George Raft

During his lengthy show business career, George Raft achieved the reputation as one of the screen's toughest and most convincing movie mobsters. His roles in Scarface, Each Dawn I Die, Invisible Stripes, Rogue Cop and Some Like it Hot were so convincing that audiences frequently thought they were watching the genuine article. Yet to classify Raft merely as a cinema gangster is to do him a disservice. He delivered equally strong performances in such classics as Night After Night, Bolero, Souls at Sea, Spawn of the North, They Drive by Night and Manpower, his success in these roles quickly establishing him as one of the top box office draws during the 1930s and 40s. But Raft just missed the brass ring of superstardom - due to his notorious friendships with men such as "Bugsy" Siegel and, more significantly, his famous rejections of films that his rival Humphrey Bogart turned into major triumphs: Dead End, High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon. Written with the generous cooperation of many of Raft's friends and co-workers, George Raft: The Man Who Would Be Bogart details the fascinating life and career highs and lows of a man who created an unforgettable image - onscreen and off.

揧ablonsky, a sociologist and one of the foremost authorities in phychodrama, raises the book from ordinary show biz profiles to a penetrating insight into the relationship of personality to screen image, of character to social symbol. Like much about Raft, the book has class.?br>?i>Los Angeles Times 揟he most roguishly appealing movie bio since Errol Flynn抯 My Wicked, Wicked Ways.?br>?i>Kirkus Reviews 揟he story of my good friend George抯 climb from the rowdy speakeasy clubs on Broadway in the twenties to the top of Hollywood stardom is an exciting American saga. Reading George抯 biography by Lewis Yablonsky is the next best thing to being there.?br>?i>Frank Sinatra 揂 great story. George was an important and exciting star. When better men like George are made梩hen I'll make 抏m.?br>?i>Mae West

In the early 1930s, George Raft, an actor and dancer from New York City's Hell's Kitchen, gained a name for himself playing stylish and charismatic gangsters in films like 1932's original Scarface. Raft's own real-life connection to the New York mob added frightening authenticity to his portrayals, and his star quality coincided with the peak years of the Hollywood factory to produce a remarkable track record of successful movies. Highly regarded during his lifetime as a performer, his reputation as an actor suffered a steep decline after his death. This definitive study of all of Raft's films offers intimate insight into all of his productions, including casts, characters, technical credits, and story synopses, and dispels a number of myths surrounding his legendary career.

In the early 1930s, George Raft, an actor and dancer from New York City's Hell's Kitchen, gained a name for himself playing stylish and charismatic gangsters in films like 1932's original Scarface. Raft's own real-life connection to the New York mob added frightening authenticity to his portrayals, and his star quality coincided with the peak years of the Hollywood factory to produce a remarkable track record of successful movies. Highly regarded during his lifetime as a performer, his reputation as an actor suffered a steep decline after his death. This definitive study of all of Raft's films offers intimate insight into all of his productions, including casts, characters, technical credits, and story synopses, and dispels a number of myths surrounding his legendary career.

The final confessions of the senior Kray brother. Only one man knew everything about Ronnie and Reggie Kray and that was their brother Charlie. Until now nobody has ever revealed the truth about the Firm.• Gossip and rumor have been rife, fact has blended into fiction and the unwritten law of the street meant that the real story was buried. But before his death, the eldest Kray brother, Charlie, decided to set the record straight once and for all. Revealing everything to Colin Fry, his co-author, he finally told his incredible story. By the man who knew them best, this is the ultimate history of the twins who ruled the East End with their peculiar blend of seductive glamour and terrifying violence.

During his lengthy show business career, George Raft achieved the reputation as one of the screen's toughest and most convincing movie mobsters. His roles in Scarface, Each Dawn I Die, Invisible Stripes, Rogue Cop and Some Like it Hot were so convincing that audiences frequently thought they were watching the genuine article.Yet to classify Raft merely as a cinema gangster is to do him a disservice. He delivered equally strong performances in such classics as Night After Night, Bolero, Souls at Sea, Spawn of the North, They Drive by Night and Manpower, his success in these roles quickly establishing him as one of the top box office draws during the 1930s and 40s. But Raft just missed the brass ring of superstardom - due to his notorious friendships with men such as "Bugsy" Siegel and, more significantly, his famous rejections of films that his rival Humphrey Bogart turned into major triumphs: Dead End, High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon.Written with the generous cooperation of many of Raft's friends and co-workers, George Raft: The Man Who Would Be Bogart details the fascinating life and career highs and lows of a man who created an unforgettable image - onscreen and off.