Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Kid Stays in the Picture

The Kid Stays in the Picture
dizz avatar reviewed One of the best books I've ever read on + 646 more book reviews


Outrageous, self-centered, charming, obsessive and smart as a whip, Robert Evans ran Paramount during the late 1960s through mid-1970s, after which time he became an independent producer of such movies as Chinatown, The Cotton Club, Urban Cowboy, Black Sunday and The Saint. During his tenure at Paramount as production chief, his studio went from the bottom of the barrel to the top, with such movies as Rosemary's Baby, The Godfather, Harold and Maude and The President's Analyst. As he is revealed in his own words, he's an odd mixture of deep loyalties and flagrant infidelities, lifelong friendships and epic rivalries, selfishness and selflessness. He's always funny, frequently surprising, and unsparing of himself in describing his highs and lows. After reading his book, I wound up knowing a lot about him, a lot about his generation, and a whole lot about men in general, and I learned some new cuss words as well. I highly recommend this book - the most authentic and brilliant book about Hollywood I've ever read.