Lawrence Tierney

"Lawrence Tierney is not only a look into the life of the extraordinary real-life tough guy actor, but a ringside seat to the Hollywood studio system from the 1940s right up until his death in 2002. Buckle up, boys. It's going to be a bumpy ride..."—Danno Hanks, legendary Hollywood private eye

"Lawrence Tierney was intelligent, handsome, and an excellent actor: he was also a human hand grenade. This is a fast-moving and fascinating portrait of a talented, sad, wildly self-destructive actor who made Errol Flynn and John Barrymore look like choir boys."—Eve Golden, author of Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn't Help It

"There is finally a 'soup to nuts' biography of actor Lawrence Tierney who justifiably earned his reputation as Tinseltown's most combustible hellion. Although the actor's infamous temperament overshadowed his considerable talent, Burt Kearns' captivating book reveals there was a lot more to Larry Tierney than his police blotter and recycled Hollywood anecdotes."—Alan K. Rode, author of Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film

"I have admired Kearns since he tried with some success to convert a sleepy Connecticut weekly into a suburban punk New York Post. Kearns is truly a tabloid baby, and this brilliant Hollywood bio noir is right in his wheelhouse. Rip it open with two fists and devour it in large caffeinated gulps."—Peter de Jonge, author of Shadows Still Remain and Buried on Avenue B

"Lawrence Tierney was his own worst enemy and, if you had the misfortune to work with or anger him, he was yours, too. He was like some perpetually pugnacious character out of showbiz mythology who couldn't possibly be real. But Burt Kearns masterfully uncovers the man inside the legend, bringing Tierney to vivid, disturbing life with a richly detailed portrait of the boozing brute that's at once fascinating and often downright Shakespearean. Kearns skillfully explains why an industry that couldn't work with Tierney still found him irresistible—which tells you all you need to know about Hollywood."—Ray Richmond, author, Syndicated Entertainment writer/crtic, and University lecturer

"With intense research, an insider's knowledge of the down-and-dirty tabloid press, and a real empathy for his subject, Kearns has delivered a great book on the underside of Hollywood: a nonstop, no-holds-barred journey through the seedy back alleys of show business and the darkest recesses of fame. Lawrence Tierney has been maligned as a drunken, brawling monster, but in this clear-eyed appraisal, he's the ultimate antihero, making the most unlikely comeback in Hollywood history—still raising unholy Hell while inspiring a new generation of actors and filmmakers along the way."—Legs McNeil, co-author of Please Kill Me, editor of Legsville.com

"Lawrence Tierney was an alchoholic who must have been carrying a horseshoe that even he didn't know about! His story takes you to every glitzy Hollywood spot, along with every dank jail up and down the coast. The arrest records and bail amounts? Astonishing! To read that he spent time locked up in the Wayside Jail and Hollywood Wilcox Station—places I work today—is bewitching! Professionally, I would have thoroughly appreciated Tierney, a bread-and-butter client with no chance of skipping."—Raquel Vazquez, Hollywood's Queen of Bail

"Lawrence Tierney barges into a bar. What could possibly go wrong? Burt Kearns' rollicking, relentless tour de force about the legendary tough-guy actor grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. On any given page you'll find the words drunk, fight, judge, blonde...One-quarter in and Tierney's already been arrested a dirty dozen times. Still there's compassion in this jaw-dropping, jaw-breaking tale and Kearns' depth of research and deft storytelling make it a don't miss. And as for the ending? There wasn't a dry eye in my house."—Susan Compo, author of Warren Oates: A Wild Life and Earthbound: David Bowie and The Man Who Fell to the Earth