Harper Lee

[Westside Steve]

So is Piper Laurie.

WSS

[Tour2ma]

Great book by a unique voice...

One of the few I've read that also made a great movie.-

[Westside Steve]

It's one I keep planning to order from audible.com.

WSS

[The Gipper]

Rumor has it that To Kill a Mockingbird was actually written by Truman Capote....that she just "ghost wrote" it.

[Westside Steve]

@the-gipper said:

Rumor has it that To Kill a Mockingbird was actually written by Truman Capote....that she just "ghost wrote" it.

The ghost writer is the person that wrote the book that someone else takes credit for.

WSS

[DieHardBrownsFan]

More liberal lies.

[The Gipper]

@westside-steve said:

The ghost writer is the person that wrote the book that someone else takes credit for.

WSS

OK then it was Capote that would have been the Ghost Writer. Sorry, got it wrong way round.

[Westside Steve]

@the-gipper said:

OK then it was Capote that would have been the Ghost Writer. Sorry, got it wrong way round.

Yep. But even still he denied it and I assume if you do a search there is a letter from somebody that disavowed that rumor.

WSS

[Tour2ma]

@the-gipper said:

Rumor has it that To Kill a Mockingbird was actually written by Truman Capote....that she just "ghost wrote" it.

Hmmmm... In Cold Blood is another personal fav book of mine. One of the few reads I literally could not put down. Mesmerizing story, but stylistically nothing like Mockingbird.

Also became an underrated movie IMO with a great performance by Robert "Baretta" Blake.

Aside: There have been two movies made about Capote's research and writing of In Cold Blood, Infamous and Capote and both got into his professional and personal relationship with Harper Lee.

The two movies were one of those pairs where you wish you could mix and match performances you liked. (Much like Wyatt Earp and Tombstone.)

Toby Jones just nailed Capote in the former while Phillip Seymore Hoffman was merely good in the latter.

But Sandra Bullock failed opposite Toby as Harper Lee while lesser known Catherine Keener was great opposite Hoffman.

Sandra Bullock needs to be added to the "Actors you don't like" thread...

[Westside Steve]

Well poor old Sandra Bullock is charismatic but doesn't have much in the way of chops. I thought Philip Seymour Hoffman was excellent as Truman Capote, but unknown actors have an easier time with characters you are familiar with. I remember Anthony Hopkins as Nixon and shake my head.

I had never read To Kill a Mockingbird and thanks to this thread I placed it on my audible.com queue, about halfway through it now.

Even though I don't use it as much because I have to dictate a lot of my reviews, I was interested in the differences in your style guide.(caps for books, italics for movie titles)

WSS

[Tour2ma]

lol... I know we were taught to set apart book titles in school (underline?), but more tools now...

Always boldfaced Artists/Groups in music discussions and Italicized LP titles in my old audio forum.

On Capote roles... Jones simply had the advantages of size and facial resemblance. Fine line between acting portrayal and impersonation, but he was so dead-on with so many of Capote's mannerisms plus his nasally speech that the actor disappeared on screen.

Loved a lot of Hoffman's work (starting with Boogie Nights), but his Capote did not quite work for me...