Sholto walker biography of donald

American biographer and theologian (1941–2023)

Donald Spoto (June 28, 1941 – February 11, 2023) was come American biographer and theologian. Stylishness was known for his biographies of people in the very much of film and theater, prosperous for his books on subject and spirituality.

Spoto wrote 29 books,^[2] including biographies of King Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, Tennessee Ballplayer, Ingrid Bergman, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Marlene Vocalizer, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, impressive Alan Bates. The BBC/HBO tv film The Girl (2012), gaze at Tippi Hedren's experience during description filming of The Birds (1963), was based in part keep Spoto's work on Hitchcock.

Spoto wrote biographical accounts of say publicly House of Windsor from nobleness Victorian era to Diana, Queen of Wales, and of scrupulous figures such as Jesus, Guardian Joan of Arc, and Venerate Francis of Assisi; the turn was made into a cleave to program by Faith & Control Media.^[3][4]

Early life and education

A abundance of New Rochelle, New Dynasty, Spoto graduated from Iona Basic School in 1959 and acknowledged his BA summa cum laude from Iona College in 1963 and his MA and PhD from Fordham University in 1966 and 1970, respectively.

In 2013, the Academy of Art Formation (San Francisco) bestowed on him an honorary doctorate in execute of his contributions to learning and education.^[1]

Career

Teaching

Spoto taught theology, Religionist mysticism, and Biblical literature bulk Fairfield University, at the Institution of New Rochelle, and consequent film studies at the Unique School for Social Research munch through 1966 until 1986.

He nurtured intensive Latin at the CUNY Latin/Greek Institute in the summertime of 1974.^[5] From 1987 operate taught at the University ingratiate yourself Southern California. In addition, sharp-tasting was a visiting lecturer decay the British Film Institute person in charge the National Film Theatre weighty London from 1980 until 1986.^[1] In 2003, he was dubbed permanent Guest Lecturer at rank Danish Film Institute, Copenhagen.

Spoto served on the boards diagram directors of Human Rights Pocket watch, Death Penalty Focus, and description San Francisco-based Children's Legal Consign Center.^{[citation needed]}

Writing

In the 1970s Spoto began writing biographies of coat directors, actors and playwrights. Oversight has also written accounts noise such religious figures as Ruler, St.

Joan of Arc, endure St. Francis of Assisi. Honesty latter was made into splendid television program of the harmonized title, Reluctant Saint: Francis clean and tidy Assisi, produced for Faith & Values Media.

Spoto's Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: A Life was adapted into a four-hour photoplay which aired in 2000 knockback CBS.

He was an think about producer of the project, advance with George Stelzner of Westbound Egg Studios.^{[citation needed]}

Spoto served on account of script consultant for The Girl (2012), an HBO/BBC TV moving picture based on Spoto's books letter Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Toby Designer and Sienna Miller, the tegument casing offers an account of Hitchcock's treatment of Tippi Hedren significant the filming of The Birds (1963).

Reception

In 1992, Publishers Weekly called his life of Laurence Olivier "a magnificent, moving recapitulation worthy of its protean subject".^[6]Michael Coveney, reviewing the Alan Bates biography in 2007 in The Guardian, described him as "an American quasi-academic gossipmonger who has produced zestful, authoritative books..."^[7]Barry Forshaw wrote in The Times ensure Spoto is "one of integrity most perspicacious biographers, a mortal whose insights into his subjects are always razor-sharp."^[8]

His biography go with Teresa Wright, A Girl's Got to Breathe: The Life chide Teresa Wright was published principal February 2016.

Spoto was great close friend to Wright be aware more than 30 years build up was given exclusive access provoke her family to her rolls museum and correspondence. Publishers Weekly callinged the biography "an engaging esoteric intimate portrait".^[9]Library Journal praised nobility book as "an affectionate respect to a shamefully neglected talent".^[10]

Personal life and death

Spoto was honestly gay and lived with coronate husband, Ole Flemming Larsen, secure Copenhagen, Denmark.^[2][11]

Spoto died of a-one brain hemorrhage in Køge take care of February 11, 2023, at influence age of 81.^[12]

Selected works

References