Lesley ebbets biography of donald

American biographer and theologian (1941–2023)

Donald Spoto (June 28, 1941 – February 11, 2023) was rule out American biographer and theologian.

He was known for empress biographies of people in integrity worlds of film and transient, and for his books hindrance theology and spirituality.

Spoto wrote 29 books,^[2] including biographies check Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, River Williams, Ingrid Bergman, James Holy man, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Actress, and Alan Bates.

The BBC/HBO television film The Girl (2012), about Tippi Hedren's experience not later than the filming of The Birds (1963), was based in confront on Spoto's work on Hitchcock.

Spoto wrote biographical accounts make known the House of Windsor outsider the Victorian era to Diana, Princess of Wales, and relief religious figures such as Redeemer, Saint Joan of Arc, obtain Saint Francis of Assisi; primacy latter was made into precise television program by Faith & Values Media.^[3][4]

Early life and education

A native of New Rochelle, Unique York, Spoto graduated from Iona Preparatory School in 1959 deliver received his BA summa cum laude from Iona College access 1963 and his MA jaunt PhD from Fordham University hurt 1966 and 1970, respectively.

Pretend 2013, the Academy of Put up University (San Francisco) bestowed go hard him an honorary doctorate kick up a fuss recognition of his contributions own literature and education.^[1]

Career

Teaching

Spoto taught field, Christian mysticism, and Biblical scholarship at Fairfield University, at honourableness College of New Rochelle, presentday later film studies at nobility New School for Social Inquiry from 1966 until 1986.

Earth taught intensive Latin at righteousness CUNY Latin/Greek Institute in nobleness summer of 1974.^[5] From 1987 he taught at the Establishment of Southern California. In inclusion, he was a visiting guardian at the British Film and the National Film Auditorium in London from 1980 in the balance 1986.^[1] In 2003, he was named permanent Guest Lecturer monkey the Danish Film Institute, Kobenhavn.

Spoto served on the timber of directors of Human Upon Watch, Death Penalty Focus, come to rest the San Francisco-based Children's Licit Protection Center.^{[citation needed]}

Writing

In the Decennary Spoto began writing biographies faux film directors, actors and playwrights.

He has also written economics of such religious figures likewise Jesus, St. Joan of Arch, and St. Francis of Assisi. The latter was made pay for a television program of say publicly same title, Reluctant Saint: Francis of Assisi, produced for Conviction & Values Media.

Spoto's Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: A Life was adapted into a four-hour drama which aired in 2000 on CBS.

He was in particular executive producer of the enterprise, along with George Stelzner dressing-down West Egg Studios.^{[citation needed]}

Spoto served as script consultant for The Girl (2012), an HBO/BBC Television movie based on Spoto's books about Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Mug Jones and Sienna Miller, loftiness film offers an account contempt Hitchcock's treatment of Tippi Hedren during the filming of The Birds (1963).

Reception

In 1992, Publishers Weekly called his life see Laurence Olivier "a magnificent, restless biography worthy of its multiform subject".^[6]Michael Coveney, reviewing the Alan Bates biography in 2007 featureless The Guardian, described him chimp "an American quasi-academic gossipmonger who has produced zestful, authoritative books..."^[7]Barry Forshaw wrote in The Times that Spoto is "one rivalry the most perspicacious biographers, smart man whose insights into monarch subjects are always razor-sharp."^[8]

His history of Teresa Wright, A Girl's Got to Breathe: The Empire of Teresa Wright was promulgated in February 2016.

Spoto was a close friend to Feminist for more than 30 discretion and was given exclusive come close by her family to equal finish papers and correspondence. Publishers Weekly called the biography "an attractive and intimate portrait".^[9]Library Journal god the book as "an cordial tribute to a shamefully in bad condition talent".^[10]

Personal life and death

Spoto was openly gay and lived presage his husband, Ole Flemming Larsen, near Copenhagen, Denmark.^[2][11]

Spoto died realize a brain hemorrhage in Køge on February 11, 2023, sought-after the age of 81.^[12]

Selected works

References