{"product_id":"zachary-scott-hollywoods-sophisticated-cad-9781617039072","title":"Zachary Scott: Hollywood's Sophisticated CAD","description":"Throughout the 1940s, Zachary Scott (1914-1965) was the model for sophisticated, debonair villains in American film. His best-known roles include a mysterious criminal in \u003ci\u003eThe Mask of Dimitrios\u003c\/i\u003e and the indolent husband in \u003ci\u003eMildred Pierce\u003c\/i\u003e. He garnered further acclaim for his portrayal of villains in \u003ci\u003eHer Kind of Man\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDanger Signal\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eSouth of St. Louis\u003c\/i\u003e. Although he earned critical praise for his performance as a heroic tenant farmer in Jean Renoir's \u003ci\u003eThe Southerner\u003c\/i\u003e, Scott never quite escaped typecasting. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eZachary Scott: Hollywood's Sophisticated Cad\u003c\/i\u003e, Ronald L. Davis writes an appealing biography of the film star. Scott grew up in privileged circumstances--his father was a distinguished physician; his grandfather was a pioneer cattle baron--and was expected to follow his father into medical practice. Instead, Scott began to pursue a career in theater while studying at the University of Texas and subsequently worked his way on a ship to England to pursue acting. Upon his return to America, he began to look for work in New York. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Excelling on stage and screen throughout the 1940s, Scott seemed destined for stardom. By the end of 1950, however, he had suffered through a turbulent divorce. A rafting accident left him badly shaken and clinically depressed. His frustration over his roles mounted, and he began to drink heavily. He remarried and spent the rest of his career concentrating on stage and television work. Although Scott continued to perform occasionally in films, he never reclaimed the level of stardom that he had in the mid-1940s. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e To reconstruct Scott's life, Davis uses interviews with Scott and colleagues and reviews, articles, and archival correspondence from the Scott papers at the University of Texas and from the Warner Brothers Archives. The result is a portrait of a talented actor who was rarely allowed to show his versatility on the screen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRonald L. Davis\u003c\/b\u003e is professor emeritus of history at Southern Methodist University. He is author of \u003ci\u003eJust Making Movies: Company Directors on the Studio System\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWords into Images: Screenwriters on the Studio System\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eVan Johnson: MGM's Golden Boy, \u003c\/i\u003eall published by University Press of Mississippi.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University Press of Mississippi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50360552161554,"sku":"9781617039072","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_ec4e1693-aa48-4dba-8649-8941403f0ee8.jpg?v=1728364005","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/zachary-scott-hollywoods-sophisticated-cad-9781617039072","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}