Synopses & Reviews
"A simply written, effective tale of an ambitious and hard-working American actor trying to make his dream come true."--
Los Angeles Times
Working with Eli Wallach was one of the great pleasures of my life--he is an extremely versatile actor, and now a fine storyteller."--Clint Eastwood
The sparkling memoir of a movie icon's life in the footlights and on camera, The Good, the Bad, and Me tells the extraordinary story of Eli Wallach's many years dedicated to his craft. Beginning with his early days in Brooklyn and his college years in Texas, where he dreamed of becoming an actor, this book follows his career as one of the earliest members of the famed Actors Studio and as a Tony Award winner for his work on Broadway. Wallach has worked with such stars as Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe, Gregory Peck, and Henry Fonda, and his many movies include Baby Doll, The Misfits, The Magnificent Seven, How the West Was Won, the iconic The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and, most recently, Mystic River. For more than fifty years Eli Wallach has held a special place in film and theater, and in a tale rich with anecdotes, wit, and remarkable insight he recounts his magical life in a world unlike any other.
Eli Wallach was born in Brooklyn, and he and his wife of fifty seven years, Anne Jackson, were recently named the King and Queen of Brooklyn. Eli Wallach remains active in film and on stage and lives in New York City.
Review
PRAISE FOR THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND ME
"[Wallach is] an excellent tour guide through his life, from Red Hook to the Army to Broadway and the big and small screens. [He] is a born observer, and he has a simple, direct writing style that makes him seem like just one of the guys . . . He comes across as a man who's had a helluva lot of fun entertaining us."-VARIETY
"The directness and unpretentiousness of [Wallach's] work is in the same spirit that animates his straightforward and charming memoir . . . [He] has you right where he wants you-in the palm of his hand, taking the same pleasure in this performance that you've taken in his others."-THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Synopsis
The sparkling memoir of a movie icon's life in the footlights and on camera, The Good, the Bad, and Me tells the extraordinary story of Eli Wallach's many years dedicated to his craft. Beginning with his early days in Brooklyn and his college years in Texas, where he dreamed of becoming an actor, this book follows his career as one of the earliest members of the famed Actors Studio and as a Tony Award winner for his work on Broadway. Wallach has worked with such stars as Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe, Gregory Peck, and Henry Fonda, and his many movies include The Magnificent Seven, How the West Was Won, the iconic The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and, most recently, Mystic River. For more than fifty years, Eli Wallach has held a special place in film and theater, and in a tale rich with anecdotes, wit, and remarkable insight, he recounts his magical life in a world unlike any other.
About the Author
Born in Brooklyn in 1915, ELI WALLACH remains active in film and is still married to his wife of fifty-six years. He lives in New York City.
Table of Contents
Prologue 1
1. An Actor Grows in Brooklyn 7
2. The College Years 29
3. Before the War 48
4. The War Years 62
5. Broadway, Here I Come 87
6. A Life in the Theater 99
7. My Method 112
8. Husband and Actor and Director and Father 123
9. The First Taste of Hollywood 141
10. From New York to London and Back 154
11. The Dirtiest American Film Ever Made 165
12. An Actor's Dilemma 177
13. My Brief Atonement 190
14. The Misfits 207
15. Rhinoceros 230
16. The Good, the Bad, and Me 238
17. Schisgal, Gielgud, Sharif, and Me 263
18. Reflections on a Golden Career 283
Film Credits 294
Play Credits 298
Index 301