John Guillerman: The Man, The Myth, The Movies

Ray contributed a chapter to this book about one of the best Hollywood directors nobody knows.

If you have seen The Towering Inferno, King Kong or Death on the Nile, you are familiar with the directorial work of John Guillermin. But there are many other thoughtful gems directed by this English-born Frenchman who was nicknamed “The Wild Man.” His personal favorite was Rapture, a striking, Brittany-based psychological drama that was largely overlooked on its first release in 1965 but is now widely perceived as a bold and original movie by a master of his craft.

This is the first book to be published about John Guillermin’s life and films. Award-winning film critics, directors, film archivists and professors of film examine the thought and creativity of his directing and help answer the question of why you may not be more familiar with his work. Lavishly illustrated and offering new critical appraisals of his key films from the 1950s to the 1980s, the book includes a never-before-published autobiographical essay and unique and invaluable insights by his widow, Mary, into the personality of a fascinating filmmaker.

A full appreciation of his impressive body of work is long overdue and this book will delight and inform enthusiasts and film scholars alike. It offers fresh insight not only into this director, but also into the history of filmmaking and the British and US film industries of that time.

Ray's chapter focuses on Guillermin's King Kong (1976).

John Guillermin: The Man, The Myth, The Movies is published by Precocity Press and is available in bookstores and at Amazon.com and other online retailers.