José Ferrer: Success and Survival(Hollywood Legends Series)

José Ferrer (1912-1992) became the first Puerto Rican actor to win the Best Actor Academy Award for the 1950 film version of Cyrano de Bergerac.His portrayal of the lovelorn poet/swordsman had already won him the Tony in 1947, and he would be identified with Cyrano for the rest of his life. Ferrer was a theatrical dynamo; in 1952 he directed Stalag 17, The Fourposter, and The Shrike (which he starred in) on Broadway, while New York City movie marquees were heralding his appearance in Anything Can Happen. At his apex in the 1950s, Ferrer capitalized on his Oscar with such triumphs as Moulin Rouge and The Caine Mutiny. He soon became a force behind the camera, acting and directing such critically well-received films as The Shrike and The Great Man. Yet in the late 1950s, such ambitious theatrical productions as Edwin Booth and Juno were critical and commercial flops and film studios lost their patience. By the mid-1960s, Ferrer took whatever roles he could get. He led a turbulent personal life. His first marriage to actress Uta Hagen ended in divorce and scandal. His personal and professional relationship with Paul Robeson landed Ferrer before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Ferrer's marriage to actress/dancer Phyllis Hill was marred by his infidelity, while initial wedded bliss with singer Rosemary Clooney soon eroded. In spite of everything, Ferrer endured and worked practically right up to his death. Proud of his Puerto Rican heritage, he donated his Oscar to the University of Puerto Rico and championed the work of Latino writers. He continuously evolved, stretching his talents. Ferrer's life is an American success story and a testament to reinvention and resilience.

About the Author :
Mike Peros chairs the English Department at Bishop Loughlin High School in Brooklyn, New York. He is author of Dan Duryea: Heel with a Heart and José Ferrer: Success and Survival, both published by University Press of Mississippi. He also reviews films for NoHoartsdistrict.com.

Review :
No one else has examined Ferrer's career with such close attention, judiciously praising his successes and explaining his failures. Peros has recovered a great personality and artist. This biography comes at a welcome time when we need precisely this story about a man who remained faithful to his roots and made a success of himself in mainstream American culture.--Carl Rollyson, author of many biographies including A Real American Character: The Life of Walter Brennan; Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews; and Marilyn Monroe: A Life of the Actress, Revised and Updated Mike Peros's José Ferrer: Success and Survival explores the brilliant, mercurial, and protean actor and director with astonishing honesty, clarity, and attention to detail. Based upon careful scholarship, new sources, and a love for his subject, Peros unmasks the many facets of Ferrer's uncanny rise in American theater and film, doing great tribute to Ferrer's Puerto Rican roots while celebrating a great American actor. Unique in his ability to adapt to the landscape of American theater and film, Ferrer's personal story--particularly his stormy relationships with stars such as Uta Hagen, Paul Robeson, Rosemary Clooney, Margaret Webster, and others and the challenges arising from his blacklisting in the 1950s--makes this book an enormously satisfying read. For those who don't know Ferrer's work, Peros's masterful storytelling inspires his readers to seek out Ferrer's brilliant and iconic roles in film such as Cyrano de Bergerac, Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge, and Barney Greenwald in The Caine Mutiny, as well as his memorable turns as a director of films such as The Shrike and plays such as The Fourposter and Stalag 17. In an age when performers of color are just now finding more representation on the stage and in film, Peros's biography provides insight into Ferrer's success and, yes, survival as the first major Latinx theatrical and film star in the US--this book should be on the reading list of scholars entering the field.--David A. Crespy, professor of playwriting, acting, dramatic literature, and theater history, University of Missouri José Ferrer: Success and Survival is a well-researched book that illuminates much about Ferrer's life and legacy.--Annette Bochenek "Hometowns to Hollywood"