The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine – reading this I thought maybe I have a chance in Hollywood, or a circus, seeing that I can do this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/unique-in-world.html?q=unique+in+the+world - 9 out of 10

 

The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine – reading this I thought maybe I have a chance in Hollywood, or a circus, seeing that I can do this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/unique-in-world.html?q=unique+in+the+world

9 out of 10

 

 

This reader is not a fan of biographies, never mind autobiographies (which must be biased, the author telling you selectively about his past, or else, if we are dealing with a masochist, he would expose unsavory aspects, maybe invent some) and this could explain why I am not so enthusiastic about The Elephant to Hollywood, however readable, enjoyable and interesting it can be, coming from a movie giant.

 

Michael Caine was born in a poor family, and thus his ascent to worldwide fame and acclaim is astonishing, especially if we consider the obstacles that he has had to surmount, the conditions he suffered from when he was a child, his father was against him being an actor, he had ‘sleepy eyes’ and has had much to overcome in his journey to Hollywood, passing through straits, making some bad movies in the process,

We have many adventures in here, from meeting mobsters in Sankt Petersburg (and elsewhere) to filming in tough circumstances, in Alaska with none other than the repugnant Steven Segal (though Michael Caine does not complain about him and many, or any other), suffering from cold in Finland, also enjoying marvelous locations in Australia, where the food was great…the actor will become a restaurant owner, going into business with colorful people, such as the one who used to get very drunk and finally set himself on fire…

 

The love life is touched on in sections, the most important seems to be Shakira Caine (however, I looked her up on the internet and she does not seem to me the divine beauty described in the book, but this is surely in part because I was expecting a goddess and to get blinded by the image on the spot) and we have the amusing story of the narrator falling in love, while he stayed at home to watch television, something he almost never does, and then there she is, this actress doing a commercial and then he makes all the efforts to find her, ask her out and eventually, he would marry the woman that he admires so much

Michael Caine had been married before, and he is honest about being a lousy husband and father the first time around, when he had separated and went on because he could not his family – he would try and compensate later for Dominique, his daughter – a journalist asked about the origin of the name, and when the actor told him that it was from a book by Ayn Rand, the reporter was shocked that this ‘uneducated cockney’ (or something like that) had read the book and the name does not come from some popular show…

 

We have a lot of celebrities, stars in here, even the odd president, for Reagan has met him a few times, although the author has plenty of humor (he has a reputation for his jokes and funny manner) and admits that Ronald Reagan did not know his name, perhaps who he was – he is not the only one, when they filmed in Kenya, Kenyatta invited Sydney Poitier and then asked him ‘what does he do’ at the party

 

Frank Sinatra is here, Michael Caine has been going out with his daughter, and he was a tough man, with a team of acolytes and friends creating a bubble for him, when he went out with the car to some party, if his driver passed the twenty minute limit, Sinatra would say get back…Shirley MacLaine is the one who has invited Michael Caine to Hollywood, she was the one to select him for Gambit, then she three a welcome party for him, where all the glitterati from there would come and he would meet most of them…

Some anecdotes would offer good entertainment, as the encounter with John Wayne, who arrived at this hotel by helicopter, though it was forbidden to land there, asked Caine his name, told him to call him Duke, and gave some advice, such as talk slow, do not wear swede shoes (this one I had heard on some show) and then he explained why, because he had been at the toilet, where some guy turned around saying ‘you are John Wayne’ and while doing that, he pissed all over his shoes and this is why he needs to avoid it

 

On the other hand, some might be looking for more salacious material, inside into shenanigans of stars, but there is not much, if anything like that in here, except for some mild hints, here and there, such as working with Stallone on the set of a movie, where the American (one of those I do not see as actors, I am appalled by the way he talks, or mumbles and I can only have respect [and a good deal of it)  for Copland, where he does a splendid job] and I avoid whatever film he is in) was already basking in the glory of Rocky, preparing for Rocky IV, or maybe V, Caine jokes, and when he had had to wait (Stallone) he warned the crew that he would make them stand by for him and he would so, being late for three hours, and thus Caine made up a story, saying the 3 hours delay helped him with the lines, and could Stallone do it again, the next day, and hence the American star would not repeat the offence.

Hack Nicholson, who had been my all-time favorite (on the same level with our very own, but unknown George Constantin) is the one that will resurrect the failing career of Michael Caine, when he offered the part in Blood and Wine, and we get some insight, finding that Nicholson is a very nice fellow, womanizer, fun to be with, relaxed, but not much more than the episode when they are late for the shooting, and when Caine tries to hurry, Jack Nicholson says ‘relax, stroll Michael, otherwise they will know we are late’ or something to that effect.

 

There is a lot about many stars and films, from Sean Connery (who broke a golf cross in anger at Caine’s ineptitude at getting on with the game) to much younger actresses, such as Charlize Theron (they worked on Cider House Rules, a great film, for which Michael Caine will get another Oscar nomination, and when he has to give Theron a gynecological examination on the set, she wears the ugliest men’s underwear he has ever seen, or something similar) all this will surely help many would be actors to learn some rules, find advice, indirectly from those who had worked with the author and gave him their insight, nonetheless, this could be inspirational for many others, finding in the book lessons on delay gratification, resilience, determination to make it in the profession they love and have a calling for

http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/realini-in-newsweek-participant-in.html