BY DARREN ALLISON
“Ultimate Warrior: The Complete Films of Yul
Brynner†by Dawn Dabell and Jonathon Dabell. Publisher: Independently
published. Softback: 265 pages, ISBN-10: 1673491944, ISBN-13: 978-1673491944,
Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 1.5 x 25.4 cm, price £14.99
Following on from their hugely enjoyable
debut, “More Than a Psycho The Complete Films Of Anthony Perkins†(2018),
husband and wife team Dawn and Jonathon Dabell follow up with an equally
impressive book on one of Hollywood’s most fascinating characters.
Ask anyone with the slightest knowledge of
film to name a few Yul Brynner movies and there’s a distinct possibility that
titles such as “The Ten Commandmentsâ€, “The Magnificent Seven†or “The King and
I†will undoubtedly be returned quicker than a rock from a slingshot. Whilst
this is perfectly acceptable (as they are all established and popular movies),
the Dabells set out to provide the reader with a far wider reaching exploration
of Mr. Brynner. The authors help us ease into the complexities of Brynner, his
background still providing a dense shroud of mystery and uncertainties in
relation to his growing up - even his date of birth remains contradictory and
dependent upon which source one cares to believe. Nevertheless, it does provide
a good sense of the man and a certain perspective in relation to his ethics.
After a very respectable, well written introduction
and overview, the Dabells revert to an uncomplicated and logical timeline
approach to Brynner’s career on film. One of the advantages of being a
self-published book naturally means the authors have total control over what
makes it to the printed page, and the process often reflects the art of
self-editing or knowing your limit. In this instance, the authors have
addressed the balance perfectly. A healthy collective of 5-6 pages are given
over to each of Brynner’s films, all with leading cast and crew, synopsis and a
wealth of background information. There’s certainly no scrimping when it comes
to imagery either, in fact, they are plentiful – with each film also containing
some degree of poster artwork which only adds to the overall presentation. Also
worthy of note is the glorious, original cover art by Paul Watts, a real
throwback to the poster art format of yesteryear, when it is all too easy to
revert to the more commonly used and uninspiring ‘star photo’ approach.
The authors have also rounded off the
contents with dedicated chapters on Brynner’s theatre work, television work (he
was a noted director in the medium), cameos and further reading. The Dabells have
certainly poured their hearts and souls into this book; it’s clear and obvious,
with the result being an all-encompassing volume and what should be the
ultimate word on Brynner’s films.
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