Book cover for John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star by Jonathan Croall

John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star

Jonathan Croall
2011 Released
736 Pages
17-18 Hours
Audiobook Unavailable
Paperback Unavailable
Hardback Unavailable
Methuen DramaISBN 9781408131077

In his lifetime Gielgud was acclaimed as the finest classical actor of the twentieth century and Jonathan Croall's biography from 2000 was instantly recognised by critics as a masterful achievement, one that was 'unlikely to be surpassed' (Sunday Telegraph). Since that time however a considerable amount of new material has come to light and the passing of time has allowed a new candour. John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star sees this peerless biographer return to his subject to offer the definitive life of Gielgud.


For this new biography Croall's exhaustive research has included over a hundred new interviews with key people from his life and career, several hundred letters from Gielgud that have never been published, scores of letters written to him and archived versions of his film and television work. As Gielgud worked increasingly in this medium during the last third of his life much greater attention is given to this than in the earlier work.


Fresh light is thrown on his professional relationships with figures such as Laurence Olivier and Edith Evans, and on turbulent episodes of his private life. The overall result is a a much more rounded, candid and richly textured portrait of this celebrated and complex actor.

Jonathan Croall

Jonathan Croall is a distinguished biographer and theatre historian. He is the author of over twenty-five books, notably the acclaimed biographies John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star (Bloomsbury Methuen Drama) and Sybil Thorndike: A Star of Life. His other titles include The Coming of Godot: A Short History of a Masterpiece (short-listed for the 2005 Theatre Book Prize); The Wit and Wisdom (and Gaffes) of John Gielgud and In Search of Gielgud: A Biographer's Tale; two collections of his theatre journalism, Buzz Buzz! Playwrights, Actors and Directors at the National Theatre and Closely Observed Theatre: From the National to the Old Vic; and three books in the series The National Theatre at Work - Hamlet Observed, Peter Hall's 'Bacchai', and Inside the Molly House.

More by Jonathan Croall

The Coming of Godot
Bacchai
Gielgoodies!
Neill of Summerhill
In Search of Gielgud
Performing King Lear
Buzz Buzz!
Performing Hamlet

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