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| Hiding in Plain Sight: The Secret Life of Raymond Burr | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Seth Starr
Publisher: Applause Theatre and Cinema Books
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $12.45
You Save: $12.50 (50%)
New (39) Used (14) from $11.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 32622
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 268
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 1557836949
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.45028092
EAN: 9781557836946
ASIN: 1557836949
Publication Date: April 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 fascinating life May 6, 2008
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
I knew very little about "Perry Mason" but love that era of TV. Also "Rear Window" is my favorite Hitchcock film and Burr is so menacing in that. The author is very thorough in covering the story of this Canadian born (did not know that) and his career route through stage acting, into films and then into his famous TV roles. His efforts to hide his sexuality is amusing, especially considering the times, but is only a part of this famed actor's saga. Recommended for fans of TV and film who want a glimpse of behind the scenes life in Hollywood in the 40's. 50's and 60's.
 SO poorly written! June 6, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This a very quick read, mostly because you want to get through the terrible writing as quickly as possible.
A Sad Man June 18, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Short, with really no new information, HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT is a very easy but ultimately boring read about Raymond Burr.
Very few celebrities managed to be in two hit series, one following the other. Raymond Burr did but yet his entire life seemed totally devoid of any real purpose. Even his interest in food and orchids comes up short.
As Mr. Starr reports it, there does not seem to be anything revealing or in the slightest bit noteworthy in the telling of Raymond Burr's life. Everyone, at least by now, is aware of the secret life he led. But in telling it here, the reader finds it all to be very bland to the point where the wonders of the actors work (A Place In The Sun and Rear Window as well as Ironsides and Perry Mason)seem insignificant.
Although the book is well written and mercifully short, I can't help but wonder why Mr. Starr bothered.
 He's Still Hiding July 26, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a workman-like account of Burr's life and career. Unfortunately, author Michael Starr relies almost exclusively on second-hand sources for his text-- newspapers, magazines, and other print material. There are few first-hand sources which could relate all-important private aspects of the celebrity's life and career. Thus what emerges is largely a portrait of the public man-- the beloved figure of television melodrama-- instead of the carefully guarded private one.
There is, however, one highly significant exception to this public account. Starr makes no bones about Burr's secret life as a gay man during the homophobic decades in which he became a revered public figure. Nor does Starr soft-peddle the many cover stories Burr concocted to hide his sexual orientation. This is the book's main virtue and should lay to rest the many stories and confusions about this controversial phase of the actor's personal life.
However, as a result of Starr's reliance on secondary sources, we can only guess at Burr's private emotions during the key Perry Mason period. For better or worse, his character came to stand for the American criminal justice system to much of the public. Yet the man himself could have been arrested in many parts of the country as a "deviate". The anxiety must have been difficult at times. Too bad author Starr could not give us an inside glimpse of a period when great success also meant great apprehension. Perhaps, by Ironside's more tolerant era, Burr could have "outed" himself without too great of a career risk. But likely the cover story of dead wives and child had become too embedded to undercut. Anyway, these fictitious stories continued to define the private man in the public's eye right up to the end.
Also, the book doesn't provide much of a handle on the actor's behind-the-scenes personality. We do get glimpses, but mainly we have to read between the lines to get anything like a life-size portrait. Perhaps, his friends and co-workers were unavailable for the kind of interview that would provide revealing anecdotes. Whatever the reason, there's a noticeable absence of detail. Starr's style is easy and readable, but he's also not above padding the text with synopses of key films in the actor's career. Just what the significance of these to the man himself escapes me. I wish the author had discussed his sources more forthrightly in a Foreward, which could have shed some light on important aspects of the narrative that follows. The absence of an informative Foreward, standard to this kind of biographical work, amounts to another significant defect. Thus, aside from tackling the most controversial aspect of the revered actor's life, the book stands as a considerable disappointment.
Good basic biography, but... July 12, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a good basic biography, and I really should've given it 3 1/2 stars. That is, the author did do quite a bit of research--and all the important invents in Raymond Burr's life are listed (I certainly learned a lot). In short, it does give a good basic chronological outline of Raymond Burr's life.
In addition, call me naive, but I was unaware that Raymond Burr was gay. And the friends & relatives who I talked to were also unaware that he was gay. Indeed, that was quite surprising to me--and it was only after reading this book that I am now starting to realize that he was indeed gay (so this author's book was definitely needed here).
Also, the same applies to the "obesity" issue. Here again, I was unaware as to the size of the problem (no pun intended). Indeed, I am 6--4"--and I weigh 260 lbs--which is way overweight (and I notice it on a daily basis). However, Raymond Burr was 6'-2" and weighed over 300 lbs at times during his life--and so that is indeed "gargantuan." This must've caused HUGE problems for him--both in his personal & professional lives.
Therefore, re the above items, I DO NOT feel that the author overemphasized those two points. Those are both HUGE issues. Indeed, I feel the author did not do enough to fully detail those issues--and to also explain how Raymond Burr overcame those daunting obstacles to success.
Also, it seems that the author did not interview anyone who was really close to Raymond Burr. That is, it seemed that most of the testimonials, descriptions, and opinions were from "3rd party" sources--e.g., people who were of some "distance" from Mr. Burr. This author's book would've been much better had he obtained information and/or descriptions of incidents from a close friend of Mr. Burr--or at least someone who was in Mr. Burr's "inner circle." Certainly, someone from his inner circle could've provided more accurate--as well as more interesting--information.
Also, the book was relatively thin--only 219 pages--with the pages being small & the print somewhat large (and also some blank pages were counted as pages). So, although the author did do a lot of work--and a lot of research--it is nonetheless clear that much more could've been done, if one was truly interested in detailing Mr. Burr's life.
Finally, the author's book does expose some of Raymond Burr's faults. I had always viewed him as a "larger than life" figure, but it is now becoming apparent to me that EVERYONE has faults--even the great ones. I was particularly concerned about the amount of lying that Mr. Burr engaged in. Some of the lies were rather harmless--such as pretending that he stayed in China, as well as falsified university attendances. And some lies were intended to cover up his gayness (e.g., making up non-existent marriages), so that was perhaps understandable as well. However, the lie about the non-existent child & tragic death of that child due to a horrible disease was simply inexcusable. Any parent who has lost a child will tell you that there is absolutely nothing funny about that. And so, trivializing a tragedy like that simply because you want to falsify your past is simply inexcusable. And, the same goes for his non-existent war record & non-existent injuries from that war. WWII was a very serious war--and many people (across the world) lost their lives due to that terrible war. Indeed, I had an uncle who died due to injuires sustained in WWII. So again, fighting for your country in WWII & getting injured because of it is something that should NOT be trivialized. I can only assume here that Mr. Burr thought that this lie would "draw the reporters off his scent" and/or improve his popularity with the public.
To conclude, as the book points out, it is somewhat strange that Raymond Burr played Perry Mason--a lawyer dedicated to extracting the truth from all situations--yet Mr. Burr was such an accomplished liar on the witness stand of his own life. So, if nothing else, I have to give this book credit for introducing REALITY into my view of Raymond Burr.
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