About
the Book:
One of the greatest British actors of his generation, John
Gielgud was the last survivor of that triumvirate of legendary
theatrical knights – Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ralph
Richardson and Sir John (he was knighted in 1953) – who
dominated the British stage and Broadway and vitalized Shakespeare in
what became a golden age of classical theatre.
In his memoir An Actor and His Time, with his own unique
warmth and humour, John Gielgud tells the story of his life in
the theatre. He describes an amazing range of people he came to know
– not only Olivier and Chaplin, but George Bernard Shaw, T.S. Eliot
and Lord Alfred Douglas, the notorious lover of Oscar Wilde. He
recalls his great roles (such as Romeo, Macbeth and Lear), the
productions he directed, the actors and actresses he worked with –
from James Mason, Marlon
Brando and Richard Burton
to Elizabeth Taylor, Mrs.
Patrick Campbell and Liza
Minnelli – and the theatres in which he has played – from
New York to Rangoon. He also tells of the theatre he knew as a young
man, the theatre that was run by the great actor/managers, men like
like Tree and du Maurier, and of the star actresses whose name alone
could fill a theatre – Eleanor
Dulse, Sarah Bernhardt
and, of course, his own great-aunt, the renowned
stage actress Ellen Terry. With the
aid of photographs from his own collection, Sir John
Gielgud has made this book not
only a fascinating account of his own life, but also a
well-documented record of over 50
years of British theatre.
What people say:
"Funny,
touching, brilliant, special, the best – exactly like John
Gielgud." — Lauren
Bacall
"Gielgud: An
Actor and His Time is ... a mellow memoir, a book that
fascinates, informs, and entertains." — Christian
Science Monitor
"Gielgud
proves himself to be
a storyteller of the highest order, making this
essential reading for theatre lovers." — Literary
Journal
"This
rich and kindly remembrance of a brilliant career is the next best
thing to sitting in his study while the grand old man sifts through
his life and times." — New York Post
"A
wonderful book ... the result is magical ... We have no better
chronicler of the theatre in his time ... an astute observer, a sly
humorist." — The Literary Review
"I
can hear his superb voice every time." — Alec
Guinness
"A
fascinating account of a legendary career." —
Sunday Telegraph
"Immensely
entertaining ... Here are the first-hand stories of Ellen Terry,
Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Sarah Bernhardt, Bernard Shaw, and
Ralph Richardson, all told with a deferential flourish and an
undiminished sparkly ... a rare treat that is also a book of
important stage history." — The London
Observer
About the Author:
Sir John Gielgud (1904-2000) was an English actor,
director, and producer. One of the theatre's greatest legends, he
spent almost 80 of the 96 years of his life appearing in countless
plays that saw him portray every major Shakespearean role. He worked
up to a month before his death, performing in over 60 films and
numerous television productions when he wasn't busy with his stage
work. One of the few entertainers who have won an Emmy, Grammy,
Oscar, and Tony Award, he is also the oldest artist to complete the
EGOT as he was 87.