Warren Oates: A Wild Life

by Susan Compo

Though he never reached the lead actor status he labored so relentlessly to achieve, Warren Oates (1928–1982) is one of the most memorable and skilled character actors of the 1970s. With his rugged looks and measured demeanor, Oates crafted complex characters who were at once brazen and thoughtful, wild and subdued. Friends remember the hard-living, hard-drinking actor as kind and caring, but also sometimes as mean as a blue-eyed devil. Married four times, partial to road trips in his RV affectionately known as the "Roach Coach," and famous for performances for directors ranging from Sam Peckinpah to Steven Spielberg, Warren Oates remained a Hollywood outsider perfectly suited to the 1960s and 1970s counterculture.

Born in the small town of Depoy in rural western Kentucky and reared in Louisville, Oates began his career in the late 1950s with bit parts in television westerns. Though hardly lucrative work, it was during this time Oates met renegade director Sam Peckinpah, establishing the creative relationship and destructive friendship that produced some of Oates's most unforgettable roles in Ride the High Country (1962), Major Dundee (1965), and The Wild Bunch (1969), as well as a leading part in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974). Though Oates maintained a close association with Peckinpah, he had a penchant for working with a variety of visionary directors who understood his approach and were eager to enlist the subtle talents of the consummate character actor. With supporting roles in In the Heat of the Night (1967), The Hired Hand (1971), Badlands (1973), 1941 (1979), and Stripes (1981), Oates delivered solid performances for filmmakers as diverse and talented as Norman Jewison, Peter Fonda, Terrence Malick, Steven Spielberg, and Ivan Reitman.

Oates's offscreen personality was just as complex as his on-screen persona. Notorious for being a nightlife reveler, he was as sensitive and introspective as he was outgoing and prone to periods of exuberant, and at times illegal, excess. Though he never became a marquee name, Warren Oates continues to influence actors like Billy Bob Thornton and Benicio Del Toro, as well as directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Richard Linklater, all of whom have cited Oates as a major inspiration. In Warren A Wild Life , author Susan Compo skillfully captures the story of Oates's eventful life, indulgent lifestyle, and influential career.

Genres: Film, Biography, Nonfiction

536 pages, Paperback

First published March 16, 2009

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never particularly cared for Warren Oates. He was always portraying villains and losers on TV and on the big screen, and I can't immediately recall any TV show or movie in which he did not die by gunfire. And that was a good thing, that death, because it was exactly what you had been hoping for. Oates was so despicable in most roles you actually wanted him to die, and that is the mark of a good character actor, being able to draw you into the movie in that way. It helps if the actor is playing himself in the movie; it was always said of John Wayne that he was successful only because he played himself on film. The same could be said of Oates: he could be sulky, surly and brash both on screen and off.

I think Susan Compo has done a creditable job in researching Oates. Much of her information comes from interviews with Oates' contemporaries, and I sense that there would be some reluctance on the part of a friend or family member to dish out too much dirt on Mr Oates. Even so, he does not come off unscathed: he was known to lie about his background, or at least relate varying versions of it, and wasn't above stealing something he couldn't obtain by other means. His adulterous behavior was nothing short of shameful, and he was prone to excess in the use of tobacco, alcohol, and cutlery. His death at an early age should have come as no surprise.

Compo's biography of Oates is quite readable, and it surprised me to learn that big names in cinema were not always paid bucketsful of money to work their magic on the big screen. Imagine Steve McQueen having to sleep over, or stars having to borrow lunch money from each other, or getting a night job driving cab to make ends meet. It was an eye-opener for me, at least.

I read this book because Oates was widely used by Peckinpah, and it occurred to me that this would be a good book to read to augment my knowledge of the director, whose biography I read recently. Compo adequately introduced me to Oates, but she couldn't make me like him as a person. He was a great character actor, though, and you can't take that away from him.

[Kyle Burley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Warren Oates seems on first sight grubby, balding, and unshaven. You can smell whisky and sweat on him, along with that mixture of bad beds and fallen women. He's toothy, he's small, and he has a face like prison bread... But for some of us, Oates is the only human being in pictures."
David Thomson

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Warren Oates by way of Sam Peckinpah's films. I enjoyed the book and he seems exactly the person I thought he'd be. I really wish I could have seen the stage version of "Cuckoo's Nest" with him in the role that Nicholson took for the film. I'm now intrigued by writer Thomas McGuane a writerof fiction that also directed films and dabbled in songwriting with the more common musical contemporaries of Oates and Peckinpah.

The book also provides a complete credit list including Oates tv appearances. Some of these are available in streaming services like Netflix and YouTube.
Read the book if you are a fan of Oates and then treat yourself to viewing his work with a fresh palate.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although he acted in hits like Stripes (1981) and The Wild Bunch (1969) Ride The High Country (1962) Blue Thunder (1983)and many others some of his best performances were in films that were little seen like The Hired Hand (1971) Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974) Cockfighter (1974)or 92 In The Shade (1975). That and an early death at age 52 has resulted in Warren Oates being little remembered today except by fans of his acting, which was both intense and highly realistic. More of a character actor than a star, or something in between the two, Oates was a larger than life personality who was both an icon to old Hollywood character actors like Ben Johnson and New Hollywood directors like Peter Fonda and Monte Hellman. This biography tells the detailed story of his colorful and talented life and his friendships with people as diverse as Sam Peckinpah and Robert Culp. A thoroughly enjoyable book for fans of cinema from early television shows to Hollywood in the 70's. - BH.

[Jennifer Barbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars for Warren Oates himself. What the man brought to film has no equal today. He was a capital-M Man. Not always a man's man, because however gruff he was, however weathered, he always had a twinkle in his eye that drew in the sympathies of women. He had one of those faces that showed every day he lived - and lived hard, at that. I miss those kinds of faces in movies, not all ironed out and stretched beyond human recognition. RIP Warren.

Three stars for Compo's writing. In her quest to chronicle literally every single on-camera appearance by Oates, it sometimes felt like a laundry list of ephemeral trivia, and at other times just self indulgent. I appreciated the chronicle, but it was always the more personal moments she described, and the first person accounts of her sources that actually made me feel like she was getting at Warren the man. I also could have done without her tendency to write asides about other famous people at that time who had nothing whatsoever to do with Oates. A story about Sharon Tate at a party, particularly stands out. Sure, Sharon Tate is interesting, but I picked up this book to read about Warren Oates. There's no indication that he even MET Sharon Tate, so why bother?

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Compo's biography of Warren Oates is the story of a man who was, in many ways, comfortable in his own skin, yet a seeker. Oates, one of America's finest and still underrated character actors, rarely gained the spotlight in his films, and seemed content. Most of the time. His off-screen life included several wives, children, and friendships, all of which involve stories that are entertaining, reflective, melancholy, and as the title suggests, wild.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great actor, a complicated man, and by most accounts a great friend and nice person to all. A lousy husband though. I've been a fan of Mr. Oates ever since The Wild Bunch came out and remember being devastated when I learned he had died so young at 53. This was a good read with a lot of info (but I'm still trying to decide if it was worth what I paid for it: $36.00).

[John P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foreword: As with any biography, there must be two ratings: one for the person being written about, one for the person writing.

Oates himself comes across, as he does on film, as an interesting 5-star character.

The writing, while certainly listing myriad facts, anecdotes, and quotes, falls short of the ideal. The style IMHO tries too hard to be clever, with the result being sometimes confusing.

The pictures are a welcome addition however this reviewer would have like to have seen a lot more.

[Paula Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very talented but overlooked actor.

[Neil Horne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected delight.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 3 1/2 star book. If you're a big Oates fan you should definitely read it.

Compo has a lot of great material to present, but she does it in a really pedestrian, nondescript way. Her writing has no juice.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous book. There was nobody better than Oates and this book serves him well. I was in tears at the end and I knew what was coming.

[Teraberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! So many bad biographies... Lifeless regurgitations of dates and facts. This one gets to the guts and let's you see the man. But, hey I'm a fan...

[Michael Samerdyke]

This one started strong. The chapters on Oates' early life, how he went to college and decided to become an actor, and his career in early TV in New York and Hollywood were fine.

But once the book reaches 1970, things fall apart. Not only does project follow project with no rhyme or reason, but it becomes impossible to keep track of Oates' lovers and friends.

The author fails to let us know what is important and what isn't. Why should we care about "Cockfighter" and "China 9 Liberty 37"? The writing is often awkward. "What The Wild Bunch means to cinema is oversize." is an actual sentence from this book. What the hell does that even mean?

A disappointment.