Gunmen and Gangsters

Profiles of Nine Actors Who Portrayed Memorable Screen Tough Guys

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by Michael Schlossheimer

Type

Biographies

Subject

Genre > Gangster films

Keywords

gangster films, actors, supporting role, William Bendix, Charles Bickford, Ward Bond, Broderick Crawford, Brian Donlevy, Paul Douglas, William Gargan, Barton MacLane, Lloyd Nolan

Publishing date

2001

Publisher

McFarland & Co

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 359 pages
6 x 9 inches (15 x 23 cm)

ISBN-10
ISBN-13

0-7864-0989-4
978-0-7864-0989-1

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Book Presentation:
Gangsters such as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano were considered by many people to be the most exciting personalities of the 1920s and 1930s. The public was hungry for press coverage about these mysterious and dangerous men. Most reports about them were sketchy, as the reporters did not want to get on the bad side of the racket bosses. Hollywood’s response to the public’s fascination was to portray the lives of gangsters on the movie screen, using actors such as Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson. Perhaps surprisingly, these men received not-so-favorable reviews from the Academy Award voters, and as their popularity grew with the public, censorship dictated other actors be brought in to play the roles.

That’s what this book is about—the personal and professional lives of William Bendix, Charles Bickford, Ward Bond, Broderick Crawford, Brian Donlevy, Paul Douglas, William Gargan, Barton MacLane, and Lloyd Nolan, second-string actors who replaced the big names and did a memorable job. A filmography is supplied for each actor.

About the Author:
The late Michael Schlossheimer lived in Bayside, New York.

Press Reviews:
"probably the only source for the actors discussed…accessible to all readers"—Choice; "thorough examinations…writing is intelligent…this material is fresh and different and should please many movie fans"—Classic Images.

See the publisher website: McFarland & Co