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Charming, engaging, and surprisingly forthright, Michael Caine gives us his insider's view of Hollywood and the story of his brilliant second act.
When he was in his late fifties, Michael Caine believed his glamorous, rags-to-riches Hollywood career had come to an end. The scripts being sent his way were worse and worse. When one script really disappointed, he called the producer to complain about the part. The producer said, "No, no, we don't want you for the lover, we want you for the father."
Salvation came in the unlikely form of his old friend Jack Nicholson, who convinced him to give acting one more shot. What followed was not only an incredible personal transformation but also one of the most radical comebacks in film history. Learning to accept his new role both on camera and in his own life, Caine went on to win his second Oscar, be knighted by the queen, and deliver some of his best performances to date.
Now he shares the spectacular story of his life, from his humble upbringing in London's poverty-stricken Elephant and Castle, his military service, touching marriage and family life, and lively adventures with friends, to legendary meetings with fellow stars, forays as a restaurateur, and hilarious off-screen encounters from his glittering five-decade career. Caine brings his gift for storytelling and his insider's view to a tale that is funny, warm, and deeply honest.
"...Caine has known, befriended, worked or partied with everyone from John Huston to Heath Ledger, and has the kind of life where a Rolling Stone waits patiently while he gives James Bond advice on how to become a knight. As such, this breezy, name-droppy salute to old, un-PC Hollywood is a lighthearted hoot." - New York Post
"Caine has three things you want in a memoirist - an eye for detail, a knack for storytelling and a sense of humor about himself - and they all come out to play in The Elephant to Hollywood." - New York Times Book Review
"...[T]he general weightlessness of Caine's reminiscences are a bit frustrating for the movie buff eager to plumb the memory of one of the cinema's most distinctive stars.... Charming but slight reminiscences of a cinematic icon." - Kirkus Reviews
"Kudos, Sir Michael." - Library Journal
This information about The Elephant to Hollywood was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Sir Michael Caine has won two Academy Awards during his distinguished five-decade career on screen. Knighted in 2000, Caine was born in working-class Sussex, England, and served in the British Army before landing his first film role in Zulu (1964). His films include The Ipcress File, Alfie, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Cider House Rules, and Harry Brown. He is the author of the bestselling What's It All About?. He lives in Surrey with his wife of thirty-seven years.
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