Lee Marvin: Point Blank

This is such an amazing biography. Dwayne Epstein does an amazing job, weaving personal stories, testimonies, and historical events in film, into a narrative that’s easy to read and hard to put down. Lee Marvin was such a bad ass, and this book fully encapsulates all that and so much more.💯 would recommend

This biography on tough guy actor Lee Marvin is well researched, easy to read, and holds your interest. I especially appreciated the slightly larger print than most books published these days. Author Dwayne Epstein talked to a lot of people (and the list is in the book) who worked with Marvin or were family members or friends. This type of input is essential to a great biography. We heard a great deal from Marvin's first wife but nothing from Michele Marvin (of the palimony suit) or his last wife Pam. We also heard from many co-stars including Angie Dickinson, Jack Palance, L.Q. Jones, Woody Strode, Clint Walker as well as directors Budd Boetticher, Edward Dymtrk, Burt Kennedy, and John Frankenheimer, and so many others. We had some family history regarding Marvin's uncle who was killed during Admiral Peary's North Pole expedition as well as his father's service in WWI. Marvin was a non-conformist who started young, running away from home at the age of 4 and attending numerous schools. He served in the Marine Corps and fought in some dangerous battles in the South Pacific where he was wounded and probably suffered from untreated PSTD his entire life. He discovered acting and had one Broadway appearance before getting to Hollywood. After years of struggle in early television and being the bad guy in films, he finally broke through and became a major star. The author really does an excellent job of covering Marvin's life and what made him tick. I especially liked several of the appendices that included the list of the people interviewed that included the date and whether it was in person or via phone, the Unmade Films of Lee Marvin (films that he either turned down or was considered for but did not make), and the Films Marvin Could Have Made (which lists films such as The Untouchables, Million Dollar Baby, and so on that could have used Marvin if he had been alive). There is also a list of important dates in Marvin's life as well as Posthumous Events Related to Lee Marvin. However, there is no filmography. I also disagree with the author's take that Martin Scorsese as the greatest American director currently working. I hate Scorsese's films and quite frankly, always preferred Marvin in his less violent roles such as in Monte Walsh, Paint Your Wagon, and Cat Ballou. Its too bad Marvin did not have the chance to do more comedy roles or roles as the mature romantic interest. I think he would have done both well. The book also has a nice afterward by Marvin's only son. However, the unanswered questions I have are many - we found out what Marvin's son is doing now but what about his daughters? What did Marvin think about being a grandfather? What do his grandchildren think of him now? How is it that the children of his third wife (who were not Marvin's) received more of the estate that Marvin's actual children? What is Marvin's first wife doing now - she was interviewed extensively in the book? What is Marvin's last wife doing now - she was not interviewed for the book? Did Marvin's brother ever reconcile the salary Marvin earned as a film star with his own salary as a teacher? Did Marvin ever attend any "reunions" with his Marine buddies? The book gives us a good picture of Marvin but leaves quite a few unanswered questions.

This book completes my biographical trifecta on Lee Marvin.When reading a celebrity biography, the first thing I look for is whether or not the author has respect for the subject. This is usually apparent within the first five pages of any book. Most biographies fail in my opinion because they are smear jobs, for the most part. When I bought this book, I already knew of Dwayne Epstein's admiration for Lee Marvin, and so, I knew his book would most likely be balanced. I did not want to read something that would sugarcoat and make excuses for his flaws. I also did not want to read something, which focused solely on his flaws. Dwayne Epstein managed to strike a perfect balance.As we fans know, Lee Marvin was a brilliant actor and a brave warrior. He was not only touched and scarred by his childhood with emotionally detached and clueless parents, but, also the ravages of war and alcoholism. When looking at his life, he should have had an easy life. He was an intelligent, handsome, and talented man, and yet his life was anything but easy. Dwayne Epstein does a superb job in presenting a multi-dimensional picture of this very gifted and haunted actor. It would have been very easy to only concentrate on his flaws, leaving out the good aspects of Lee's personality. Epstein confirmed what I have always suspected; that there was an acutely sensitive soul under all of that Lee Marvin bravado. I was especially pleased to read the afterword from Christopher Marvin, Lee's one and only son. I have always wanted to know his children's thoughts about their father and Christopher did not disappoint. He did not dwell in the negative, which would have been easy to do. Instead, he painted a portrait of a loving father, who bonded with his son. Thankfully, very little was said about Lee's hateful and disgusting second wife and when Epstein talked about family, the focus was where it should have been: on his first wife Betty and their children. In addition to Mr. Epstein's wonderful book, I would recommend the book written by Betty Marvin and the book written by Donald Zec (Lee authorized the Zec book and Zec interviewed him, spending countless hours with Lee). All three of these books together are all you will ever need when reading about this screen icon. Dwayne Epstein's admiration for Lee comes through, and he perfectly demonstrates to lesser biographers how to write about an imperfect subject without completely trashing them.