Word: hara
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...INSTRUMENT by John O'Hara. 297 pages. Random House...
When John O'Hara drove up to Random House's Italian Renaissance parking lot in his grey Rolls-Royce and turned over his latest instant novel, he delivered the goods once more. The Instrument ranks considerably below the early and best O'Hara, but it is an effective short novel, cynical beyond redemption, pertinent as a suicide note...
...title is a typical O'Hara stunt, The Instrument refers explicitly to the way in which Yancey ("Yank") Lucas becomes the literary tool of an actress. It also refers to Yank's penis, which has no conscience whatsoever and contributes to the deaths of two of his bed partners. The book tells the story of Yank's sudden rise to the top of the American theater and his possession by the gifts that put him there...
Zena Gollum, an unMethodical actress of great power and appetite, takes an instant liking to Yank's play and to Yank. Following the pattern set by virtually all other O'Hara women, she is in a hotel room with him a few hours after they met. But after a brief affair, Yank decides that he will not put himself to the tests of theatrical glory and aggression in bed. He runs away to Vermont, begins his next play, and starts looking for other women...
Once again, filmgoers have the chance to rereview two such fabled Hollywood performances: Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara in David O. Selznick's Gone With the Wind. Since its gala 1939 premiere in Atlanta, G.W.T.W. has been seen by more than 295 million people and earned $75 million in rentals for MGM. This month MGM re-released it for the fifth time, and already has advance bookings (at an average of $3 per reserved-seat ticket) totaling...