Presents the life and accomplishments of the motion picture actor, director, and philanthropist, from his early life and acting career to his personal life and family.

Although Robert Redford started out appearing in films in 1962, his breakout year did not come until 1969, when he starred with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Since that time his career has consisted of one success after another, whether in front of the camera as actor or behind it as director, with his commitment to independent filmmaking anchored by the establishment of the Sundance Film Festival. Furthermore, his concern for the environment, particularly in the American West, has made him an important spokesman for conservation; he often lends his name to causes and charities that help to support preservation and endangered species.
This comprehensive biography, the first to appear on Redford in nearly two decades, is based on extensive interviews with friends and colleagues, as well as assistance provided by Redford himself. The authors reveal Redford's relationships with such actors as Natalie Wood, Barbra Streisand, Jane Fonda, Paul Newman, and Meryl Streep, as well as Redford's at-times testy dealings with some of the leading directors and producers of his era. The authors also review the critical reception of Redford's films and provide their own views on the strengths and weaknesses of each. What is ultimately revealed in this wide-ranging look at the actor-director is a man who consistently defied conventional Hollywood norms beginning early in his career, and who made a tremendous success out of being a maverick in an industry beset by conformity and obsession with stardom.

' Joan Crawford: The Essential Biography explores the life and career of one of Hollywood's great dames. She was a leading film personality for more than fifty years, from her beginnings as a dancer in silent films of the 1920s, to her portrayals of working-class shop girls in the Depression thirties, to her Oscar-winning performances in classic films such as Mildred Pierce. Crawford's legacy has become somewhat tarnished in the wake of her daughter Christina's memoir, Mommie Dearest, which turned her into a national joke. Today, many picture Crawford only as a wire hanger-wielding shrew rather than the personification of Hollywood glamour. This new biography of Crawford sets the record straight, going beyond the gossip to find the truth about the legendary actress. The authors knew Crawford well and conducted scores of interviews with her and many of her friends and co-stars, including Frank Capra, George Cukor, Nicholas Ray, and Sidney Greenstreet. Far from a whitewash -- Crawford was indeed a colorful and difficult character -- Joan Crawford corrects many lies and tells the story of one of Hollywood's most influential stars, complete with on-set anecdotes and other movie lore. Through extensive interviews, in-depth analysis, and evaluation of her films and performances -- both successes and failures -- Lawrence J. Quirk and William Schoell present Crawford's story as both an appreciation and a reevaluation of her extraordinary life and career. Filled with new interviews, Joan Crawford tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Hollywood icon. Lawrence J. Quirk is the author of many books on film, including Bob Hope: The Road Well-Traveled. William Schoell is the author of several entertainment-related books, including Martini Man: The Life of Dean Martin.

(Applause Books). This startling, intimate biography of James Stewart frankly reveals with new facts and discovers a fully dimensional view of this revered figure and consummate American icon. Shrewd, self-protective, financially astute, the James Stewart that Mr. Quirk uncovers was no bumbling naive Mr. Smith, but a Man of the World.