Edge Of Midnight…The Life of John Schlesinger
Author William J. Mann
Published by Watson Guptill/Billboard Books
Review By Robin Steeley
Edge of Midnight is a biography of the life of legendary film director John Schlesinger whose career spanned more then fifty years before he died last year of a long illness. The book includes interviews with a number of Schlesinger’s co-stars including Madonna, Martin Sheen, Ian McKellan, and Dustin Hoffman. It also offers tidbits such as Schlesinger’s description of the film Sunday Bloody Sunday, which is coincidently the first film to feature two men kissing. Schlesinger called the movie “my own bloody Sunday—my affair with a young man. Nothing like it, ever, has been put on the screen before. That kiss was going to be in close-up or not at all.” It also details how Warren Beatty is the actor who sought the lead in Midnight Cowboy, but in the end the role was given to Jon Voight, the father of Angelina Jolie.
Mann creates a real sense of history in the life of the film director. It has a realistic quality often lacking in many biographies of this nature. It is well told, thoughtful, and full of rich stories about the great man’s life. The author had access to personal tape recordings that Schlesinger made during his career as well as personal letters and journals, which I’m sure helped him to write a true account of his outwardly gay life. The director was best known for his work in films such as Midnight Cowboy, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and Marathon Man, which incidentally made him internationally famous.
Overall, the author did an excellent job of portraying the real life stories behind the man in all 628 pages of this Hardcover book. If you are a fan of Schlesinger’s work, or just a film buff in general, this would be an excellent addition to your collection.
Schlesinger Partial Filmography
Billy Liar - 1963
Darling - 1965
Midnight Cowboy - 1969
Sunday Bloody Sunday - 1971
Marathon Man - 1976
Yanks - 1979
Pacific Heights - 1990
Cold Comfort Farm - 1995
The Next Best Thing - 2000
