Mr. Best, I just finished reading “Best in Hollywood” – in two days! That’s right, two full days is all it took to read your autobiography. The day I received it, I devoured the first 283 pages in one day (albeit, not in one sitting!). I kid you not; after waiting countless years to find out for myself just who James Best is and what he is all about, I relished the opportunity to finally find out. “Best in Hollywood” is easily one of – if not THE – most riveting read I have ever had the pleasure to peruse. It was funny, sad, heartbreaking, euphoric, adventurous, gritty, and above all honest. You truly give the reader a front-row seat in seeing Hollywood of the Golden Era; having worked with some of the biggest stars of that era, such as Humphrey Bogart and Paul Newman. It’s almost mind-boggling how many great stars you’ve worked with and even more mind-boggling of how many television and movie appearances you have to your name. I greatly enjoyed your numerous anecdotes, particularly those with Jerry Lewis and Burt Reynolds. Some of the gags Jerry pulled off had me in stitches! I can see why he’s revered as a comic genius. I admire the one constant rule that you seem to live your life in Hollywood by: give as good as you have received – don’t let anyone take you for a ride! As appalling as it was for the execs at Warner Brothers to treat you so shabbily during the Dukes run, it was inspiring to read how you stood up to them time and time again; not being afraid to walk if your needs weren’t met. You set a good example for young (specifically naïve) actors that can get eaten up and spit out by the Hollywood machine. And on the topic of being strong in the face of adversity, I’d be remiss if I didn’t salute you for your service in the Second World War, fighting for your country. This was something I was not completely aware of until reading your detailed accounts of your military service. It takes a brave soul to stand up to those Werewolf Gangs, and I’m glad to read that you more than held your own! But in spite of some of the rough times (and less than scrupulous people) that you encountered in Hollywood, I admire that you did not partake in any salacious kissing and telling. Too many books today written by athletes, movie stars, musicians, and the like seem to dedicate significant portions of their life stories to their dislikes for some of their colleagues in a very lowbrow fashion. It was very refreshing to see “Best in Hollywood” is free of any of that squalor. I noticed that if there was someone that you weren’t particularly enamoured with, you didn’t go out of your way to harp on their negative points. One of the real treats of your autobiography was something I didn’t expect: your wonderful poetry. Having visited your site, I became much acclimated with your talent for painting, but I had no idea you had such an eloquent pen. My two favorite poems you provided are “A Little Child’s Prayer” and “Do Not Weep”. The former vividly reflects the helplessness an orphan must feel not having anywhere to turn to and the latter is imbued with a fortifying – and uplifting – spirituality. Seeing your talents in poetry (as well as your painting) made me understand more deeply your frustration of being type-casted as only “Rosco P. Coltrane”. One role, regardless of how fortuitous it may be, can sometimes overshadow the many other talents a performer possesses. It is also a treat to see so many rare photographs from so long ago. I had only seen a handful of photos from not only your pre- and post-Dukes life in Hollywood, but I had never seen your childhood pictures from when you were growing up. Thank you for sharing those with us fans. All in all, at the risk of making an understatement, “Best in Hollywood” for me was money well spent. Thank you for sharing your life story with me and the many other grateful fans across the globe. All the best, Reza
Posted on: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 23:40:29 +0000
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