Description: The Last of the High Comedians - The Incomparable Rex by Patrick Garland - copyright 1998 - This hardcover book with dustjacket in very good condition - the dustjacket in very good condition with no wear - inside is in very good condition - no writing nor torn or missing pages.. (see photos) A memoir about the last ten years in the life of Rex Harrison (1908–90), this book by British director Garland is actually a warts-and-all look at the 1981 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady. Although Sir Rex continued working until a few months before his death, Garland (who directed the short-lived revival of the 1956 Lerner and Loewe musical) glosses over the other stage roles Harrison took on when he was well into his 70s (such as his definitive interpretation of Captain Shotover in Shaw's Heartbreak House in 1983) and instead focuses on the actor's mercurial personality during rehearsals of My Fair Lady. He dwells in particular detail upon Harrison’s nasty treatment of Nancy Ringham (who was plucked from the chorus to play Eliza Doolittle after leading lady Cheryl Kennedy lost her voice at the 11th hour), which he believes was ultimately responsible for sinking the production. Garland’s account is not boring. Theater buffs will enjoy reading about Harrison's rivalry with Richard Burton and will marvel at the tales of the beloved trouper Cathleen Nesbitt, who played Higgins's mother in the original My Fair Lady and reprised the role 25 years later at the age of 94 (when her faculties were fading, yet she was still, amazingly, able to charm the audiences once the curtain went up). One begins to wonder, however, whether Garland is simply out to make a quick buck from his association with Harrison: there's just too much information about the actor's favorite obscenity, his mistreatment of his six wives and assorted girlfriends, and his cruel deathbed comments to his sons Carey and Noel—and not nearly enough about what made him “the last of the great high comedians,” as Garland contends. Also listed Billie Burke SIGNED, Valentino, Joan Crawford SIGNED, Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, Faye Dunaway SIGNED, William Powell, Shirley Temple SIGNED, Marlene Dietrich SIGNED, Doris Day & other Hollywood Bios & Photos........... Thanks for looking and happy bidding Combine postage offered on all items!
Price: 16 USD
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
End Time: 2025-01-13T21:01:07.000Z
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Restocking Fee: No
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
Topic: Movie & Television, Movies
Format: Hardcover
Type: Biography
Subjects: Biographies & True Stories
Author: Patrick Garland
Publication Year: 1998
Country of Manufacture: United States
Subject: Biography & Autobiography
Language: English
Special Attributes: 1st Edition, Dust Jacket