Biographies spotlight timeless stars

REVIEWS BY PAT H. BROESKE

Shining stars are out in force this holiday season, with new biographies of Golden Age greats including Jimmy Stewart and Audrey Hepburn, and a lavish photo book celebrating the life of iconic actor Paul Newman.

But, age before beauty: Mae West, known for her body language (a knowing tilt of the head, a carefully raised eyebrow) as well as her suggestive wisecracks, is studiously depicted in Mae West: It Ain't No Sin. Simon Louvish, biographer of W.C. Fields and the Marx Brothers, had access to West's archives, a treasure trove consisting of 2,000 pages of West-penned jokes and gags, as well as various drafts of plays, screenplays and treatments. All this written by the woman who famously uttered, "Come up and see me sometime."

The former Mary Jane West worked her way up in vaudeville, then became a Broadway legend—in part due to the notoriety of the 1926 play, "Sex." West wrote and starred in the play, which was deemed immoral in a headline-making trial. Sentenced to prison for 10 days, West quipped to a reporter, "Give my regards to Broadway." No wonder Hollywood beckoned.

Hard to believe, but she was 40 years old when she began making movies, and history, with her umming and oohing and sexual insinuations. She drove the censors nuts, delighted audiences and became the highest-paid performer in the country. Her screen reign lasted just seven years, but she went on to wow audiences in Vegas, and to star in several '70s-era cult pics, including the campy Myra Breckinridge. When she died at 87 she was living with a much-younger former body-builder, giving credence to her line, "a hard man is good to find."


The Misses Hepburn

Alas, Audrey Hepburn was just 63 when she died. But the life she lived was fascinating, even inspirational, as revealed in Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn. Though veteran celebrity biographer Donald Spoto has largely relied on previously published materials, it's the way he uses the information—infusing it with passion for and knowledge of his subject—that makes this book such a pleasure.

Belgian-born, raised in Holland under Nazi occupation, Hepburn grew up longing to become a ballerina. She instead became a London chorus girl, appeared in print ads for soap and shampoo, and got small film roles. By chance, she was spotted by the writer Colette—who deemed her perfect for the lead role in the stage version of "Gigi," about a Parisian girl raised to be a courtesan. And so the unknown 22-year-old became a Broadway star—and won a Tony. She next starred opposite Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday, winning an Oscar.

In the era of va-va-voom stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, the reed-thin, flat-chested Hepburn was decidedly unique. She also had an allure that captivated Givenchy—who would go on to design the fabulous clothes that made her a style icon. But if she was the queen of chic in films such as Funny Face and Breakfast at Tiffany's, beneath the poised demeanor was an inner sadness. Hepburn battled lifelong depression. There were numerous (discreet) affairs, some of them with co-stars, and two unsuccessful marriages. But, she found joy in motherhood, and as a former child of war, she empathized with the suffering children on whose behalf she tirelessly worked, through UNICEF.


As for that other Hepburn, according to Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn, she worked largely on behalf of herself, especially in regard to honing a meticulously crafted image. Author William J. Mann, a chronicler of gay Hollywood, reveals that Hepburn connived to create her public persona, perpetuating her near-mythic relationship with Spencer Tracy—the better to offset her many close (nudge-nudge, wink-wink) friendships with women.

A decidedly different take on the great Kate, Mann's book never lets us forget that, as a child, Hepburn had an alter ego named Jimmy. Or that the various men with whom she was involved tended to be troubled and needy, which meant she was more a caretaker than a lover. Some claims are more curious than convincing. (Spencer Tracy a homosexual? Macho man John Ford? C'mon!) Some come as no surprise. After all, Katharine Hepburn was one of Hollywood's most unconventional stars.


Leading men

One of Hollywood's most likable stars, James Stewart was far more complex than his "aw, shucks" demeanor suggested. Marc Eliot has culled previously published information, Stewart's personal notes and diaries, and a smattering of new interviews—notably with Stewart's daughter, as well as co-star Kim Novak—for the insightful Jimmy Stewart: A Biography. Stewart's personal life included romances with dazzling leading ladies (including Ginger Rogers and Marlene Dietrich), as well as heroic World War II military service—and a patriotic devotion that didn't waver with the death of his eldest son in Vietnam. His career spanned seven decades, and included a successful string of films with Alfred Hitchcock, as well as beloved classics like the Frank Capra-directed holiday chestnut, It's a Wonderful Life. As Eliot's book reveals, it truly was.


Photographs tell the story in Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures, a celebratory look at the Hollywood iconoclast, race car driver, family man, philanthropist and salad dressing king. Co-authors Pierre-Henri Verlhac and Yann-Brice Dherbier created this hefty coffee table book with the approval of Newman, now 81. From his days at the Actors Studio, circa 1955, to the present, the book reflects a journey that, happily, continues to this day.


Los Angeles-based writer Pat H. Broeske is the co-author of biographies of Howard Hughes and Elvis Presley.

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