{"id":2106,"date":"2008-01-29T10:28:44","date_gmt":"2008-01-29T18:28:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lukeford.net\/blog\/?p=2106"},"modified":"2008-01-29T10:31:42","modified_gmt":"2008-01-29T18:31:42","slug":"five-easy-decades-how-jack-nicholson-became-the-biggest-movie-star-in-modern-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lukeford.net\/blog\/?p=2106","title":{"rendered":"‘Five Easy Decades: How Jack Nicholson Became the Biggest Movie Star in Modern Times’"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love this new book by Dennis McDougal and not just because I get a mention in the thank-you section.<\/p>\n

Publishers Weekly says<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Taking on not just a legendary subject, but a legendarily private subject-refusing biographers and TV personalities, Nicholson prefers "the occasional magazine Q&A or quickie newspaper interview"-author and New York Times film writer McDougal (Privileged Son) has turned out a model biography: exhaustive, full of action, and startlingly illuminating. Nicholson-flamboyant yet guarded, outrageous yet articulate, charming yet polarizing-has marched to his own drummer for 50 years, heading up a parade of celebrated films and famous women, eliciting strong opinions in just about everyone; as such, McDougal presents an engrossing showcase of big films and bigger personalities. Following a modest, fatherless New Jersey childhood, Nicholson set out on a California odyssey that would require stamina, guts and luck, as "eking out a living" in the early sixties gave way to the career-making premier of Easy Rider: " ‘I had been around long enough to know while sitting in that audience, I had become a movie star.’ " Los Angeles plays a starring role, giving Nicholson his wild lifestyle, a loyal, eclectic roster of friends and a long-time neighbor in Marlon Brando. Digging up as many roles offstage as on-hardheaded businessman, softhearted friend, master of rude rejoinders, fanatical sports fan and poetic philosopher-McDougal makes Nicholson’s everyday life just as fascinating as his films, which also get considerable, thoughtful attention; in fact, McDougal’s research is so deep and detailed, his extensive chapter notes could make a fine book of their own. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I love this new book by Dennis McDougal and not just because I get a mention in the thank-you section. Publishers Weekly says: Taking on not just a legendary subject, but a legendarily private subject-refusing biographers and TV personalities, Nicholson … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[592,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-book-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t