DROPPED NAMES Famous Men and Women As I Knew Them

Actor Frank Langella’s warm, soothing baritone intimately recounts his encounters with the famous and infamous. From Britain’s Queen Mum and America’s wealthy Astors to an unconscious and devastated Montgomery Clift, each brief chapter offers up a special person and a series of insights. Lovingly told and expertly paced, this memoir of a great talent is a must-listen. Among the most noteworthy of the vignettes is that of actor Raul Julia, whom Langella admired and loved for his immense personality. If there is a reservation, it is in encountering the vast number of Langella’s contemporaries who have transitioned to the afterlife—some quite painfully. Otherwise, this precise and articulate work is pleasing in all respects. W.A.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]