Fatal Charm: The Life of Rex Harrison

Sir Rex Harrison acted on stage and screen for almost 70 years, spawning classics onto which he put his own unique style, making those parts his forever. Can anyone visualize the role of Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady" being played by anyone else? Impossible! As a life long fan, one who once had the chance to catch him on Broadway, this biography is a nice balanced look of this remarkable man, gifted with a great talent, but all too human, and many demons from poor choices dogged his life. His story is not all glamour and glory, but it does provide an interesting perspective on the life of one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. The book is worth reading just for the chaotic behind the scenes life of Hollywood in her Golden Years.

I was not particulary happy when I discovered that this great actor was arrogant, difficult to work with and bascially an unpleasant man. But what does not get lost is the impact that Harrison made in his career on the stage and in films. While his cruel personality detracts any love for the man from me, it does not tarnish the fact that he was a very gifted performer. Alexander Walker did his homework in bringing Harrison's tempestious and volatile personality to life and also bringing his achievements and make us understand that while he was hated by many personally, he was loved professionally by the audience.

In spite of a rather trite title,FATAL CHARM. is indeed one of,if not the best written book on the life of the late Sir Rex Harrison. Mr. Walker shows us the great actor warts and all and we end up loving and understanding Harrison all the more because of it. It is all here,his six marriages,humble liverpool beginnings,his fear of singing on stage, and his volitle personality, Mr. Walker describes the great kindnesses he gave Kay Kendall and Lilli Palmer on their death beds,he also tells of the dreadful scenes with Palmer and 4th wife Rachel Roberts. The more you read the more you get to know Rex the man,not just the persona he put forth to people.In short Fatal Charm is a refreashing account of the personal and proffessional life of one of our centuries greatest actors.it shows how one man's personal life,his tradgedies and triumphs,can propell him proffessionally to a point of perfectionisim that would not have been there if he were a less irracible man.