Thursday, March 30, 2023

Fay Wray and Robert Riskin

 

Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir by Victoria Riskin (2019) 416 pages

The author is the youngest daughter of the actress Fay Wray and writer Robert Riskin. I've been noticing a trend of many dual biographies being published, and I was curious to learn more about these two entertainers. The author also provides brief biographical details about a handful of people living and working adjacent to the title figures such as John Monk Saunders, Frank Capra, Merian C. Cooper, Jo Swerling, and, of course, the author herself and her siblings. I appreciated the supporting photos throughout rather than limiting the photos to a few glossy pages right in the middle. Fay is so linked to her one role in King Kong (1933), in which she is wearing a blond wig, that I don't think I recognized her in the couple other films from her filmography that I have seen. I am intrigued to watch more of her performances. The films Frank Capra directed are thought to be stamped with his style, but this book makes the case for Riskin's screenplays sharing authorship for the films so many love. The witty dialogue and values of rooting for the little guy are definitely something I enjoy, and now I know how much of Riskin is contained in what he wrote. 

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