Steve McQueen: The Great Escape

by Wes D. Gehring

Overview

The poster-child victim of a dysfunctional family from Beech Grove, Indiana, Steve McQueen experienced an unsettled early life with a rebellious and alcoholic mother. McQueen channeled his difficult childhood into a masterful career on screen portraying tough, self-sufficient characters in such iconic films as The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968). Gehring explores how McQueen rose from his days as a troubled youth into one of Hollywood’s top box-office stars, and how he attempted to ease the lives of other troubled youth. Gehring delves into McQueen’s early success, his rocky relationships with women, his sense of humor, his love of fast cars and motorcycles, and his often neglected acting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780871953094
Publisher:	Indiana Historical Society Press
Publication date:	04/20/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	308
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Wes D. Gehring is a professor of film at Ball State University and an associated media editor and columnist for USA Today magazine. Gehring has written biographies of such screen legends as Charlie Chaplin, Carole Lombard, James Dean and Red Skelton.

Table of Contents

Contents Foreword Preface Prologue Wanted: Dead or Alive Chapter 1. Dysfunctional Beginnings Chapter 2. New York, on the Road, Back to New York Chapter 3. Neile Adams, Broadway, and Beyond Chapter 4. A John Sturges Trilogy Chapter 5. Between the Trilogy Pictures Chapter 6. 1960s Stardom, Despite Some Under-the-Radar Movies Chapter 7. Another Pivotal Trilogy: “What the hell happened?” Chapter 8. A Neglected Comedy, Hollywood Murders, and Vanity Racing Chapter 9. From Peckinpah to Papillon, Plus a Real “Love Story” Chapter 10. The Strange Final Years Epilogue Filmography Notes Select Bibliography