George Arliss: The Man Who Played God (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series)
by Robert M. Fells
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Book Summary Information
Author: Robert M. FellsEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-09-14
ISBN: 0810851601
Number of pages: 312
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Book Reviews of George Arliss: The Man Who Played God (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series)
Book Review: The Author Speaks on George Arliss!
Summary: 5 Stars
Full Disclosure compels me to say that I am the author so you know already that you won't be getting an exactly impartial viewpoint. My purpose here is two fold: first, to thank the individuals who have taken the time and effort to comment on my Arliss biography/critique. Researching and writing the book was a labor of love and, besides, there's nothing worse than being ignored.
My second reason is to merely add a point of information. As has been stated, very few of George Arliss's films are available on video, either VHS or DVD. But thank heaven for cable stations Turner Classic Movies and the Fox Movie Channel. With a little bit of patience, you can see all 13 of Mr. Arliss's American films on these two stations. Fox has gotten quite generous by running The House of Rothschild (1934) and Cardinal Richelieu (1935) every month, although Fox seems to be stingy about running the finale scene in "Rothschild" in its original Technicolor brilliance. It did show it in color back in 2001, but in the last year or so, Black & White seems to be the rule. Perhaps if we all email Fox, they might change its corporate mind. And while we're at it, let's urge FMC to run Arliss's comedy, The Last Gentleman (1934).
Turner schedules the Warners films, The Man Who Played God, The Working Man, and Voltaire, a couple of times a year. Perhaps with a bit of encouragement, TCM will program Disraeli, Old English, The Green Goddess, The Millionaire, Alexander Hamilton, A Successful Calamity, and The King's Vacation more often than once every few years. Is it possible that George Arliss could be a TCM Star of the Month? We'll never know if we don't ask!
Summary of George Arliss: The Man Who Played God (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series)
By any reasonable expectation, George Arliss should not have succeeded as a star, either on stage or in film. Yet he achieved a career enjoyed by very few in the performing arts. An actor, author, playwright, and filmmaker, George Arliss won acclaim for his work first on the stage and then later, most improbably, as a Hollywood movie star. His films achieved the rare distinction of being both artistic and financial successes. Though he was neither young nor handsome, Arliss found popular acclaim for his many historical characterizations such as Voltaire, Nathan Rothschild, Cardinal Richelieu, and Benjamin Disraeli.Robert Fells traces Arliss's life and times through his film work, providing a thoroughly researched and entertaining view of one of the most important, yet neglected figures in film history. The book also reviews the actor's uneasy relationship with screenwriters, his clashes with British film producer Michael Balcon, his championing of young unknowns such as Bette Davis and James Cagney, and his prosecution by the British Government during World War II. It also includes a complete filmography and a selected stageography of Arliss's work.
Includes 20 photos.
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