The Good, the Bad, and Me
In my Anecdotage
by Eli Wallach
Overview
From the Publisher
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.
My thoughts
I can't remember what possessed me to buy this book. Either it's on Nancy Pearl's list of good books or I previewed it at BAMM.com through email. I really can't remember but I'm glad I got to read it!
I spend all my time on the computer and I rarely watch television, thus I'm not drawn to books about actors and actresses. Eli Wallach worked with so many stars of stage and screen however that I knew many of the famous stars he grew up around. I particularly enjoyed the segment about his time with Clint Eastwood and the segment on Marilyn Monroe was interesting as well. I was surprised to learn that he'd appeared in many plays and that he was married to an actress as well.
This is a well-written book about life as an actor, and even if you don't enjoy the big screen as much as others, I think you'll enjoy reading about Eli Wallach!
Favorite Passage
That night at home, I gave Anne a hug and started to make myself a cup of tea.
"I'm gonna make my first movie. We're gonna make piles of money," I told her. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"No, no," Annie said. "Keep on with the story. What happened?"
I tossed the tea bag into the wastebasket and continued.
"Well," I said, "he offered me the role. It's going to be shot in Mississippi...I'll make a fortune."
Anne interrupted. "I think I will have some tea," she said.
Without pausing, I went right back to the wastebasket and took out the tea bag.
"Listen," Anne said, 'now that we're rich, do you mind if I have my own tea bag?"
