About the Book
Written by writer/director, actor, stuntman, special effects guru, production manager Gary Kent, SHADOWS AND LIGHT tells of a Hollywood that was and still is, from the perspective of a man who has seen and done it all. As stated in the original printing: "Shadows and Light illuminates the "reel" revolution that started in 1960 with director John Cassavetes' work. An officer in this revolution, Kent compiled credits on over one hundred motion pictures and won several major film awards. This book is Kent's homage to the artistic, talented makers of magic, who began on the bottom of the dog-pile making biker flicks and nudie cuties and today find themselves on top of the Hollywood heap. The book is filled with memories, reminiscences, inside information, heretofore unknown facts, anecdotes and photos accumulated over forty-some years in independent, outrageous and courageous cinema. Kent provides a glimpse into the mystery of preparing stunt, action and special effects sequences without resorting to computer graphics and offers an inside take at the making of some favorite motion pictures, from concept to release. The books features stories of William Shatner, Ann-Margret, Brian De Palma, Bruce Campbell, Ed Wood, Charles Manson, Frank Zappa, Duane Eddy, the Hells Angels and others." With budgets big and small, Gary Kent has worked on the movies and met some of the biggest characters to ever grace the screen. This is the first printing from Happy Cloud Media, LLC, bringing SHADOWS AND LIGHT back into print with an updated Afterword.
About the Author: Gary Kent was born on a ranch in Walla Walla, Washington. He attended Renton High School, where he played football, pole vaulted on the track team, was sports editor of the school paper, and starred in school plays. He was majoring in Journalism at the University of Washington, Seattle, when, during the Korean War, he was called to active duty in The Naval Air Corps. Upon honorable discharge, Kent worked as a news reporter in Corpus Christi, Texas and Houston, Texas. He was signed on as the ingenue lead at the Playhouse Theater, in Houston, and thus began a long and varied career in show business. Gary worked in Hollywood for 35 years, as an actor, stuntman, screenwriter and director. He has received numerous awards, including Best Screenplay by a Texas Writer at the Dallas Lone Star Screenplay Competition, and Best Special Stunt in a Motion Picture at the International Stuntman Awards. His writing has been featured in Runner's World, Conversations With Texas Writers, New Texas, and Stricken, the 5,000 Stages of Grief. Four of his screenplays have been made into major motion pictures. He is currently listed in Who's Who In Entertainment. Gary Kent's beloved wife of 34 years, Tomi Barrett, passed away in 2005. He has six children, Greg, Colleen, Andrew, Christopher, Alexander and Michael; four grand-children, Timothy, Nicolette, Hannah and Ethan. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with a horse, dog, and seven cats. (The pillows that eat
