Sidney Lumet

October 1, 2019

Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) directed some of the most iconic films of the 1970s including Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, and Network. Known as an "actor's director" who loved to collaborate with his cast and crew, he taught courses on filmmaking and wrote Making Movies, which detailed the technical aspects of filmmaking. With this biography, Spiegel (narrative medicine, Columbia Univ. Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons) uses passages from an unfinished memoir and interviews with friends, family, and actors to create a portrait of a strong, complicated, but compassionate man who created classics with a strong New York City atmosphere. Unlike Making Movies, this title does not dwell too much on the technical. Instead, Spiegel focuses on the humanity involved in each film, Lumet's relationships, and the presence of Lumet's home, New York City. VERDICT Though some readers may find the book at times too congratulatory (there are no juicy tidbits), it does provide a strong perspective of a talented but uncompromising director. An insightful biography, perfect for film buffs.--Leah Huey, Dekalb P.L., IL

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Starred review from November 1, 2019
A well-grounded biography of the American director's expansive career. Throughout a prolific career, Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) emerged as one of the most acclaimed directors of his time, recognized for his accomplishments in theater, TV, and, especially, film (Twelve Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, etc.). In this first significant biography of Lumet, Spiegel (Literature and Film/Columbia Univ.; co-author: The Breast Book: An Intimate and Curious History, 2002, etc.) offers a comprehensive study of this multifaceted filmmaker, thoughtfully examining the creative and personal forces that influenced his work. The author traces his early years as a child actor performing in Yiddish theater at age 5 through his work on Broadway as a teenager and his enlistment in the Army during World War II. After the war, Lumet's interest quickly shifted from acting to directing for the theater. In the early days of TV, he firmly hit his stride, mastering the quickly evolving technical craft of directing for live TV, which included directing diverse groups of actors while remaining mindfully efficient with tight schedules and budgets. These skills would benefit his later work on film. Spiegel comfortably weaves elements of Lumet's personal life into her narrative, touching on his complex relationship with his father, Baruch, also a theater actor in his day; his four marriages (Gloria Vanderbilt was his second wife); two children; and his expansive network of show business friends. Yet the author shines brightest in her illumination of Lumet's skills as a director. Beyond offering knowledgeable film summaries, she deftly examines the technical artistry he brought to each project. "Sidney never stopped experimenting," writes Spiegel. "He was constantly working with new actors, new equipment, new genres, and new techniques. Throughout his career he drew upon his earlier experiences in radio, theater, television, and film to expand beyond his comfort zones and break new ground as both an artist and a citizen." A likely definitive exploration of the director's distinguished career--of great interest to budding filmmakers and film enthusiasts.

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October 15, 2019
Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) spent nearly his entire life in show business, beginning in Yiddish theater in New York, then becoming a child actor on Broadway, and finally moving behind the camera, directing live TV and eventually more than 50 films. His is a life rich in story, both personal and professional, and Spiegel does a yeoman's job of telling those stories in this illuminating biography of a man who believed in doing "meaningful work" and pretty much never stopping, "no sitting around waiting for inspiration." That work ethic was formed in theater and in live TV in the early '50s, and those sections of the book sparkle with life and vivid anecdotes, detailing how Lumet honed his craft directing such shows as Playhouse 90 and working with actors like Paul Newman, Rod Steiger, and James Dean. He carried his commitment to steady work over to films, turning out both hits and misses by the dozens, notably the three great '70s dramas: Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network. Lumet's is also a New Yorker's story, and his love of the city and its streets is palpable throughout. Essential reading for movie fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

September 23, 2019
Columbia University professor Spiegel traces the storied career of director Sidney Lumet (1924–2011) in this insightful debut. Relying on Lumet’s unfinished memoirs and interviews with family, friends, and colleagues, Spiegel reveals in this first full-length biography facets of his subject’s life, from growing up in New York City’s Lower East Side (his parents, both Polish immigrants, worked in the Yiddish theater) to acting on Broadway by age 10 and eventually to becoming involved in the Group Theatre with such colleagues as Stella Adler, Lee J. Cobb, and Elia Kazan. Beginning his career directing off-Broadway in the 1940s, Lumet evolved quickly into a highly respected television director renowned for his “lightning quick” style, directing socially conscious plays for Playhouse 90, You Are There, and Omnibus with actors Walter Bernstein, James Dean, Tab Hunter, and Rod Steiger, among others. As Spiegel details in workmanlike prose, with Lumet’s first feature film in 1957, 12 Angry Men, Lumet found his calling as a director of “stories of ordinary people trying to cope with something bigger than themselves.” Creating a cinematic world featuring morally conflicted, flawed characters facing urban realities, Lumet achieved his greatest success with 1970s classics Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network. This revealing and entertaining biography provides a sensitive look at one of Hollywood’s most humanistic and socially aware filmmakers.