WARREN BEATTY A Private Man

The author claims to reveal the true secret self of the reclusive, womanizing brother of Shirley MacLaine. Certainly she packs a lot of information into her biography of the handsome producer/writer/movie star, even tracing his ancestors back a few centuries. Whether or not this narrative rises above the usual Hollywood biography, whether or not Finstad is as insightful as she is informed the listener must decide. She reads her own prose briskly with comprehension but without much aplomb. Archival interview clips between the late Joe Laitin and young Beatty, Natalie Wood, and Joan Collins, which conclude the volume, are barely audible, due to poor sound quality. Y.R. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]