
The Contender
The Story of Marlon Brando
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Narrated by:
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Will Damron
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By:
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William J. Mann
About this listen
Based on new and revelatory material from Brando’s own private archives, an award-winning film biographer presents a deeply-textured, ambitious, and definitive portrait of the greatest movie actor of the 20th century, the elusive Marlon Brando, bringing his extraordinarily complex life into view as never before.
The most influential movie actor of his era, Marlon Brando changed the way other actors perceived their craft. His approach was natural, honest, and deeply personal, resulting in performances - most notably in A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront - that are without parallel. Brando was heralded as the American Hamlet - the Yank who surpassed British stage royalty Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, and Ralph Richardson as the standard of greatness in the mid-20th century.
Brando’s impact on American culture matches his professional significance; he both challenged and codified our ideas of masculinity and sexuality. Brando was also one of the first stars to use his fame as a platform to address social, political, and moral issues, courageously calling out America’s deeply rooted racism.
William Mann’s brilliant biography of the Hollywood legend illuminates this culture icon for a new age. Mann astutely argues that Brando was not only a great actor but also a cultural soothsayer, a Cassandra warning us about the challenges to come. Brando’s admonitions against the monetization of nearly every aspect of the culture were prescient. His public protests against racial segregation and discrimination at the height of the Civil Rights movement - getting himself arrested at least once - were criticized as being needlessly provocative. Yet those actions of 50 years ago have become a model many actors follow today.
Psychologically astute and masterfully researched, based on new and revelatory material, The Contender explores the star and the man in full, including the childhood traumas that reverberated through his professional and personal life. It is a dazzling biography of our nation’s greatest actor that is sure to become an instant classic.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 William J. Mann (P)2019 HarperAudioListeners also enjoyed...
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- By: Ian Kershaw
- Narrated by: Alan Robertson
- Length: 46 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Hailed as the most compelling biography of the German dictator yet written, Ian Kershaw's Hitler brings us closer than ever before to the heart of its subject's immense darkness. From his illegitimate birth in a small Austrian village to his fiery death in a bunker under the Reich chancellery in Berlin, Adolf Hitler left a murky trail, strewn with contradictory tales and overgrown with self-created myths. One truth prevails: the sheer scale of the evils that he unleashed on the world has made him a demonic figure without equal in the 20th century.
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An Excellent Read
- By Rodney on 09-19-13
By: Ian Kershaw
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Tinseltown
- Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood
- By: William J. Mann
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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By 1920, the movies had suddenly become America's new favorite pastime and one of the nation's largest industries. Never before had a medium possessed such power to influence; yet Hollywood's glittering ascendancy was threatened by a string of headline-grabbing tragedies - including the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Directors Association, a legendary crime that has remained unsolved until now.
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Everybody's a dreamer...
- By Steven on 01-08-15
By: William J. Mann
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Kubrick
- An Odyssey
- By: Robert P. Kolker, Nathan Abrams
- Narrated by: Perry Daniels
- Length: 24 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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The enigmatic and elusive filmmaker Stanley Kubrick has not been treated to a full-length biography in over twenty years. Stanley Kubrick: An Odyssey fills that gap. This definitive book is based on access to the latest research, especially Kubrick's archive at the University of the Arts, London, as well as other private papers plus new interviews with family members and those who worked with him. It offers comprehensive and in-depth coverage of Kubrick's personal, private, public, and working life.
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A stellar biography for Kubrick lovers
- By Daniel on 09-10-24
By: Robert P. Kolker, and others
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Hollywood Hellraisers
- The Wild Lives and Fast Times of Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Warren Beatty, and Jack Nicholson
- By: Robert Sellers
- Narrated by: Jim Frangione
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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In his follow-up to the acclaimed Hellraisers, Sellers traces the intertwining lives and careers of four outrageous Hollywood movie mavericks. They’re the baddest bad-asses Hollywood as ever seen: Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Warren Beatty, and Jack Nicholson. They are men to whom rules did not apply; normal standards of behavior were simply too wearisome to worry about.
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not much of interest
- By Amazon Customer on 02-15-21
By: Robert Sellers
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Is This Anything?
- By: Jerry Seinfeld
- Narrated by: Jerry Seinfeld
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Since his first performance at the legendary New York nightclub “Catch a Rising Star” as a 21-year-old college student in fall of 1975, Jerry Seinfeld has written his own material and saved everything. “Whenever I came up with a funny bit, whether it happened on a stage, in a conversation, or working it out on my preferred canvas, the big yellow legal pad, I kept it in one of those old school accordion folders,” Seinfeld writes. “So I have everything I thought was worth saving from 45 years of hacking away at this for all I was worth.”
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Joke, joke, joke. Boring, boring, boring.
- By ECMILLER on 10-11-20
By: Jerry Seinfeld
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Sonny Boy
- A Memoir
- By: Al Pacino
- Narrated by: Al Pacino
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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To the wider world, Al Pacino exploded onto the scene like a supernova. He landed his first leading role, in The Panic in Needle Park, in 1971, and by 1975, he had starred in four movies—The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon—that were not just successes but landmarks in the history of film. Those performances became legendary and changed his life forever. Not since Marlon Brando and James Dean in the late 1950s had an actor landed in the culture with such force.
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I loved this so much!!! But….
- By paintgal on 10-24-24
By: Al Pacino
What listeners say about The Contender
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- Laurel Hepburn
- 07-22-22
Great read
I love Brando. Despite his atrocious behavior towards women (surprise: lady reviewer here), I am an ardent admirer of the man on screen. This book only deepens my admiration as well as enlightens my knowledge of him as a human being. It's well written, well researched, and well edited. If William Mann truly captures the spirit of Marlon, i believe Brando himself would approve.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-12-23
stunning
this is by far the best biography I have encountered on any topic and also the best rendition on audible. this is how all life stories should be told, rigorously and with compassion. the level of empathy extended to understand the motivation of the man is astonishing and a good benchmark for others. this takes the man on his own terms and judges him against the criteria he laid out for himself, which is about as much as anyone could hope for in an assessment of a life. beautifully read with pathos and patience.
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- Jonathan W. Taptich
- 05-30-24
best book on Brando
anyone who wants to learn about Marlon Brando the man, separated from the myth, needs to read this.
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- E F
- 07-02-20
A Well Built Telling
William Mann gives a seemingly full rendering of the man who was more a philosopher and sharp eyed observer on the nature of human beings than an "actor." His telling is appreciative of Marlon as a man who refused to be caricatured. Will Damron's narration has the perfect tone and (almost melancholic) mood for the telling of this life. I enjoyed it beginning to end and listened to it on the heels of watching the extraordinary documentary Listen To Me Marlon. This is a great companion to that.
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2 people found this helpful
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- 520 8698064
- 11-14-24
A fascinating man
I very much enjoyed this book. Marlon Brando is such an interesting person.A man with a lot of flaws and virtues. I enjoy how human he is and I like him as a person. he seems to have really tried and contributed a lot to society. I find his political views inspiring and it makes me want to do more in my own time. I'm a fan of Brando's work and think he's very sexy, especially in streetcar and the wild ones. but even if you're not familiar with his work, this is a great book and a wonderful character study.
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- Silas
- 10-22-22
Excellent biography
Thoughtful and relevant, as was its subject.
They want eight more words, but that says it.
Paul Weitz
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1 person found this helpful
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- Shada A.
- 05-04-23
Five Stars
The Best biography of Marlon Brando ever . I recommended this book to his fans and especially to journalists, bloggers, you-YouTubers always spread wrong, deformed stories about Marlon. With this book they shall know the truth
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-21-21
I've read 4 Brando biographies; this one is
one of the most in-depth and understanding portrayals of any individual I've read. Mann shows you the struggle, the humor, the cruelty, the inner conflict, and the genius that made Brando
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4 people found this helpful
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- Mary Jane
- 02-03-25
Brando’s humanity and the depth of his pain.
It is always interesting to learn how intricate a life can be and how the effects of abuse last an entire lifetime. He was a very interesting individual.
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- Evinoshka
- 05-22-20
MOVING, ABSORBING NARRATIVE TOLD WITH EMPATHY AND RESPECT
Whether you are over the age of 50, as I am, or a much younger person interested in learning about a flawed but deeply principled man who deservedly became legend, this biography will help you understand what makes Mr. Brando uniquely great. I found it virtually unpausable, and I have over 740 titles in my Audible library. Some may be rendered skeptical by the obvious affection the author has for his subject and the psychological ovservations that run through the narrative. I find that both of these aspects add to, rather than detract from, the authenticity that emanates from this biography. It is, simply, a fascinating book, moving, educational, and right-now relevant,, especially with regard to Mr. Brando’s concerns about civil rights, the media and the Hollywood machine. It satisfies also as a tour of Mr. Brando’s films and an enlightened, though not unique, understanding and explanation of why his acting is extraordinary. Reading this book gave me even more respect for both the man and the film star, and made me want to rewatch On the Waterfront, Julius Caesar and The Godfather yet again. Very highly recommended.
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5 people found this helpful