In 1944, Laird Cregar played Jack the Ripper in The Lodger, giving one of the most haunting performances in Hollywood history. It was the climax of a strange celebrity that saw the young American actor--who stood 6' 3" and weighed more than 300 pounds--earn distinction as a portrayer of psychopaths and villains. Determined to break free of this typecasting, he desperately desired to become "a beautiful man," embarking on an extreme diet that killed him at 31. This first biography of Cregar tells the heartbreaking story of the brilliant but doomed actor. Appendices cover his film, theatre, and radio work. Many never before published photographs are included.

About the Author
Gregory William Mank has written and recorded many DVD and Blu-Ray audio commentaries, has won four Rondo Awards, and has written numerous books on classic horror films. He lives in Delta, Pennsylvania.

Reviews
"decades of research...the author brings Cregar back to vivid life in this culmination of an 'almost lifelong' fascination with the actor...as with most good Hollywood biographies, this one interweaves its subject's life story with the story of the movie business itself...Mank finds joy as well as tragedy in Cregar's attempt to live his dream...gives rich life to an unknown Hollywood story"-Booklist; "Mank offers one of the first in-depth studies of Samuel Laird Cregar...a compelling, cautionary tale of an actor who held his own"-Library Journal; "Mank quotes many people who knew or researched Cregar. The stories are amazing as are the photos...an incredible entertaining opus. As good as anything you have ever read, or will ever read about an actor and name we knew...yet, we really didn't know"-Little Shoppe of Horrors; "With his hyper-dramatic style and flawless research, Mank has become one of the finest classic film writers/historians working today, and he has been raising the bar of film scholarship for decades...excellent...Creggar's life and career has never had the light of scholarship and film criticism sine on it until now, and there is so much here to discover and enjoy..the highest recommendation."-Midnight Marquee; "incredibly detailed and meticulously researched"-Pop Culture Classics; "scrupulous archive research...Mank has left no stone unturned while searching for personal reminiscences...scrupulously documents Cregar's various stage appearances"-Film International.



Book Information
ISBN 9781476678993
Author Gregory William Mank
Format Paperback
Page Count 329
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 603g
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 178mm * 17mm