Research Catalog

Title

Behan in the USA : the rise and fall of the most famous Irishman in New York / Dave Hannigan.

Author

Hannigan, Dave

Publication

Bray, Ireland : Ballpoint Press, 2014.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

248 pages, [8] pages of plates : illustrations; 23 cm

Summary

"To America, my new-found land, the man that hates you hates the human race" - Brendan Behan. When Brendan Behan hit the Big Apple in September, 1960, he didn't so much take a bite out of it, he swallowed it whole. Over the next three years, the Dubliner hung with the Marx Brothers, feuded with Steve McQueen, and famously ignored Bob Dylan. From Broadway premieres to Hollywood parties, from talk shows to jail cells, Dave Hannigan retraces his steps in 'Behan in the USA: the rise and fall of the most famous Irishman in America. He tells the hilarious yet ultimately poignant story of the Irish playwright who became one of the most notorious celebrities in America. With March 20th marking the 50th anniversary of Behan's premature death, Hannigan has written forensic account of the Dubliner's hectic time across the Atlantic, the love affairs with men and women, the constant rows, the literary triumphs and disasters, the abstinence and the excess. The cast list reads like a who's who of 1960s literary and acting royalty. The locations, from the Algonquin and Chelsea Hotels to storied bars like The Brown Derby in Los Angeles and The White Horse in New York, form a backdrop that defined an era. 'Behan in the USA' is a book that contains multitudes. The struggles of a literary talent on the wane, dissipated by drink and the circumstances of his growing international celebrity.

Subject

• Behan, Brendan
• Dramatists, Irish > 20th century > Biography

Genre/Form

Biographies

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-242) and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

A New York state of mind -- The most citified city in the world -- The play's the thing -- A night to remember -- The wheels come off the wagon -- If I touch a star, will I twinkle too? -- Drink Canada dry -- The St Patrick's Day Massacre -- Chief Firewater and all that jazz -- California here he comes -- Brendan goes to Hollywood -- The leaving of Los Angeles -- Father doesn't know best -- The village idiot -- They remember you well at the Chelsea Hotel -- Give my regards to broadway -- The best wine makes the sharpest vinegar.

ISBN

• 9780992673208
• 0992673208

OCLC

• 882096635
• SCSB-11063306

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library