Words

Susan Campo's book "Warren Oates: A Wild Life" should have been named "Warren Oates: A Horny and High Life."
The portrait of Oates that emerges over 400-plus pages is a man unwilling or unable to put the brakes on his personal excesses, particularly, food, alcohol, chemical stimulants and women other than his wife (or wives). Until his shocking death at 53, Oates was habitually unable to say no to a party. Campo touches only lightly on the impact Oates' extravagances had on those around him. Maybe she doesn't want to look too deeply at the man she clearly admires. Maybe old fashioned virtues like self restraint and respect for marriage don't mean as much to the author. Ironically, Oates would probably have claimed those values as his own ... then bolted for the next party on the Sunset Strip.
Now, with that out of the way, let me add that I enjoyed the book because I find Oates a terrific actor and Campo does a first rate job of working her way through the highs, including some real hidden nuggets, and lows of the star's career.
She also casts her net wide for old interview subjects. Peter Fonda, for whom Oates did some of his best work in "The Hired Hand," is quoted extensively. Other Hollywood celebrities are there too, including the late Ben Johnson, the cowboy actor who Oates admired tremendously. But a lot of the best stuff comes from ex-wives, other relatives and the bizarre conglomeration of pals pulled into Oates's orbit.
Sam Peckinpah is there too, of course, and Campo jabs a little at the tortured yet remarkable team these two tremendous talents made on the screen. From "Major Dundee" to "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia," the Peckinpah-Oates duo dazzled filmgoers. Campo looks at the movies and the relationship, but again seems to shy away from lowering the book on anyone, including the absurdly destructive Peckinpah.
Oates was a terrific actor. Campo had no trouble finding critics who agreed with that assessment. Call him a character actor if you like, but no matter what start he worked with, Oates almost always said or did something that brought the story back to him in the best way.
Campo has written a good, if not great, book and one any serious film fan should read. One it comes to Warren Oates's type roles, they just don't act 'em like that anymore.

Twelve Warren Oates films to see

1. The Wild Bunch - "Why not?"
2. The Hired Hand
3. Two Lane Blacktop -" If I'm not grounded pretty soon, I'm gonna go into orbit."
4. Ride the High Country - The peckerwood of all time
5. The Shooting
6. In the Heat of the Night - So damn good
7. Dillinger
8. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - Desolation row
9. Cockfighter - Almost no dialog
10. 92 in the Shade
11. 1941 - Piss on the critics
12. Stripes - "Lighten up, Francis!"

Here's a scene Two-Lane and a long, fine one from the Hired Hand and one more for Victor Miller.