From the much-admired biographer of Charlotte Bronteuml;; Mrs. Patrick Campbell; and the Barrymores (ldquo;Margot Peters is surely now . . . our foremost historian of stage make-believerdquo;mdash;Leon Edel); a new biography of the most famous English-speaking acting team of the twentieth century. Individually; they were recognized as extraordinary actors; each one a star celebrated; imitated; sought after. Together; they were legend. The Lunts. A name to conjure with. Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne worked together so imaginatively; so seamlessly onstage that they seemed to fuse into one person. Offstage; they brawled so famously and raucously over every detail of every performance that they inspired the musical Kiss Me; Kate. At home on Broadway; in Londonrsquo;s West End; touring the United States and Great Britain; and even playing ldquo;the foxhole circuitrdquo; of World War II; the Lunts stunned; moved; and mystified audiences for more than four decades. They were considered to be a rarefied taste; but when they toured Texas in the 1930s; the audience threw cowboy hats onto the stage.Their private life was equally fascinating; as unusual as the one they led in public. Friends like the critic Alexander Woollcott (whom Edna Ferber once described as ldquo;the little New Jersey Nero who thinks his pinafore is a togardquo;); Noeuml;l Coward; Laurette Taylor; and Sidney Greenstreet received lifelong loyalty and hospitality. Ten Chimneys; their country home in Genesee Depot; Wisconsin; ldquo;is to performers what the Vatican is to Catholics;rdquo; Carol Channing once said. ldquo;The Lunts are where we all spring from.rdquo;In this new biography; Margot Peters catches the magic of Lunt and Fontannemdash;their period; their work; their intimacy and its contradictionsmdash;with candor; delicacy; intelligence; and wit. She writes about their personal and creative choices as deftly as she captures their world; from their meeting (backstage; naturally)mdash;when Fontanne was a young actress in the first flush of stardom and Lunt a lanky midwesterner who came in the stage door; bowed to her elaborately; lost his balance; and fell down the stairsmdash;and the early days when an unknown and very hungry Noeuml;l Coward lived in a swank hotel in a room the size of a closet and cadged meals at their table to the telegram the famous couple once sent to a movie mogul; turning down a studio contract worth a fortune (ldquo;We can be bought; my dear Mr. Laemmle; but we canrsquo;t be boredrdquo;). We follow the Lunts through triumphs in plays such as The Guardsman; The Taming of the Shrew; and Design for Living; through friendships and feuds; through the intricate way they worked with such playwrights and directors as S. N. Behrman; Robert Sherwood; Giraudoux; Duuml;rrenmatt; Peter Brook; and with each other. Margot Peters captures the gallantry of two remarkably gifted people who lived for their art and for each other. Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne were once described as an ldquo;amazing duet of intelligence and gaiety.rdquo; Margot Peters re-creates the fun and the fireworks.From the Hardcover edition.
#2064491 in eBooks 2007-12-18 2007-12-18File Name: B000XUBCBS
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy NorWesterHome town read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Mike Filey had a column in the Toronto Sun for about 30 years and I read it for many years (I like learning about the history ofBy Teena in TorontoThere are a few things I wish I could go back in time to experience and one of them is Sunnyside Amusement Park; which is the focus of this book along with the a history of the neighbourhood.Sunnyside Amusement Park was a popular amusement park in Toronto that ran from 1922 to 1955. It was demolished in 1955 to make way for the building of the Gardiner Expressway. It was located on the Lake Ontario waterfront at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue; west of downtown Toronto. Only the Sunnyside Pool and Bathing Pavilion and the Palais Royale buildings survive today.The park was popular for its large roller coaster; known as the "Flyer"; several merry-go-rounds; the Derby Racer steeplechase ride and numerous smaller attractions. It also hosted several stunt events including flagpole sitting; famous boat burnings in Lake Ontario and fireworks displays. Other popular attractions included outdoor and indoor musical concerts; night clubs; and restaurants and walking along the boardwalk. There was even a Sunnyside train station nearby at the intersection of King Street W; Queen Street W and Roncesvalles Avenue which operated passenger service from 1910 until 1971 (its now a park).Mike Filey had a column in the Toronto Sun for about 30 years and I read it for many years (I like learning about the history of Toronto). Ive read all his books where he compiles some of his columns.Even though it was originally published in 1982 and reprinted in 1996; it was an interesting book because the pictures of older Toronto were great. If you live in Toronto or are from Toronto; you should check it out.Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2015/05/book-i-remember-sunnyside-1996-mike.html1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. History and HeritageBy A CustomerIf heritage is also part of your interest in Torontos history; then Mike Fileys books are a great place to start. This book for me; has great significance; since I found a picture that actually relates to my great grandmother. It is a stepping stone helping me follow my family heritage.I look forward to owning other titles by Mike Filey; as I was born in Toronto.