The Scorer
Joined: 27 Nov 2006 |
Posts: 339 |
Location: Newport |
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:45 pm |
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I've just finished reading this book, which has been written by Robert Shail and published by the University of Wales Press.
It isn't a full biography (and doesn't claim to be), but it is the story of Stanley Baker's acting career. It starts with how (and why) it started and continues with a description of all the film and television work he did, in a career that lasted from 1943 to 1975.
I'm not a great one for analysing what a particular film or character actually means or represents (or may do in the opinion of a critic etc.). However, I did find a lot of the descriptions very interesting, and it taught me a great deal about his career, of which I admit I knew very little.
There's a chapter ("The Hero of Rorke's Drift") devoted to "Zulu" and, whilst it doesn't say anything really new, it's a good illustration of what the film and the subject meant to Stanley. A constant theme in this chapter (and, for that matter, throughout the book) is his feeling of "Welshness" which was something that stayed with him all his life.
It is a good book, and I would recommend anyone who wants to know more about Stanley Baker to read it when they can.
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