Robert Redford and American Cinema: Modern Film Stardom and the Politics of Celebrity

249 Pages·2021·2.705 MB·English

by  Michael Allen

Robert Redford and American Cinema
ii
Robert Redford and
American Cinema
Modern Film Stardom and the Politics of
Celebrity
Michael Allen
BLOOMSBURY ACADEMIC
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
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BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY ACADEMIC and the Diana logo are trademarks
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First published in Great Britain 2021
Copyright © Michael Allen, 2021
Michael Allen has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act,
1988, to be identified as Author of this work.
For legal purposes the Acknowledgments on p. ix constitute
an extension of this copyright page.
Cover design: Charlotte Daniels
Cover image: A River Runs Through It (1992) directed by Robert Redford (© Columbia
Pictures / RNB / Collection Christophel / Arenapal)
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Allen, Michael, 1957- author.
Title: Robert Redford and American cinema : modern film stardom and the
politics of celebrity / Michael Allen.
Description: 1st. | London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic, 2021. |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2020039979 (print) | LCCN 2020039980 (ebook) | ISBN 9781350141971
(hardback) | ISBN 9781350141988 (pdf) | ISBN 9781350141995 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Redford, Robert–Criticism and interpretation.
Classification: LCC PN2287.R283 A45 2021 (print) |
LCC PN2287.R283 (ebook) | DDC 791.4302/8092 [B]–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020039979
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020039980
ISBN: HB: 978-1-3501-4197-1
ePDF: 978-1-3501-4198-8
eBook: 978-1-3501-4199-5
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To Janet and Olivia, with love.
vi
Contents
List of Illustrations viii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 Starting small: Robert Redford in theatre and on television 7
2 Maverick superstar for a New Hollywood 33
3 Political animal 71
4 An independent soul 119
5 Behind the camera 145
6 Proud member of the ‘Over the Hill’ gang 177
Filmography 214
Bibliography 221
Index 230
Illustrations
1.1 Acting with a legend: Redford with Laughton in ‘In the Presence
of Mine Enemies’ 13
2.1 Brave debut: Redford as pansexual Wade Lewis in
Inside Daisy Clover 47
2.2 Finally footloose: Redford as Paul Blatter in Barefoot in the Park 49
2.3 The eyes have it: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 51
2.4 Pyrrhic victory I: Downhill Racer 59
2.5 The passing of the baton: The Sting 63
3.1 Pyrrhic victory II: The Candidate 90
3.2 Giving Redford something to do: The argument in the
restaurant in The Way We Were 93
3.3 Bookworm turned action hero: Three Days of the Condor 101
3.4 Intrepid reporters: Hoffman as Bernstein and Redford as
Woodward in All the President’s Men 107
3.5 Redford as Rather in Truth 116
5.1 Feel the tension: Breakfast with the Jarretts in Ordinary People 156
5.2 The majesty of nature I: A River Runs through It 158
5.3 The majesty of nature II: The Horse Whisperer 159
5.4 Acting masterclass: Lions for Lambs 172
6.1 Has-been card sharp: Havana 188
6.2 Old and grizzled: An Unfinished Life 190
6.3 Ageing stunt man: All Is Lost 206
6.4 Going out in style: The Old Man and the Gun 208
Acknowledgments
A great many thanks go to Philippa Brewster, who agreed to accept the
book for publication, too many years ago now for me to mention without
embarrassment. Following on, thanks also go to Rebecca Barden and
Veidehi Hans at Bloomsbury, who took on the project, for their patience and
professionalism in getting my manuscript into its final completed state.
Finally, I would like to send my love and thanks to my wife Janet, whose love
and support kept me going through several significant crises of confidence. I
would not have been able to stay the course through the length of the project
without her words of encouragement.