Spencer Tracy: A Biography (edição 2011)

A meticulous well researched bio of actor Spencer Tracy. At over 1,000 pages including the listing of film and stage works, bibliography, and index, each chapter left you wanting to go on and read the next right away. Author James Curtis has the cooperation of Tracy’s daughter Susie and had access to the journals Tracy wrote for his adult life as well as recollections of family members. The author spent a chapter pointing out the errors in some previously written books on Tracy as well as books on Hepburn. While Tracy seemed to be a tortured man, his screen presence is one of the most natural in the history of cinema. You feel like he is really listening to the opposing actor and saying the words for the first time. Tracy’s main advice to those who asked him how to act was to never be “caught acting”. However, as you can see from this book, he spent many, many hours while filming a role, to study lines and get the character just right. The book also contains many interviews with his wife, Louise, and describes her work with the John Tracy Clinic. I would have liked more interviews with his children as well as something at the end to let us know what his children (although I understand son John has passed away) and grandchildren are doing. ( )