The Elephant to Hollywood

By: Michael Caine

Narrated by: Michael Caine

Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Charming, engaging, and surprisingly forthright, Michael Caine gives us his insider's view of Hollywood and the story of his brilliant second act.

When he was in his late 50s, Michael Caine believed his glamorous, rags-to-riches Hollywood career had come to an end. The scripts being sent his way were worse and worse. When one script really disappointed, he called the producer to complain about the part. The producer said, "No, no, we don't want you for the lover, we want you for the father."

Salvation came in the unlikely form of his old friend Jack Nicholson, who convinced him to give acting one more shot. What followed was not only an incredible personal transformation but also one of the most radical comebacks in film history. Learning to accept his new role both on camera and in his own life, Caine went on to win his second Oscar, be knighted by the queen, and deliver some of his best performances to date.

Now he shares the spectacular story of his life, from his humble upbringing in London's poverty-stricken Elephant and Castle, his military service, touching marriage and family life, and lively adventures with friends, to legendary meetings with fellow stars, forays as a restaurateur, and hilarious off-screen encounters from his glittering five-decade career. Caine brings his gift for storytelling and his insider's view to a tale that is funny, warm, and deeply honest.

©2010 Michael Caine Business (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Seriously, just get it

Would you listen to The Elephant to Hollywood again? Why?

YES! I laughed so much. Great stories, and he has the best sense of humor. He is so endearing, just love him even more now!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Michael Caine!

Sir Michael is awesome

His story more or less from the beginning told by the man himself. It feels like he's chatting to you over tea or a drink. The story is mostly linear but jumps about here and there to address the topic at hand and wrap up a character while they are fresh in mind. Feels very conversational that way. The man lived a charmed life (after a very rough 30 year start) and seems to have a really nice outlook on the world.

He really never has a bad word to say about anyone. I'm sure in private he might, but he has the class to avoid that sort of thing so if you are looking for dirty laundry you won't find it here.

The Elephant of the title is the part of East London he came from. Didn't know it was called the Elephant and he never explains why.

Very nice.

Learned quite a great deal about someone I didn't know I needed to know anything about. Thank you for sharing a slice of your life with us.

Michael Caine fans will love this book.

Any additional comments?

It is great to hear Michael Caine telling his own story. He shares many stories about his now famous friends and talks about all my favorite Caine movies (The Man Who Would Be King, Death Trap, etc...). I love the story of how he met his wife and their ongoing love story. The anecdotes about being on location and the various parts he has played make me want to revisit each movie. And it doesn't hurt that Michael still has that sexy voice!

So lovely....

Would you consider the audio edition of The Elephant to Hollywood to be better than the print version?

Audio must be superior to print—though I didn't read the book, only listened to it—because Michael Caine himself narrates. You get to hear his gorgeous voice, and his laugh when he cracks himself up.

What did you like best about this story?

Caine is funny and self-deprecating. Great stories, incredibly inspiring.

Just brilliant

I love his voice and the stories but there's too much noise in the recording
#tagsgiving #sweepstakes #audible #listeningatwork #mybooks

A delightful time with a great personality.

This book is a delightful time with one of the legends of Hollywood from the past fifty years. I love the moments when he would stop in the middle of his reading and just laugh at the story he had just told. One feels that they are sharing the story rather than simply listening. His stories are honest and self-revelatory, without being melodramatic. He doesn’t bore with a litany of all of his films. There are just too many. He just chooses the tales that mean the most to him, as he relates his life, marriages, friends, and the wisdom he has gathered. Such a sense of humor, from one who never takes himself too seriously. This is the first Caine bio I’ve read, and I immediately downloaded his more recent memoir.

Love this read!

This is a must read! I was enthralled by his narration of his life and experiences along his rise to fame. His story telling of old Hollywood was magical, I could envision the eras. I did not want this book to end.

Great listen

I'm not one to clamor for celeb "tell alls" or autobiographies, but I was looking for a change of pace and thought, why not? I really enjoyed this book. I'm too young to remember Mr Caine's earlier movies, but I found his humility refreshing and the stories he tells interesting and funny. My favorite part of the book, however, was listening to him laugh as he retold humorous anecdotes from his past. It just adds a charm to the book that made for a nice listen.

His Voice alone is worth it.

If you could sum up The Elephant to Hollywood in three words, what would they be?

If you enjoy Michael Cane , you will love this book. I downloaded simply because he was reading it and loved it all the way to the end.

What does Michael Caine bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His lovable accent and personality.