The Way They Were by Robert Hofler

The Way They Were by Robert Hofler

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of "The Way We Were," this intriguing and impeccably researched book is the first ever account of the making of the classic film starring Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford, revealing the full story behind its genesis and continued controversies, its many deleted scenes, its much-anticipated but never-filmed sequel, and the real-life romance that inspired this groundbreaking love story...

It's one of the greatest movie romances of all time. Fifty years on, the chemistry between Barbra Streisand as Jewish working-class firebrand Katie Worosky and Robert Redford as all-American golden boy Hubbell Gardiner remains potent. Yet the friction and controversy surrounding The Way We Were was so enormous, the movie was nearly never made at all.

Screenwriter Arthur Laurents wrote the role of Katie with Streisand in mind. Casting Hubble was another matter. Redford, already a superstar, was reluctant to play what he perceived as the "Ken doll" to Streisand's lead, and demanded his role be changed and expanded. Laurents resisted, telling director Sydney Pollack, "You'll ruin the movie if it ends up being about two people. It's Katie's story, not Hubbell's." Despite his protests, ten writers-among them Francis Ford Coppola-were brought on to rework the script.

Laurents's fears were well founded, and the first preview was disastrous. Producer Ray Stark and Pollack, with Redford's approval, cut several scenes, upsetting Streisand and Laurents. Yet the edits worked. Such was the movie's success that Redford was open to making a sequel, though Laurents's script was never greenlit. Some of those "lost" scenes are now being restored to the film for its 50th anniversary.

It's also the deep, surprising love story at the heart of The Way They Were that makes it so memorable, and Robert Hofler explores its inspiration-the relationship between Laurents, a Jewish Brooklyn-born college leftist, and his longtime partner, Tom Hatcher. Drawing on a vast trove of Laurents's and Pollack's unpublished writings, as well as interviews with Streisand, Redford, and other key players, this is the definitive account of a film that changed the rules of moviemaking and defined romance ever since.

Hofler, Robert: -

Robert Hofler has spent more than forty years as an entertainment journalist, having worked as entertainment editor of Life and executive editor of Us magazine, and most recently at Variety, where he was a theater reporter and senior editor for fifteen years. His nonfiction works include the Henry Willson biography, The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson, Variety's The Movie That Changed My Life, and Party Animals, a biography of Allan Carr. Hofler is the theater critic for The Wrap and lives in New York City.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780806542324
ISBN 10	0806542322
Title	The Way They Were
Author	Robert Hofler
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Citadel Press Inc.,U.S.
Year published	2023-01-24
Number of pages	304
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.