James Whale : a biography

Whale was a complex, private and difficult man, whose career, cut short by a blinkered studio system, included a quartet of the greatest horror movies ever produced, including "Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man".

A witty and acid personality, his macabre sense of humour informs much of his best work, raising his films far above the mainstream of the time.

He was also in effect the first "out" film director, and the first victim of Hollywood homophobia.Based on exclusive interviews with friends and associates, this biography examines Whale's spectacular rise-and-fall as a director, and analyzes his chosen role as Hollywood's greatest "outsider".