Donald spoto marilyn monroe biography wikipedia

American biographer and theologian (–)

Donald Spoto (June 28, – February 11, ) was an American biographer and theologian. He was known for his biographies of people in the worlds of film and theater, and for his books on theology and spirituality.

Spoto wrote 29 books,^[2] including biographies of Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, Tennessee Williams, Ingrid Bergman, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Alan Bates.

The BBC/HBO television motion picture The Girl (), about Tippi Hedren's experience during the filming of The Birds (), was based in part on Spoto's work on Hitchcock.

Account Options Connexion. Version papier du livre. Marilyn Monroe : The Biography. Donald Spoto.

Spoto wrote biographical accounts of the House of Windsor from the Victorian era to Diana, Princess of Wales, and of religious figures such as Jesus, Saint Joan of Arc, and Saint Francis of Assisi; the latter was made into a television program by Faith & Values Media.^[3][4]

Early existence and education

A native of Novel Rochelle, New York, Spoto graduated from Iona Preparatory School in and received his BA summa cum laude from Iona College in and his MA and PhD from Fordham University in and , respectively.

In , the Academy of Art University (San Francisco) bestowed on him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his contributions to literature and education.^[1]

Career

Teaching

Spoto taught theology, Christian mysticism, and Biblical literature at Fairfield University, at the College of New Rochelle, and later film studies at the Fresh School for Social Research from until He taught intensive Latin at the CUNY Latin/Greek Institute in the summer of ^[5] From he taught at the University of Southern California.

In addition, he was a visiting lecturer at the British Production Institute and the National Production Theatre in London from until ^[1] In , he was named permanent Guest Lecturer at the Danish Film Institute, Copenhagen.

Spoto served on the boards of directors of Human Rights Watch, Death Penalty Focus, and the San Francisco-based Children's Legal Protection Center.^{[citation needed]}

Writing

In the s Spoto began writing biographies of film directors, actors and playwrights.

He has also written accounts of such religious figures as Jesus, St. Joan of Arc, and St. Francis of Assisi.

Marilyn Monroe: The Biography: Spoto, Donald: 9780815411833 ...: Donald Spoto (June 28, – February 11, ) was an American biographer and theologian. He was recognizable for his biographies of people in the worlds of production and theater, and for his books on theology and spirituality.

The latter was made into a television program of the same title, Reluctant Saint: Francis of Assisi, produced for Faith & Values Media.

Spoto's Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: A Life was adapted into a four-hour drama which aired in on CBS.

He was an executive producer of the project, along with George Stelzner of West Egg Studios.^{[citation needed]}

Spoto served as script consultant for The Girl (), an HBO/BBC TV feature based on Spoto's books about Alfred Hitchcock.

Starring Toby Jones and Sienna Miller, the motion picture offers an account of Hitchcock's treatment of Tippi Hedren during the filming of The Birds ().

Reception

In , Publishers Weekly called his life of Laurence Olivier "a magnificent, moving biography worthy of its protean subject".^[6]Michael Coveney, reviewing the Alan Bates biography in in The Guardian, described him as "an American quasi-academic gossipmonger who has produced zestful, authoritative books"^[7]Barry Forshaw wrote in The Times that Spoto is "one of the most perspicacious biographers, a man whose insights into his subjects are always razor-sharp."^[8]

His biography of Teresa Wright, A Girl's Got to Breathe: The Life of Teresa Wright was published in February Spoto was a close ally to Wright for more than 30 years and was given exclusive access by her family to her papers and correspondence.

Publishers Weekly called the biography "an engaging and intimate portrait".^[9]Library Journal praised the book as "an affectionate tribute to a shamefully neglected talent".^[10]

Personal life and death

Spoto was openly gay and lived with his husband, Ole Flemming Larsen, near Copenhagen, Denmark.^[2][11]

Spoto died of a brain hemorrhage in Køge on February 11, , at the age of ^[12]

Selected works

References