Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the landmark film that turned Hollywood and American culture on their heads, the inside story of how The Graduate came to be, how it worked its magic, and how it continues to influence us today.
After earning her PhD in American literature at UCLA, Beverly Gray spent nearly a decade in the film industry, where she was Roger Corman's story editor at both New World Pictures and Concorde-New Horizons Pictures. She has covered the entertainment industry for the Hollywood Reporter and leads screenwriting workshops for UCLA Extension's Writers' Program. Gray is the author of Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers and Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon . . . and Beyond. She lives in Santa Monica, California. Her website is beverlygray.com.
"Seduced by Mrs. Robinson offers a fascinating discussion on the
bedroom tale's origins."
--Andrea Mandell, USA Today "[Gray] writes smartly and insightfully
. . . The book as a whole offers a fascinating look at how this
movie tells a timeless story: that life is always about making
choices."
--The Washington Post "Perhaps the greatest compliment I can bestow
on this accomplished and compelling book is to say that Gray will
send you rushing to Netflix to watch The Graduate again, and when
you do, you will see a familiar movie in an entirely new way."
--Jewish Journal "Absorbing . . . Well-researched and skillfully
composed . . . Gray effectively shows how The Graduate worked as a
subversive force in a period about to reassess its cinematic and
cultural conventions."
--Kirkus Reviews "There is plenty to enjoy in this fond remembrance
of how we were all seduced by Mrs. Robinson."
--Booklist "Gray, a film industry veteran and the author of books
on directors Ron Howard and Roger Corman, is an especially sharp
chronicler of the movie's social context and influence . . . Here's
to you, Beverly Gray, for your completely baked appraisal of The
Graduate."
--Shelf Awareness "Readers discover how this seemingly
unprepossessing movie, adapted from a decidedly not best-selling
novella, became one of the top-grossing films of its day, helping
to articulate the frantic youth movement that defined 1960s culture
and made stars of its actors. Highly recommended for serious
cineastes and fans."
--Library Journal, starred review "The book is filled with facts,
gossip, and trivia . . . The reader will really be happily in the
know because of it."
--San Francisco Book Review "An insightful look at the making of
the movie . . . Prepare to be seduced by Gray's book."
--Newsday "This is an enjoyable, quick read--ideal for a holiday
weekend or vacation. The book is full of fun facts and trivia. It
is also a serious review of important cultural changes during the
last 50 years."
--The Missourian "Although Gray offers a thorough and illuminating
discourse on the film's themes, production and legacy, it's never
long-winded or heavy-handed. On the contrary, Seduced by Mrs.
Robinson is consistently entertaining, effortlessly engaging, and
altogether satisfying as the first and last word on a film that
remains, as the subtitle indicates, a touchstone for a
generation."
--Yes! Magazine "Has it really been fifty years since The Graduate
snuck up and surprised us with its inventiveness, originality,
desperate charm and wit? Beverly Gray's book celebrates the golden
anniversary with a spirited and well-researched account of how it
all came together and why its legacy endures."
--Glenn Frankel, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of
High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American
Classic "Beverly Gray's fascinating and kaleidoscopic portrait
makes a compelling case for The Graduate as the eternally appealing
'youth' movie, from its unlikely casting to its ambiguous
ending."
--Molly Haskell, film critic and author of From Reverence to Rape:
The Treatment of Women in the Movies. "Seduced by Mrs. Robinson is
a fun and fast-paced behind-the-scenes account of the making of one
of the most influential and beloved films in Hollywood history. If
you love The Graduate you'll love this book."
--Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Most Famous
Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher "Most
behind-the-scenes books about iconic movies tell us what we already
knew. Not this one! Beverly Gray has written an often hilarious,
always smart, sassy, and incisive story about The Graduate. Her
research is impeccable, and her insights are keen."
--Jeanine Basinger, Founder, Film Studies Department, Wesleyan
University, and author of I Do and I Don't: A History of Marriage
in the Movies "Terrifically entertaining and essential. Beverly
Gray mixes intrepid reporting with searching, insightful analysis
to finally bring this landmark movie into focus, telling an
irresistible story of its origins, secrets and cultural
meaning."
--Jason Zinoman, author of Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night
"Told with an infectious blend of effervescent wit and scholarly
substance, Beverly Gray's deeply personal and critical reappraisal
of The Graduate is sure to dazzle diehard fans and, quite likely,
to seduce a new generation of impassioned devotees."
--Noah Isenberg, author of We'll Always Have Casablanca: The Life,
Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Movie "With
passion, verve, authority, Beverly Gray details the perfect storm
of events that culminated in the generation-defining film. A
refresher and a reminder of the film's cultural impact and a joyous
behind-the-scenes look at a pivotal moment in American cinema and
why The Graduate still resonates."
--Brian Jay Jones, author of George Lucas: A Life
"A delightful and illuminating book. Beverly Gray offers insightful
historical perspective with contemporary resonance."
--Annette Insdorf, Columbia University Professor and Host of 92nd
Street Y's "Reel Pieces" Film Series
"In Seduced by Mrs. Robinson, Beverly Gray creates a lively,
layered recounting of the genesis, production, release in 1967 and
unique cultural significance of this landmark movie. A baby boomer
herself, she brings to the absorbing story the wit and poignance of
a SoCal girl, born and bred, and the thorough expertise of a
Hollywood insider."
--Kate Buford, author of Native American Son: The Life and Sporting
Legend of Jim Thorpe
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