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One of the most enchanting figures of the silver screen, Ronald Colman appeared in such classic films as
Beau Geste,
The Prisoner of Zenda,
Lost Horizon, and A Tale of Two Cities. He was nominated four times for the Academy Award, which he won for a spectacular performance in A Double Life. His voice was unrivaled, and he had a brilliant career as a radio star. A charismatically photogenic performer, he was voted the handsomest actor in Hollywood on several occasions. His superior skills, his dashing visage, and his resonant speech made him one of the most sought after and acclaimed stars of his day.
In spite of his enormous talent and supreme achievements, Ronald Colman has strangely been overlooked. This immensely detailed reference book brings Colman's life and career into sharp focus, corrects misleading information about him, and comments on the critical response to his work. The heart of this expertly researched volume is a series of chapters with entries for Colman's many hundreds of performances in film, radio, and television. Entries provide full production information, plot synopses, excerpts from reviews, and valuable commentary. An extensive annotated bibliography summarizes and assesses material written about Colman, and the author scrupulously debunks the many myths that have been written about Colman in previous publications.
List of contents
Foreword by Robert E. Morsberger
Preface
Introduction
Biography
Chronology
The Art and Influence of Ronald Colman
A Bibliographical Essay
Stage Work
Filmography
Radiography
Television Shows
Discography
Awards, Honors, and Nominations
Annotated Bibliography
Index
About the author
SAM FRANK is a film critic, film and television historian, and free-lance writer in Los Angeles. He is the author of Sex in the Movies (1986) and coauthor of Your Guide to Children's Videotapes and Discs (1985). His articles, essays, and reviews have appeared in Magill's Survey of Cinema, Magill's Literary Annual, The Dictionary of Literary Biography, American Cinematographer, Classic TV, Twilight Zone, Los Angeles, Californians, Movie Collector's World, the New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many other publications. He is now writing a biography of Ronald Colman and a guidebook to television shows on home video.
