Patricia Bosworth (born April 24, 1933) is an American
journalistA journalist is a person who practises journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues, and people while striving for viewpoints that are not biased.Reporters are one type of journalist...
and biographer. A former faculty member of the Graduate School of Journalism at
Columbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Columbia's main campus lies in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, in New York City...
, she has also been an editor, actress and model.
Born as
Patricia Crum in
Oakland, CaliforniaOakland is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California and a major West Coast port city, located on San Francisco Bay about eight miles east of the City of San Francisco. Oakland is a major hub city for the Bay Area subregion collectively called the East Bay, and it is the county seat...
, she is the daughter of writer Anna Gertrude Bosworth and
attorneyA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver...
Bartley CrumBartley Cavanaugh Crum was a prominent American lawyer.Bartley Crum was a confidant of William Randolph Hearst and the 1940 U.S. Presidential candidate Wendel Willkie...
, one of the six lawyers who defended the Hollywood Ten during the
Red ScareIn US history, the term Red Scare denotes two distinct periods of strong anti-communism: the First Red Scare, from 1917 to 1920, and the Second Red Scare, from 1947 to 1957. The Scares were characterized by the fear that communism would upset the capitalist social order in the United States; the...
at the start of the
Cold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
in 1947.
Patricia Bosworth (born April 24, 1933) is an American
journalistA journalist is a person who practises journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues, and people while striving for viewpoints that are not biased.Reporters are one type of journalist...
and biographer. A former faculty member of the Graduate School of Journalism at
Columbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Columbia's main campus lies in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, in New York City...
, she has also been an editor, actress and model.
Early life and career
Born as
Patricia Crum in
Oakland, CaliforniaOakland is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California and a major West Coast port city, located on San Francisco Bay about eight miles east of the City of San Francisco. Oakland is a major hub city for the Bay Area subregion collectively called the East Bay, and it is the county seat...
, she is the daughter of writer Anna Gertrude Bosworth and
attorneyA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver...
Bartley CrumBartley Cavanaugh Crum was a prominent American lawyer.Bartley Crum was a confidant of William Randolph Hearst and the 1940 U.S. Presidential candidate Wendel Willkie...
, one of the six lawyers who defended the Hollywood Ten during the
Red ScareIn US history, the term Red Scare denotes two distinct periods of strong anti-communism: the First Red Scare, from 1917 to 1920, and the Second Red Scare, from 1947 to 1957. The Scares were characterized by the fear that communism would upset the capitalist social order in the United States; the...
at the start of the
Cold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
in 1947. Her younger brother, Bartley Crum Jr., and her father both committed suicide.
Bosworth attended Miss Burke's School and the Convent of the Sacred Heart. Aged 13, intending to become an actress, she adopted her mother's maiden name as her professional surname. In 1948, the family moved to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, where Bosworth attended the Chapin School. She also attended the
École InternationalAn International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate, or by following a national curriculum different from that of the country the school is located in...
in Geneva, Switzerland. Bosworth eloped in 1952 with an art student, ending the marriage after a year. After receiving her B.A. from
Sarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States. It is located in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, north of Manhattan. Sarah Lawrence was founded in 1926 as a women's college and became a coeducational institution in 1968...
in 1955, became a member of the
Actors StudioThe Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947 by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who taught...
, in
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
, and found work as a model and actress.
Present Day
In recent years Ms. Bosworth's book on
Diane ArbusDiane Arbus was one of the most original and influential American photographers of the 20th century. In 2003, she and her work were the subject of a major exhibition: Diane Arbus Revelations that was organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and traveled to other locations including The...
was turned into a film called FUR (2006), directed by
Steven ShainbergSteven Shainberg is an American film director and producer.He is the nephew of author Lawrence Shainberg. Both are part of the Shainberg family of Memphis, Tennessee, founder of the Shainberg's chain of stores, which is now part of Dollar General.Shainberg received his BA from Yale University in...
. She is currently employed as a Contributing Editor at
Vanity FairVanity Fair is an American Hollywood magazine of pop culture, fashion, and politics published by Condé Nast Publications. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1981 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition...
magazine. Her articles appear there often both in print and on their web site. She was married to photographer and theatre director
Tom PalumboTom Palumbo was a United States photographer and director. He was born in Molfetta Italy in 1921. His family moved when he was about 12 years old to New York City. As a young man Palumbo was employed first building scale models for ships in an engineering company. Later he was employed as an...
who died in October, 2008.
As actress
She had roles in films including
Inherit the WindInherit the Wind may refer to:*Inherit the Wind , a 1955 play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee* Inherit the Wind , directed by Stanley Kramer, starring Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Harry Morgan, and Dick York...
(1955),
The Nun's StoryThe Nun's Story is the title of a dramatic film that was released by Warner Bros. in 1959.-Plot:Based upon the 1956 novel of the same title by Kathryn Hulme, the story tells of the life of Sister Luke , a young Belgian woman who decides to enter a convent and makes many of the sacrifices required...
(1959), and
Young Dr. Malone (1958), and
understudiedIn theater, an understudy is a performer who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a leading actor or actress in a play. Should the lead actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergencies, the understudy takes over the part. Usually, when the understudy takes...
Barbara Bel GeddesBarbara Bel Geddes was an American actress, artist and children's author. She is best known for her role in the television drama series Dallas as matriarch Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing...
on the
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
play
Mary, Mary for approximately four years beginning in 1961. She can be seen as a notably disgruntled redhead in the audience of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, in Bert Stern's "
Jazz on a Summer's DayJazz on a Summer's Day is a documentary film set at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, and filmed and directed by noted commercial and fashion photographer Bert Stern....
" (1960).
As journalist
Changing careers to journalism afterward, she became an editor at
Woman's DayWoman's Day is a magazine aimed at a female readership, covering such subjects as food, nutrition, fitness, beauty and fashion. The magazine edition is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines....
and from 1969 to 1972 was senior editor of
McCall'sMcCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of six million in 1960. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873. In 1897, it was renamed McCall's Magazine and subsequently grew...
. Bosworth served as managing editor of
Harper's BazaarHarper's Bazaar is a well-known American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper's Bazaar considers itself to be the style resource for "the well-dressed woman and the well-dressed mind"....
from 1972 to 1974, and then as executive editor of the nightlife magazine
Viva-Arts and entertainment:*VIVA Films, an Philippine film outfit owned by VIVA Entertainment*Viva , a Warhol superstar*Viva La Vida, an iconic artwork by Frida Kahlo, the title meaning...
from 1974 to 1976. She also freelanced for the arts section of
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
, as well as for national magazines, and was a contributing editor of
Vanity FairVanity Fair is an American Hollywood magazine of pop culture, fashion, and politics published by Condé Nast Publications. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1981 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition...
.
She wrote many book reviews for
The New York Times and profiled film historian
Lawrence J. QuirkLawrence J. Quirk is an American writer, Hollywood reporter and film historian.-Career:Lawrence J. Quirk is the nephew of James R. Quirk, former editor and publisher of the now-defunct Photoplay magazine. He was an Army sergeant in Korea, a reporter for the Hearst papers, and a film magazine...
for the April 1998 issue of
Vanity Fair and
PenthousePenthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and soft-core pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by Penthouse Media Group, Inc. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse...
founder
Bob GuccioneRobert Charles Joseph Edward Sabatini Guccione is the founder of the adult magazine Penthouse and was, until his resignation in November 2003, its publisher....
for the February 2005 issue of the same magazine.
As biographer
Bosworth is the author of biographies on
Montgomery CliftEdward Montgomery Clift was an American film actor. He was known for his brooding, sensitive working-class character roles. He received four Academy Award nominations during his career.-Early life:...
(1978),
Diane ArbusDiane Arbus was one of the most original and influential American photographers of the 20th century. In 2003, she and her work were the subject of a major exhibition: Diane Arbus Revelations that was organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and traveled to other locations including The...
(1984) and
Marlon BrandoMarlon Brando, Jr. was an American actor whose body of work spanned over half a century. He was named the fourth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute, and part of Time magazine's Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century He is widely considered one of the...
(2000).
Her book,
Montgomery Clift: A Biography tells the story of the actor, whose introverted style of acting influenced
James DeanJames Byron Dean was an American film actor.Dean's status as a cultural icon is best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause, in which he starred as troubled high school rebel Jim Stark...
and many other performers. In researching her book, the author had total access to Clift's family and many persons who knew the actor and worked with him.
Bosworth's biography,
Diane ArbusDiane Arbus was one of the most original and influential American photographers of the 20th century. In 2003, she and her work were the subject of a major exhibition: Diane Arbus Revelations that was organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and traveled to other locations including The...
dealt with the life of the famous
photographerA photographer is a person who takes photographs using a camera. A professional photographer uses photography to make a living whilst an amateur photographer does not earn a living and typically takes photographs for pleasure and to record an event, place or person for future enjoyment.A...
, who committed
suicideSuicide is the intentional killing of one's self. Many dictionaries also note the metaphorical sense of "willful destruction of one's self-interest"...
in 1971, and examines her controversial, technically innovative pictures of
dwarfDwarfism is a medical disorder, the term being used to describe a person of short stature. It is sometimes defined as a person with an adult height under 4 feet 10 inches...
s, nudists and
drag queenA drag queen is a person, usually a man, who dresses, and usually acts, like a woman often for the purpose of entertaining or performing. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly from professionals who have starred in movies to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by...
s that won her a reputation as "a photographer of freaks".
According to
Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, Bosworth's biography on Marlon Brando "offers a vivid reminder of the personal and professional highlights of Brando's life." It is "an informative biography of Brando that, because of the limited format of the Penguin Lives series, hints at but cannot do justice to the great unruliness of Brando's career and life. She provides a fine, detailed sketch of his
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
days when he took acting classes with '
Harry BelafonteHarold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. , is an American musician, actor and social activist. One of the most successful popular singers in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso", a title which he was very reluctant to accept for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an...
,
Elaine StritchElaine Stritch is an American actress and vocalist, best known for her performance of "The Ladies Who Lunch" in Company, her 2001 one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty, and most recently for her role as Jack Donaghy's mother Colleen on NBC's 30 Rock.-Early years:Stritch was born in Detroit,...
,
Gene SaksGene Saks is an American Tony Award-winning stage and film director.-Life and career:Saks was born in New York City, the son of Beatrix and Morris J. Saks...
,
Shelley WintersShelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television.-Early life:...
,
Rod SteigerRodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an American actor known for his performances in such films as In the Heat of the Night, Waterloo, The Pawnbroker, On the Waterfront, and Doctor Zhivago.-Early life:...
and
Kim StanleyKim Stanley was an American actress, primarily in theatre but with occasional film performances.Stanley began her acting career in theatre, and subsequently attended the The Actors Studio...
,' and presents a great portrait of the craziness on the set of
Last Tango in ParisLast Tango in Paris is a 1972 Italian film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci which portrays a recent American widower who takes up an anonymous sexual relationship with a young, soon-to-be-married Parisian woman. It stars Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider and Jean-Pierre Léaud...
(co-star
Maria SchneiderMaria Schneider may refer to:* Maria Schneider , French actress who played Jeanne in the 1972 film Last Tango in Paris* Maria Schneider , American musician and composer...
announced that they got along 'because we're both bisexual')", but in only 228 pages, the author "can't approach the complexity of her earlier work".
As of 2007, Bosworth was writing a biography of
Jane FondaJane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou and, excluding a 15 year hiatus, has appeared in films ever since. She has won two Academy Awards and received several...
.
External links