William Holden: A Biography »

Michelangelo Capua is a correspondent for an Italian film magazine and the author of several biographies of Hollywood film stars. He lives in London.

William Holden was a Hollywood star whose career spanned four decades, more than 70 films and three Academy Award nominations. ""Golden Holden"" won an Oscar for his role in Stalag 17 and, after films like Sunset Blvd., he became one of Hollywood's most powerful stars in the late 1950s. His personal life included international adventures and romances with such stars as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, yet he suffered from alcoholism and clinical depression. This biography covers his entire life and career, from boyhood through his greatest successes, short decline, re-emergence in The Wild Bunch, and his legacy of support for African wildlife."

Preface 1

Introduction 3

1 Wild Boy 5

2 Golden Boy 15

3 Love and War 29

4 Smiling Jim 40

5 Sunset Blvd 50

6 Hollywood Babylon 62

7 Audrey and Grace 77

8 Golden Holden 88

9 The Reluctant Hero 98

10 World Citizen 111

11 Booze and Tragedy 122

12 The Wild Bunch 135

13 A New Kind of Love 147

14 Lousy Fadeout 158

Filmography 167

Documentaries, Television Films and Appearances, Radio Programs, and Music and Soundtracks 181

Chapter Notes 185

Bibliography 191

Index 197