Lee Marvin: Point Blank

by Dwayne Epstein, Christopher Marvin (Afterword)

Overview

The first full-length, authoritative, and detailed story of the iconic actor's life to go beyond the Hollywood scandal-sheet reporting of earlier books, this account offers an appreciation for the man and his acting career and the classic films he starred in, painting a portrait of an individual who took great risks in his acting and career. Although Lee Marvin is best known for his icy tough guy roles—such as his chilling titular villain in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance or the paternal yet brutally realistic platoon leader in The Big Red One—very little is known of his personal life; his family background; his experiences in WWII; his relationship with his father, family, friends, wives; and his ongoing battles with alcoholism, rage, and depression, occasioned by his postwar PTSD. Now, after years of researching and compiling interviews with family members, friends, and colleagues; rare photographs; and illustrative material, Hollywood writer Dwayne Epstein provides a full understanding and appreciation of this acting titan’s place in the Hollywood pantheon in spite of his very real and human struggles.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781936182572
Publisher:	Schaffner Press
Publication date:	07/01/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Dwayne Epstein is a freelance journalist and author whose reviews, essays, and articles have appeared in numerous film publications and newspapers, including FilmFax, Outre, and Variety, as well as Bill Krohn’s books Serious Pleasures and Hitchcock at Work. He is also the author of several young adult biographies of subjects ranging from Adam Sandler to Hillary Clinton. A lifetime fan and collector of Lee Marvin photos and memorabilia, he has appeared in the A&E Biography episode devoted to Lee Marvin. He lives in Long Beach, California. Christopher Marvin is the son of Lee Marvin. A freelance musician and rock drummer, he has performed and recorded with several notable figures, such as Tom Waits. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Marvin Matters vii

Part I Boot Camp

1 The Guilty Puritan 3

2 "Dogface" vs. St. Leo 16

3 "I Have Had My Fill of War" 31

4 "These Horrible, Animal Men" 48

Part II In the Trenches

5 The Merchant of Menace 69

6 "You Look Like You Need a Hand" 84

7 Man in a Straitjacket 99

8 "Lady, I Just Don't Have the Time" 114

Part III Taking the Point

9 "Tension, Baby, Just Tension" 133

10 Everybody Gets Their "Vicaries" 149

11 "I Ain't Spittin' On My Whole Life" 167

Part IV The Rear Echelon

12 The White Eye 189

13 May the Best Script Win 201

14 The Last of the Wintry Heroes 215

Epilogue: The Inglorious Bastard Sons Of Lee 233

Afterword by Christopher Marvin: My Father 238

Acknowledgments 240

Reader's Guide 243

Author Q&A 244

Topics and Questions for Discussion 257

Important Dates in Lee Marvin's Life 260

Unmade Films of fee Marvin 264

Films Lee Marvin Could Have Made 266

End Notes 267

Bibliography/Author Interviews 282

Index 293

Photographic Credits 306

About the Author 308

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Thanks to Epstein's literary efforts, Marvin's place in the pantheon of legitimate silver screen heroes is secure." —Marshall Terrill, author, Steve McQueen: The Life and Legend of a Hollywood Icon

"Unforgettable. . . . A surprisingly intelligent and heroic figure springs from the page. . . . Epstein looks at a complicated figure and presents him in a full-length, three-way mirror. And it is absolutely impossible to look away." —Stefan Kanfer, New York Times-bestselling author, Tough Without A Gun: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of Humphrey Bogart

"Epstein masterfully lays out and puts together all the pieces of the Marvin puzzle without moralizing or salivating. All future writing about Lee Marvin will be measured against [this book]. Like its subject, it will be a tough act to follow." —Bill Krohn, author, Hitchcock at Work

Editorial Reviews

"It's a good  Hollywood bio, focusing on its subject's public and private lives without descending into the sort of gossip and rumor that typify many celebrity life stories" and "This is the kind of biography Lee Marvin deserves."—Booklist Online, December 21, 2012


"Unforgettable. . . . A surprisingly intelligent and heroic figure springs from the page. . . . Epstein looks at a complicated figure and presents him in a full-length, three-way mirror. And it is absolutely impossible to look away." —Stefan Kanfer, New York Times-bestselling author, Tough Without A Gun: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of Humphrey Bogart


"Epstein’s admiration for his subject is clear yet never too heavy-handed. A well-paced, thoughtful examination of a singular corpus of work that influenced film portrayals of violence in subsequent decades."—Kirkus Reviews (Nov. 15, 2012)



"Epstein has crafted a thorough, intimate, and highly readable portrait of this imposing actor who became an unlikely star...I doubt anyone will ever match its breadth and depth in assessing Lee Marvin’s life and career."—Leonard Maltin, Movie Crazy


"Epstein hits the bulls eye."—Noir City, a publication of the Film Noir Foundation


"Author Epstein takes on the not-inconsiderable goal of fleshing out Marvin as a genuine person. His outstanding book presents meticulously researched facts about the man and his work, combined with insightful comments and interviews from those who knew him."—Cinema Retro



"...good, warts-and-all portrait of a truly complicated man, seen through Epstein’s sympathetic eyes."—True West

"Epstein handles Marvin's career and checkered personal life with equal adroitness." —Filmfax

From the Publisher

A generous biography of Oscar-winning actor Lee Marvin (1924–1987), best known for his roles in The Dirty Dozen and Point Blank. Epstein, journalist and frequent writer on Hollywood, considers Marvin--who often played supporting roles as henchmen, soldiers and other characters in Westerns--through a prism of aggression. With ancestors that included Robert E. Lee, George Washington and Ross Marvin (a member of the Robert Peary Arctic expedition), the author proposes that Marvin inherited "the characteristic of the violence-prone male," which manifested as a bristling spirit often besotted with problems, what is now known as PTSD and alcoholism--all of which Marvin channeled through villains who allowed him to go beyond the range of the acceptable in real life. Epstein recounts how tension at home and frequent expulsions from school eventually led Marvin to enlist as a Marine in World War II and to turn toward the stage, Hollywood and TV in the ensuing years. The author effectively chronicles the actor's long path from breaking out of niche roles to wider acclaim. Though he does not refrain from including a handful of coarser anecdotes about the actor's behavior, along with trials in his romantic life, Epstein balances such moments with commentary on Marvin's kindness, talent and professionalism. Remarks from interviews conducted with Marvin's longtime agent, Meyer Mishkin, and with Marvin's first wife, Betty Marvin, especially illuminate the man who "etch[ed] interesting portraits of humanity's dark side." Epstein's admiration for his subject is clear yet never too heavy-handed. A well-paced, thoughtful examination of a singular corpus of work that influenced film portrayals of violence in subsequent decades.

Kirkus Reviews