Malcolm McDowell: On Screen [2009] - Chris Wade

"[McDowell] is the ultimate outsider, and it's this quality that makes him so interesting to evaluate as a screen performer."

Chris Wade’s Malcolm McDowell: On Screen is simply the definitive guide to the film career of this legendary actor, who has starred in such classics as Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, O Lucky Man and If… (the latter two both directed by Lindsay Anderson). Much more than a standard biography (Wade himself refers to his work as “a homage to a long, varied, occasionally brilliant career”), Malcolm McDowell: On Screen not only discusses the aforementioned movies in detail but also delves into many of McDowell’s lesser-known efforts, whether they be hidden treasures such as Evilenko (2004) or outright turkeys like Jezebel’s Kiss (1990). Wade has done extensive research on these films and he entertains us with little-known facts about McDowell, who he refers to as “one of the world’s most underrated actors.”

Best identified as the charismatic psychopath in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971), McDowell has enjoyed a long and illustrious film career spanning four decades, a rather amazing feat considering the fact that his first real job was as a coffee salesman in Yorkshire. Wade provides great details surrounding the controversies surrounding McDowell's "breakthrough" films, If… and A Clockwork Orange, as well as McDowell’s relationship with difficult directors such as Kubrick and the cultural legacies of these classic films. Wade also points out instances where McDowell turned in brilliant performances in mediocre films such as his title role in Caligula (1979). Although he admits Caligula is one of the weirdest films ever made, Wade praises McDowell's portrayal of the demented emperor: "McDowell is on blistering form, in what is definitely one of his top five performances; frightening, unpredictable and at times very funny." In addition, Malcolm McDowell: On Screen is generously sprinkled throughout with interesting quotes from and about McDowell's films, as well as film stills and trivia (such as A Clockwork Orange originally going to be a starring vehicle for The Rolling Stones!), along with an interview with Malcolm's son, Charlie McDowell. The book even includes a list of five favorite McDowell "madmen" roles! 

Bottom line: I heartily recommend Malcolm McDowell: On Screen to anyone who has enjoyed McDowell’s work in well-known films and needs recommendations on finding other movies to watch in McDowell’s substantial filmography. I for one will plan on watching many of these McDowell films that I had never even heard of before such as The Raging Moon (1970), The Collection (1975), Get Crazy (1983), Light in the Jungle (1990), Disturbed (1990), Pool Girl (1997), My Life So Far (1999), Gangster No. 1 (2000) and Between Strangers (2002), among others. Malcolm McDowell: On Screen can be ordered from many online book retailers such as Amazon, Waterstone’s and Borders, among others. 

Interview with Author Chris Wade