Author, Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel
This week, Ira spoke with Burt Kearns, author of "Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel." In this Adler episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Burt talks about why he decided to write a book about Marlon Brando with a new perspective, something that previous books had not covered; how Marlon Brando influences popular culture today; why he defines himself as a “pop culture journalist”; how he structured the book; how Brando influenced Elvis; why acting meant so little to the actor; how he lied in media interviews in the early days of his Hollywood career; the connection between Marlon Brando and James Dean; Marlon’s lifelong friendship with Wally Cox; how Burt researched his book and talked with people who knew Brando; the most surprising thing he found out about the actor; Brando’s involvement in civil rights; why the actor didn’t put his heart into film after “Last Tango in Paris”; and why Paramount didn’t want Marlon Brando for “The Godfather.”
Burt Kearns is an author, journalist, and “show business and pop culture savant” (Vanity Fair). His books include Lawrence Tierney: Hollywood’s Real-Life Tough Guy and The Show Won’t Go On. Kearns has broken major stories as a television and print journalist. As an Emmy-winning television and motion picture producer, director, and writer, he’s written and produced dozens of nonfiction television series (Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura and Kardashian: The Man Who Saved OJ Simpson), documentaries (Death of a Beatle and Bin Laden’s Escape) and, with Academy Award winners Albert S.Ruddy and Gray Frederickson, the motion picture comedy, Cloud 9, starring Burt Reynolds. He lives in Pacific Palisades, California.
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