My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
Hiding in Plain Sight: The Secret Life of Raymond Burr
The complete story of the actor's career, including his secret gay life. Raymond Burr (1917-1993) was an enigma. A film noir star regularly known for his villainous roles in movies like Rear Window, he delighted millions of viewers each week with the top-rated shows Perry Mason and Ironside, which ran virtually uninterrupted for 20 years. But Burr was leading a secret gay ...more
Hardcover, 266 pages
Published
April 15th 2008
by Applause Theatre & Cinema Book Publishers
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
57)
I remember sitting in the living room with my parents and sister the late fifties and early sixties many Saturday nights watching Perry Mason. This biography recalls that time and provides an excellent overview of an actor who became one of the most popular TV stars of that era. Even before that he scored success in films like Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, albeit as the heavy rather than the hero. Michael Seth Starr goes beyond Burr's acting persona to explore his secret personal life as one o...more
Very good biography on a very, very private public figure. Interesting that it took this long for information to come out on him. I am a little puzzled that his homosexuality took so long to become public knowledge, according to this book.
I've known about it for sometime, since I'm a Bette Davis fan, and have read every book on her (they all tend to run together after a while, but I find it interesting on how biographers handle the exact same material). Davis was very good friends w...more
I've known about it for sometime, since I'm a Bette Davis fan, and have read every book on her (they all tend to run together after a while, but I find it interesting on how biographers handle the exact same material). Davis was very good friends w...more
I knew nothing about Raymond Burr and only picked up this biography because the author was signing free copies of it at the book expo, and the book's blurb piqued my interest by noting its focus on his secret life as a closeted gay man. There is no way I would have read it otherwise (it may be the only biography on my entire reading list), but I really enjoyed the book and devoured it in three days.
Knowing so little about Burr, the book read almost like a novel for me in which I loo...more
Knowing so little about Burr, the book read almost like a novel for me in which I loo...more
Evan
rated it
Whenever ink was set to paper in the popular press during actor Raymond Burr's lifetime -- for the purpose of telling anything about his life -- two things were true: that there was ink, and there was paper. Burr's life on paper was almost as total a lie as could possibly exist. In this biography of the famed TV and movie actor -- star of the long-running series Perry Mason and villainous character actor in films such as Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and Anthony Mann's Raw Deal -- Michael Seth ...more
Having grown up with Perry Mason, my husband recommended I read this (he read it too). Could have been shortened, but it's a very quick read. Interesting look at how gay actors had to hide themselves and how the press didn't question things. Very interesting.
view 1 comment
So I’m standing at the circ. desk talking to a coworker and as I’m checking in this book I ask aloud, “Raymond Burr had a secret life? Like what, he was a spy?”
My coworker replied with, “No, he was gay.”
“He was not!”
“Well, that’s what that book is about.”
“Perry Mason? gay? No way.”
“Read the jacket cover.”
And sure enough the jacket cover told of Mr. Burr’s lies about his personal life and that he was gay. So I checked the book out in hopes it would be int...more
My coworker replied with, “No, he was gay.”
“He was not!”
“Well, that’s what that book is about.”
“Perry Mason? gay? No way.”
“Read the jacket cover.”
And sure enough the jacket cover told of Mr. Burr’s lies about his personal life and that he was gay. So I checked the book out in hopes it would be int...more
Raymond Burr is one of those actors that was lucky enough to star in two successful, long-running TV shows--"Perry Mason" and "Ironside." As a TV icon, his story becomes a must-read. I loved this book and learning about the private life and public career of a great Hollywood star.
I adore Raymond Burr & his work. Perry Mason is one of my all-time favorite shows. As a straight woman, I was disappointed to find out Ray didn't like girls, but anything biographical written about him is of interest to me. This book was not well-written (add Michael Seth Starr to the long list of cliche kings; every chapter title was a stale cliche), & it didn't tell me much I didn't already know. But I enjoyed reading about Ray's life (although I found it to be quite sad). The author (Starr) w...more
Sadly boring, this could have been much more interesting. He led quite a fascinating life and was so admired. Most about him is touched upon, there is no discovery, there is no excitement. Alas, a disappointment whereas Perry Mason and Robert Ironside were not.
A biography of someone who was interesting written by someone who didn't have a clue as to WHY that person was interesting. A sadly lost opportunity to talk about a LOT of things happening from 1940-1990 that explain why he was so popular and how his private tensions fueled that.
The most boring Hollywood biography ever. I was expecting a dishy, entertaining biography but instead the author gave the reader a boring recitation of facts about Raymond Burr. The writing style is strangely passive and lifeless. Robotic even. Here's a quote from the book "Burr did forge one important alliance in Pasadena. With money scarce, he earned some extra dough working side jobs, including laying bricks at the Ivar House, a popular restaurant in Hollywood" I could barely keep m...more
Better than Ona Hill's biography & probably the best we'll ever have on a man who told so many untruths about his private life.
I was very disappointed in this book. It was mostly a chronicle of his career and very little about his private life.
Marya
marked it as to-read
Kate
marked it as to-read
Thom Haneline
marked it as to-read
|
|
|
|
Robert
added it
Debra Hyde
added it
Stephanie
added it
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
