Leading Men

From Valentino to Matt Dillon, this picture book, a British import, covers virtually every male idol who ever made a name in Hollywood. It amply documents the charms of leading men, whom the authorsWelch is a journalist, Brody a book designerdistinguish from leading actors, apparently on the basis of sex appeal. (Perhaps this explains some odd omissions, Chaplin for one.) While Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando and Paul Newman are here, so are some relatively obscure names: Nils Asther, Michael Wilding. The brief biographical sketches are interesting and opinionated, and the authors' biases seem to dictate the space allotted: Robert Redford is given four pages, Dustin Hoffman one, Jack Nicholson one-half. Many current stars (Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, etc.) are represented by a single photo and a paragraph. Nostalgia Book Club and Movie/Entertainment Book Club selections. November