section brings the book a bit beyond the average Hollywood star bio and adds allot of interest. From The Killers to The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission, it's all here for the Marvin fanatic. A must read for those interested in the highly underrated actor.… (altro)

There are plenty of movie tough guys stretching back over the decades, and then there is Lee Marvin, a man for whom the adjective badass was invented. In LEE MARVIN: POINT BLANK by Dwayne Epstein, we learn that it was no act, for Marvin was a true badass in real life. Epstein’s book is well researched, it boasts a long list of interviews he conducted with family, fellow actors, directors, writers, producers and drinking pals who were there from the early days when Marvin started out in summer stock through the years of Hollywood stardom when he could command seven figures for a film role.

For many of us fans, Lee Marvin’s movies and the stories of his hell raising in 60’s are well known, but Epstein gives us a look at the actor’s formative years, which laid the foundation for all that came after. Born in 1924, he was the son of a WWI vet and a Southern Belle from Virginia; Lee and his brother Robert were named after the Confederate hero. Both of his parents were distant in their relationships with their children and Lee grew up feeling that his father was emotionally repressed, while resenting a mother who placed great importance on social standing. Marvin himself was a rambunctious child who loved the outdoors and did not take to school work, partly because of dyslexia.

The molding event of Lee Marvin’s life, as it was for a generation, was his service in World War II. He was a Marine who saw hard combat in the Pacific, an experience Epstein believes left him with a life long case of undiagnosed PTSD. Epstein tells the story of Marvin’s years in the war through his own words, liberally quoting from letters he wrote back home to his parents and brother-the man was a very good writer and the reader gets a good feel for what he went through despite wartime censorship.

After the war, there was no way Lee Marvin could have put on suit and tie and sat behind a desk all day; his energy and creative nature led him to acting, first in summer stock and then to small roles on Broadway. Ultimately, he landed in Hollywood in the early 50’s where he found steady work playing villains in westerns and gangster movies. He was tall, gangly as a younger man, possessed with the perfect actor’s gift-a distinctive voice, and better yet, great physical presence which made the audience take notice whenever he was on screen. Lee Marvin was not considered leading man material in the age of Rock Hudson, but he made quite an impression on moviegoers playing bad guys in BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, THE BIG HEAT, SHACK OUT ON 101, and SEVEN MEN FROM NOW. He hated television, but did some of his best work there, including stints on Wagon Train and a now classic episode of The Twilight Zone.

The changing culture of the 60’s opened up new opportunities for him, starting with an unforgettable performance opposite John Wayne and James Stewart in THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, directed by John Ford. His work as the title villain nearly over shadowed his formidable co-stars and it remains one his most iconic performances. This led to him being cast in Stanley Kramer’s SHIP OF FOOLS, where he had several memorable scenes with Vivian Leigh. Suddenly, after many years in supporting parts, his tough guy persona started getting him big roles as the old casting rules fell by the wayside. In THE KILLERS, THE DIRTY DOZEN, THE PROFESSIONALS, and POINT BLANK he set a standard that few would ever equal and made Lee Marvin the leading man of the cinema of violence. His cold hearted characters all suggested men with blood on their hands who had no interest in redemption-quite a break with the heroics of the past. Yet, he became among the very few to ever win a Best Acting Oscar for a comic performance when he won the Academy Award for CAT BALLOU.

There was the marriage to his supportive first wife, Betty, who gave him four children, followed by a tempestuous relationship with Michelle Triola, with whom he cohabitated for many years in the late 60’s. Their breakup, and abrupt second marriage to Pam Feeley, led to the infamous palimony lawsuit in the late 70’s, which only enhanced his reputation as a guy who lived by his own rules and didn’t give a damn. All through this are tales of Marvin’s epic drinking; “People don’t seem to like me when I’m drunk,” he is quoted at one point, for Lee Marvin could get mean when he was drinking. But for all the stories of his boorish and ugly behavior while under the influence, there seemed to be few, if any, who genuinely disliked him.

Many of us movie buffs truly love Lee Marvin, even after all this time since his death in 1987. We loved the man who threw hot coffee in Gloria Grahame’s face in the BIG HEAT, who tried to bully Spencer Tracy in BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, was one of the very few who could go to toe to toe with John Wayne in LIBERTY VALANCE, and led THE DIRTY DOZEN to glory. Epstein’s book is a true gift to us fans, giving us a wealth of information. Among my favorite parts is an addendum which lists the roles Marvin passed on or for which he was considered; this gives us some great might-have-beens: he contributed to the script for Sam Peckinpah’s masterpiece, THE WILD BUNCH with plans to star only to take a million dollar offer to do the musical PAINT YOUR WAGON; he turned down PATTON and was considered for the part of Quint in JAWS. Had he taken those roles, would his star have dimmed quite so much as it did in the post STAR WARS era of the blockbuster? There also an addition which lists the roles he have taken had he lived on into the 21st Century. How great would it have been if Lee Marvin had been around long enough to work with Tarantino?

I had the honor of visiting Lee Marvin’s grave in Arlington Cemetery on a Memorial Day a few years back, he was buried there after years of hard living finally caught up with him. Still, we felt he was gone too soon and he has been missed greatly. Dwayne Epstein’s book truly does him justice.… (altro)