Graham McCann explained

Graham McCann

use both this parameter and |birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->| death_place = | death_cause = | body_discovered = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | burial_place = | burial_coordinates = | monuments = | nationality = British| other_names = | siglum = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = Writer, historian| years_active = 1988–present| era = | employer = | organization = | agent = | known_for = | notable_works = }}Graham McCann is a British author and historian who has written extensively on film and television stars and British comedy series. He is a former lecturer and fellow at the University of Cambridge where he taught social and political theory. McCann has become noted for his biographies on figures such as Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, John Le Mesurier, Woody Allen and Terry-Thomas, and books about British television comedy such as Dad's Army, Yes Minister, Only Fools and Horses and Fawlty Towers. He also contributes to various newspapers.

Teaching career

McCann earned a doctorate at Cambridge University and, before becoming a full-time writer, was a fellow and lecturer in social and political theory at King's College, Cambridge.[1] [2] [3] [4] Among his fields of expertise is American culture, and in 1993 he lectured on "Aspects of American Culture" at the university.[5] He also taught in the university's continuing education programme, primarily in the subject of the history of British political thought.[1]

Writing career

McCann has published at least 17 books.[6] His 1988 biography of Marilyn Monroe was the first to approach her life from a sociological perspective.[7] [8] This subject was revisited in his chapter "Biographical Boundaries: Sociology and Marilyn Monroe" in The Body: Social Processes and Cultural Theory published in 1991. He followed this with a biography of Woody Allen (1991),[9] and with Rebel Males (1993), an analysis of the influence of Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando and James Dean and their transformative role in moving the masculine heroic role in American popular culture closer to a sensitivity associated with bisexuality.[10] He received praise for his 1997 biography of Cary Grant, A Class Apart.[11] [12] Andrea Highbie of The New York Times described the book as "well-researched",[13] while Publishers Weekly considered it a more comprehensive account than Geoffrey Wansell's Cary Grant: Dark Angel book.[14]

Many of McCann's books concern British television, especially comedians and comedy series. HarperCollins describe him as "Britain's leading writer about film and TV".[15] He has published biographies of Morecambe and Wise (1998),[2] [16] [17] John Le Mesurier (Do You Think That's Wise?, 2010) and Terry-Thomas (Bounder!, 2008).[18] In 2004, he published a biography of comic Frankie Howerd. Simon Callow writing for The Guardian noted the book's "occasional tantalising glimpses of his friendships" and "gamely attempts to sketch the broad outlines of Howerd's sex-life".[19] In 2001 he published Dad's Army – The Story of a Classic Television Show.[15] [20] He has also authored Only Fools and Horses: The Untold Story of Britain's Favourite Comedy (2011), Fawlty Towers (2012),[21] A Very Courageous Decision: The Inside Story of Yes Minister[22] and Still Open All Hours: The Story of a Classic Comedy both (2014),[23] and has edited a book containing material by the comedian Dave Allen (The Essential Dave Allen, 2005).[24] McCann has written numerous articles about politics and popular culture for The Guardian,[25] Evening Standard,[26] [27] The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Washington Post, The Times Literary Supplement, The Modern Review, Sight & Sound, Radical Philosophy and the New Statesman.[3] He has acted as a consultant to programme makers;[28] during the early 2000s he was the television critic for the Financial Times.[29] [30] In May 2015 he was awarded the "Best Correspondents prize" at the Leicester Comedy Festival on a writing piece which documented his discovery that Roy Clarke had been commissioned to write a sitcom for Morecambe and Wise, a project which was never finalised.[31]

Published works (Alphabetical by title)

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dr Graham McCann. University of Cambridge Continuing Education. 5 June 2016.
  2. Web site: Graham McCann. HarperCollins Publishers (US) . 5 June 2016.
  3. Web site: Author details. Graham McCann. 3 August 2016.
  4. News: In Short, Nonfiction; Love, Death and 'When Do We Eat?'. Quinn, Kathleen. The New York Times. 1 July 1990. 5 June 2016.
  5. Book: Inglis, F.. Education and the Good Society. 31 March 2004. Palgrave Macmillan UK. 978-0-230-52344-9. 154.
  6. Web site: Author: McCann, Graham. WorldCat . . 16 March 2017 .
  7. Cantor, Muriel G. . Muriel Cantor . Review of Marilyn Monroe by Graham McCann . Contemporary Sociology . 18 . 1 . January 1989 . 115–16 . 10.2307/2071984 . 2071984.
  8. Book: Churchwell, Sarah Bartlett . The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe . New York . . 2005 . 9780805078183 . registration . 91.
  9. Rickman, Gregg . Review of Woody Allen by Graham McCann . Film Quarterly . 44 . 4 . Summer 1991 . 43–44 . 10.2307/1212776 . 1212776.
  10. Girgus, Sam B. . Review: Minimal Males: Men in the Movies . American Studies . 37 . 2 . Fall 1996 . 175–84 . 40642832.
  11. News: A Smooth Transition; How Archie Leach Became Cary Grant. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911170629/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-712606.html. dead. 11 September 2016. Yardley, Jonathan. The Washington Post. 12 February 1997. 5 June 2016.
  12. News: Biographer Saves Grant From Scrutiny's Light. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911032624/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67650205.html. dead. 11 September 2016. Thompson-Noel, Michael. Rocky Mountain News. 29 January 1997. 5 June 2016.
  13. Web site: Highbie, Andrea. The One and Only. The New York Times. 13 April 1997. 4 August 2016.
  14. Web site: Cary Grant: Dark Angel . Publishers Weekly. 4 August 2016.
  15. Web site: Graham McCann. Harper Collins (UK). 5 June 2016.
  16. Web site: Graham McCann – The Guardian Profile . The Guardian. London . 3 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20150110064855/http://www.theguardian.com/profile/graham-mccann. 10 January 2015.
  17. Goldie, David . Sunshine . . 21 . 8 . 15 April 1999 . 34–35.
  18. Book: McCann, Graham. Bounder!: The Biography of Terry-Thomas. 1 December 2011. Aurum Press. 978-1-84513-756-4.
  19. News: Titter ye not. Callow, Simon. The Guardian. London. 26 November 2004. 5 June 2016.
  20. Book: Morgan-Russell, Simon. Jimmy Perry and David Croft. 2004. Manchester University Press. 978-0-7190-6556-9. 64.
  21. News: Dugdale. John. Fawlty Towers. The Guardian. London. 8 August 2008 . 5 June 2016.
  22. News: Inglis, Fred . A Very Courageous Decision: The Inside Story of Yes Minister, by Graham McCann. Times Higher Education Supplement . 15 January 2015 . 5 June 2016.
  23. Book: Still Open All Hours: The Story of a Classic Comedy . .
  24. Web site: About the Author – Graham McCann. 3 June 2016.
  25. News: Frankie Howerd: Stand Up Comic. McCann, Graham. The Guardian. London. 27 November 2004. 3 August 2016.
  26. News: Time to Stop the Ghastliest Show in Town. McCann, Graham. 27 November 2001. Evening Standard. London. 5 June 2016.
  27. News: Why Men Don't Want to Present the News. McCann, Graham. Evening Standard. London. 11 January 2002. 5 June 2016.
  28. Web site: Graham McCann. https://web.archive.org/web/20160818123835/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bcbdb7b31. dead. 18 August 2016. British Film Institute.
  29. News: Just like Irene, she won't be owned. The Sunday Times. 21 April 2002. 34.
  30. News: King. Conrad. King of the Road. Daily Record. Scotland. 1 September 2000. 10.
  31. Web site: US critics hail Amy Schumer. Chortle. 1 June 2015. 4 August 2016.

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