Library Journal: Marlon Brando Hollywood Rebel is “an entertaining and enlightening study"

Library Journal, the trade publication for librarians in the United States, has high praise for Burt Kearns’s new book, Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel, The review by Lisa Henry states that despite numerous books about the great actor, author Kearns “successfully manages to focus on the impact Brando had on a dizzying array of societal and cultural topics.” The “verdict”? “An entertaining and enlightening study iof Brando’s impressive influence."

The review, for subscribers can be found here.

Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel

 by Burt Kearns

Applause, April 2024

One of the greatest actors of the 20th century, Marlon Brando (1924–2004) had a larger-than-life screen persona and a personal life dominated by his passions for acting, activism, and sexual activities. These are all well-documented in numerous biographies, including his memoir. But Kearns (Lawrence Tierney: Hollywood’s Real-Life Tough Guy) successfully manages to focus on the impact Brando had on a dizzying array of societal and cultural topics. It begins with his tweaking of Method acting (he never memorized his lines), which reinvented the profession and forged the path to stardom for everyone from Jack Nicholson to Ryan Gosling. His character in The Wild One influenced the careers of Elvis Presley and John Lennon, provided inspiration for Andy Warhol, and kicked off the punk rock culture. As he publicly worked through his internal dilemmas, Brando is credited with normalizing the discussion of psychoanalysis and breaking sexual boundaries. He was an early supporter of gay rights. His purchase of a French Polynesian island eventually led to the boom of ecotourism, and his willingness to protest for Indigenous peoples, support opportunities for Black people, and more brought attention to topics considered verboten. 

VERDICT An entertaining and enlightening study of Brando’s impressive influence.

Reviewed by Lisa Henry, Mar 29, 2024