There is literally no one in the film world with the pedigree of Ernest Borgnine when it comes to having honed his craft by working with true legends of the cinema. In fact, Borgnine himself is movie legend with a screen career extending back over half a century to his memorable portrayal of the villain Fatso Judson in From Here to Eternity. This was followed in short order by his Oscar winning title performance in Marty, the little film that could. In the ensuing years, Borgnine has become a familiar presence to any movie lover, regardless of their age. At long last, he has produced an autobiography - and unlike many of the ghost-written, self-aggrandizing volumes produced by celebrities, Borgnine's book- simply titled Ernie (Kensington Publishing) is as disarming and charming as its author. Borgnine is truly a man for all seasons when it comes to his ability to play a wide range of roles. Consider his turns as bad guys in films like Hannie Caulder and Emperor of the North and then recall he just as easily slid into the mode of hero in movies like Escape from New York and The Vikings. Even when playing a heroic type, Borgnine often made the character complex and flawed, thus far more interesting than the standard cardboard types found in many films.
Ernie is a true page-turner that is written in a witty by gentlemanly style. Borgnine's few negative comments about others are anything but vicious and he even gives a sympathetic nod to his "blink-and-it's-over" marriage to the mercurial Ethel Merman. Instead, Borgnine concentrates on his penchant for self-deprecating humor, as though he can still barely believe he has been so successful in a field he initially had to be pushed into by his mother, who originally wanted him to become a barber. Borgnine traces the tragedies and triumphs of his life with sentiment and wit, joking about his inability to find the right wife until he met his current spouse, his beloved Tovah whom he met 35 years ago. There are wonderful anecdotes about his stint in the Navy, losing his virginity at an advanced age, and his early days in the New York theater in which he actually gave up a big paycheck on Broadway to return to a stock company where he felt he could better hone his craft. However, the most enjoyable aspect of the book is, unsurprisingly, his recollections of starring in films like Bad Day at Black Rock, The Dirty Dozen, The Poseidon Adventure, the McHale's Navy TV series, and, of course, Sam Peckinpah's classic The Wild Bunch. The stories are priceless and often hilarious and Borgnine proves to be as talented a writer as he is an actor- which is no faint praise. It's the most enjoyable autobiography I've read in years hampered only by the fact I wish it were twice the page count because it left me wanting more. Although Borgnine is 91 years-old, it would surprise no one if there is a volume two in his future.- Lee Pfeiffer
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