Steve McQueen by Marshall Terrill (RFP)
Cindy Bartorillo
Portrait of an American Rebel
by Marshall Terrill
(Donald I. Fine, 1994, $22.95)
ISBN 1-55611-380-3
Steve McQueen was born in Beach Grove, Indiana, on March 24,
1930 and he died in Juarez, Mexico, on November 7, 1980. In between
he became one of the most popular movie stars in film history, and his
story is a fascinating tale of chances taken, mistakes made, and, more
than anything else, survival. Though his private life tended to
overshadow his career, since his death Steve McQueen has been
generally acknowledged as one of Hollywood's most mesmerizing and
talented actors.
Terrill's biography, in the modern trend, avoids the
subjective one-writer's-interpretation of a life, giving instead a
well-balanced journalistic volume of exhaustive research, culling his
information from seemingly everything that has ever been written about
McQueen, along with many interviews. If you're only going to read one
book about Steve McQueen, this is probably your very best choice.
You'll get the whole story, from a wide variety of perspectives, with
ample coverage of his private life as well as his career. There never
was a more interesting actor, and Terrill does a fine job of bringing
McQueen's life to the printed page. There are many photos included,
as well as a Filmography, a Bibliography, and, possibly the most
interesting of all, a list of the films that Steve McQueen didn't
make. (Did you know that Lawrence Kasdan originally wrote THE
BODYGUARD in 1977 for McQueen to star in?)
Some of the highlights of Terrill's portrait of McQueen:
McQueen's relationship with people like Sam Peckinpah, Paul Newman,
Bruce Lee, and the women in his life; the real story behind the
motorcycle stunts in THE GREAT ESCAPE; how close he came to being with
Sharon Tate the night she was killed; Steve's charitable work,
including his personal affection for Boys Republic...I could go on for
hours. But the bottom line is simple: Steve McQueen was a
fascinating man; STEVE McQUEEN: PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN REBEL is a
fascinating book.
--article by Judy E. Martz (RFP Staff)
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