Angels & Demons : One Actor's Hollywood Journey

by Ray Stricklyn

This is the story of one actor's rise, fall and ultimate triumph, an intimate look at a life in Hollywood and in the theater. Stricklyn pulls no punches as he portrays the angles, and demons he met along the way and those he discovered within himself.

297 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Joseph J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more than a terrific account of Hollywood-gay, closeted gay and straight- in the 1950;s and beyond. It is a cautionary tale for anyone seeking fame and fortune in the dream factory. Ray Stricklyn experienced his name on the marquee, the brilliant reviews and notices, and the parties with Rock and Bette and Joan and the Hollywood elite, and the theatre /literary names of Broadway and New York. But the big role. the breakthrough always remained elusive, as did personal happiness in a time when acknowledgement of being gay was a career ender. (Has THAT changed?) ' Returned to this book after seeing Ray in an old Perry Mason, and BOY did he need that role. Ray was Bette Davis' son in the long unappreciated but now rediscovered "A Catered Affair." (Ray was prettier than even Debbie Reynolds, his screen sister, was one remark.) Index surf for names, but that is missing the forest for the trees, a forest of human pathos and frustration, a search for personal fulfillment and career accomplishment.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty interesting look at the life of someone who was quite successful in show business but was never a household name. Lots of interesting inside information about many celebrities.
But, oh my God, the editing! There apparently wasn't any, nor any proofreading, either. Semicolons were strewn about the place, seemingly randomly. Some words that were intended to be italicized were only partly italicized, or perhaps the first letter of the next word was inappropriately italicized, too! It was a mess. Belle Publishing, please hire me.

[Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The memoir is much more interesting in the beginning (as I suppose all of our lives are) but then kinda peters out with a lot of lists of actors, plays, and close friends. I enjoyed reading the book, but it could have used some tightening up.

[Sphinx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ray Stricklyn lived through a fascinating time in film history, the transition from the studio golden days of the 1950s to the rise of television but he never lost his love for the theatre and had his greatest triumph on the stage (in a one-man show). But meanwhile he was often unemployed and had to forge a career as a publicist which led him to meeting many famous people. But this is not really a dishing-the-dirt sort of autobiography. He was well loved and respected within his profession even though he doesn’t get along with everyone. So I enjoyed it for the personal experiences of the author and his honesty as he looks back on his life and career, regretting the opportunities that didn’t come his way but how in the end life’s experiences made him a finer actor. These tussles include his struggle with alcohol, his difficulty accepting his homosexuality (he was celibate for 10 years at one stage there even though he was in a gay relationship) as well as his smoking four packets of cigarettes a day for 50 years! But in the end I felt Stricklyn had come out at the other end on top and could be proud of his life.
So, this is an autobiography by a thinking man who had talent and determination and like us all looks back as he nears the end (his smoking makes no doubt of that!) and judges the mistakes he made - but also sees the wisdom he’s gained.
Recommended.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a rather disappointing read. The book provides neither insight into Stricklyn's abortive career and his time in Hollywood nor does it dish the dirt about gay Hollywood as some reviews have claimed. The most informative section deals with Stricklyn's development of his solo show, "Confessions of a Nightingale." The best dish comes in his comments on some of the stars he worked with as a press agent. For the rest, the book is rather plodding.