Reagan: The Hollywood Years by Marc Eliot

 

Reagan - The Hollywood Years

by Marc Eliot

While visiting Springfield, Illinois in the summer of 2023 and seeing sites relating to Abraham Lincoln with my family, we wondered into a very nice used bookstore that was just amazing. I thought "I wonder what books they have on Reagan" since Reagan is the only President born in the state of Illinois (That's correct, look it up!). I found Marc Eliot's book on the years of Reagan's life in Hollywood of interest. There were several other books on Ronald Reagan, but I have a fairly substantial collection of Reagan works.

Eliot is not writing from a political perspective but more of a media and film viewpoint. Eliot has written several best selling New York Times biographies. His views of Reagan's politics does make the paper, but it easy to disregard those matters. He traces through Reagan's career in Hollywood as a struggling actor, his time of serving during WW2 in the film industry, and his work with the Screen Actors Guild. There are certainly other works that seek to exploit Reagan's missteps, and this book does make mention of those. Still, it's focus is more of the development of his life during his formative years in Hollywood. I am very fond of Ronald Reagan, so I do not care for books that are merely "hit pieces" against a man whom I realize had the proverbial "feet of clay."

Reagan was a part of the golden years of Hollywood film which would be challenged by television. Reagan's ability to use media effectively spans from his beginnings a radio announcer, then film star, then TV personality. Eliot's treatment explains some of the challenges actors faced through these periods. Some actors and actresses did not survive these changes in the world of multi-media but Reagan weathered these changes navigating through some very rocky waters.

I found Marc Eliot's book interesting. There were details and commentary I did not appreciate due to my admiration of Reagan. At times, Eliot seems overly critical and fails to realize this period provided Reagan skills that would serve him as one of the greatest Presidents of the United States. Still, the work presents a glimpse into a period of Americana that has faded into the sunset while Ronald Reagan was able to ride on! In closing, I think it best to remember what Reagan was fond of stating "Trust, but verify." That would include certain elements of this book.