⋙ PDF Free Gary Cooper American Hero Jeffrey Meyers 9780709068235 Books

Gary Cooper American Hero Jeffrey Meyers 9780709068235 Books

Download As PDF : Gary Cooper American Hero Jeffrey Meyers 9780709068235 Books

Gary Cooper American Hero Jeffrey Meyers 9780709068235 Books

Great book. Very interesting for those of us who admire Gary Cooper.


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Gary Cooper American Hero Jeffrey Meyers 9780709068235 Books Reviews

This is a unimpressive and down-right sloppy book on one of the movies' greatest stars and actors. How could you write a blah book on Gary Cooper? The author seems to recycle too much "information" from previous books on Cooper or other stars, and is most outrageous in his passing on the lurid gossip from Jane Ellen Wayne's trashy fantasy COOPER'S WOMEN. Does Meyers REALLY believe Clara Bow in the 1930's talked to a "shocked but riveted public" about Cooper's penis size and sexual ability?? Where the heck does he believe such an interview would have been published in the 1930's!!! He further illustrates his lack of second-sourcing his information in the very same paragraph by claiming Cooper didn't have to worry about "knocking her up" since Bow couldn't have children - apparently quite oblivious to the fact that Bow gave birth to two sons several years after the Cooper affair in her marriage to actor Rex Bell!!!! The book concludes with Meyers listing Cooper's films as "best films", "important", "seeable" and a surprisingly large "poor" list including some popular favorites like IF I HAD A MILLION, THE PLAINSMAN, SOULS AT SEA, NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE, and CASANOVA BROWN. At least we know THESE are original opinions! Of note the back cover includes a very favorable comment on the book by Bill Clinton. Bill dude, you must have inhaled this time!!!
Jeffrey Meyers is laboring under the misapprehension that people picking up Gary Cooper American Hero are simply falling all over themselves to hear his, Meyers', opinions on Cooper's films, the Method, William Wyler's talent as a director, and myriad other subjects.

I may be the first to correct Mr. Meyers' assumption, but here goes. I bought Gary Cooper American Hero because I wanted to learn about Gary Cooper, not Jeffrey Meyers. Cooper was an extraordinarily complex man; one who loved his family but chased every girl with whom he came in contact. A man who testified as a friendly witness with HUAC but publicly supported Carl Foreman during the making of High Noon. This is the man about whom I wanted to learn, and I certainly didn't learn anything here.

I did not buy the book so that I could read long-winded, self-important, spoiler-filled critiques of Cooper's films (one memorable quote, regarding Friendly Persuasion, is "nobody can persuade me to be friendly to this film.") Mr. Meyers, nobody cares whether you're "friendly" (inanely "cute" pun noted) to the film. Your job is provide a SHORT plot synopsis (preferably spoiler-free), include some background information on the making of the film, and share what the critics and audiences at the time thought of it. In noting that Friendly Persuasion won an award at Cannes, Meyers comments that the jury must have been temporarily insane. Objectivity must be a skill that was taught on a day that Mr. Meyers was absent from Biography 101. Actually, in fairness to Biographers the world over, I think Meyers missed the entire course.

Add to this a spectacularly useless "filmography" which consists not of Cooper's films in chronological order, but four categories graded by Meyers as Best, Important, Seeable and Poor films, and you have the makings of a truly terrible book. The sad thing is that if Meyers knew how to be a good biographer, if he were objective, willing to go to primary sources rather than lazily re-printing old information, and were able to check simple facts such as the glaring error regarding Clara Bow "not being able to have children" (her two sons must have been surprised to know this), he might have been able to give us an interesting book, as he is able to string sentences together in an occasionally readable way.

If the book were entitled "My View Jeffrey Meyers Offers His Opinion on Gary Cooper's Films (with Fanciful Asides Regarding his Personal Life)" at least readers would know what they were getting. Gary Cooper American Hero is a disservice to the man and his stellar film career.
I've been reading about Classic Hollywood celebs and this book was the first one I've read about Gary Cooper. I settled on this book because it was the only e-book available about Gary Cooper, and that's my preferred book format. To add to the list of flaws that other reviewers mentioned, the author wrote that Gary lured the French actress Gisele Pascal away from Prince Rainier. I've read books related to Prince Rainier and they've all stated that Pascal and Rainier's union ended because her fertility test allegedly produced negative results (she went on to have a child later). Some people suspect that Rainier caved in to the people who disapproved of Pascal as a bride for him, so he used the test as an excuse to break off their engagement. Gary didn't lure her away from him.

I know that all non-fiction is written through a perspective, but the author's bias is very apparent. Seems like he has a man-crush on Cooper or something.
I always wanted to know about my favorite Star of younger days. Mr. Meyers narration fully satisfied my curiosity. I shall definitely recommend this book to all of my friends.
I bought this for my husband at his request. It came quickly he just isn't very impressed with Gary Coopers lifestyle & the book.
Research was good. His conclusions on personal issues were not smart. He could not possibly know some of this no matter what gossip he dug up. Everyone is dead and has been dead for many years. Only his daughter survives and I doubt she contributed to that type of material. Other than that, I thought he did a very good job. The actor held a unique position in history and in those lives he touched. He deserves to be remembered for his efforts. He comes from a different generation of men which has its good points and its bad. I revere him above all other actors even today.
this book told the good and bad things about mr. coopers life
Great book. Very interesting for those of us who admire Gary Cooper.