Little Caesar: A Biography of Edward G. Robinson

About the Book

It is difficult to fathom, but Edward G. Robinson never received a single Oscar nomination in his career, and he died before the honorary Academy Award he had been voted could be handed to him in 1973. Robinson should have been at the peak of his film career in 1952; instead, after testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee — proclaiming himself a liberal Democrat who had been "duped" by communists — he was reduced to performing on stage for a fraction of his usual fees. Even after this testimony he struggled to find work in the Hollywood of the blacklist era.

In this fascinating biography, Alan L. Gansberg reveals the man behind the public face, his many memorable roles among more than 100 films, and his struggle to find steady work in Hollywood again.

About the Author

Alan L. Gansberg is an award-winning writer, producer, and director working in television, film, and documentary filmmaking. He is also a professor of film and president of the Faculty Association at Columbia College Hollywood in Tarzana, California. In addition, Gansberg teaches acting workshops and privately coaches actors.

Critical Praise

"This is the definitive and authoritative biography of Robinson…. Gansberg's engaging prose and his illuminating history provide the most complete and most elegant life of Robinson now available." — Henry L. Carrigan, Foreword Reviews

"Robinson was, of course, one of the screen's great actors… Gansberg, a superb writer, tells the stormy Robinson story in fascinating detail. I suspect he would have considered this fine-tuned telling of his story an even better reward than any shiny gold-plated statuette." — Hollywood Reporter

"A loving portrait and tribute to a fine actor and true survivor. It will satisfy not only film buffs, but serious students of the modern American Jewish experience as well." — Jeffrey Kobrin, Jewish Book World

"An absorbing tale of a resilient star, and a reminder of how a democracy can almost implode when bullies and fantasists get their hands on power." — Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal

"Little Caesar is a big book: it charts not only the rise and fall of a great actor, but the panic and betrayal of American culture." — Donald Freed