“When your back’s against the wall,” legendary Paramount studio head Robert Evans liked to say, “the impossible is possible.” That sentiment, and the tumultuous life that informed it, are captured in his 1994 memoir, The Kid Stays in the Picture, a book that continues to resonate within Hollywood and beyond.
Published to widespread acclaim, the memoir isn’t a straightforward recounting of a career filled with blockbuster successes. Instead, it’s a raw, often self-contradictory, and undeniably captivating portrait of a man who navigated the shifting sands of the film industry with a unique blend of audacity, insecurity, and sheer force of will. The book, described as one of the most entertaining Hollywood memoirs of all time, details Evans’s improbable rise from a New York City childhood to the head of one of the world’s most powerful studios.
Evans’s impact on American cinema is undeniable. As head of Paramount Pictures, he greenlit or oversaw the production of a string of iconic films that defined an era. From the sharp wit of The Odd Couple to the psychological horror of Rosemary’s Baby, the sweeping romance of Love Story, and the gritty realism of Chinatown, his taste proved consistently influential. He also championed groundbreaking works like Harold and Maude, Paper Moon, The Conversation, and the monumental achievement of The Godfather, alongside later successes like Romeo and Juliet and Marathon Man. These films weren’t simply commercially successful; they became cultural touchstones.
But The Kid Stays in the Picture isn’t solely focused on professional triumphs. The memoir delves deeply into Evans’s personal life, a whirlwind of marriages – seven in total, including unions with Ali MacGraw, Phyllis George, and Catherine Oxenberg – and a revolving door of high-profile relationships with figures like Beverly Johnson, Margaux Hemingway, Princess Soraya, and Liv Ullmann. He doesn’t shy away from detailing his struggles with addiction and the controversies that dogged his career, including a cocaine bust and accusations that surfaced throughout his life.
What sets Evans’s memoir apart is his willingness to present himself as a flawed and often unreliable narrator. He simultaneously aggrandizes himself and engages in self-deprecation, leaving the reader to question the veracity of his tales while simultaneously being thoroughly entertained by them. As one observer noted, he excels at convincing you he’s telling the truth—or, at the very least, that his version of events is the most compelling.
Beyond the sensational details, the book offers a surprisingly tender look at Evans’s friendships with a remarkable array of influential figures. His inner circle included individuals as diverse as Henry Kissinger, Jack Nicholson, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Porfirio Rubirosa, Sharon Tate, Warren Beatty, Helen Gurley Brown, Sue Mengers, Alain Delon, Roman Polanski, Lucille Ball, David Niven, Dustin Hoffman, and Mickey Rourke. These relationships, and his recollections of them, provide a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of Hollywood’s power structures and the complex dynamics of fame and fortune.
The memoir’s enduring appeal is also rooted in its timeless message about resilience and perseverance. Evans’s life was marked by setbacks and challenges, yet he consistently found a way to bounce back, embodying the spirit of reinvention that defines Hollywood itself. “No matter how hard it hurts, you’ve got to trudge ahead,” he wrote, a sentiment that encapsulates his unwavering determination. “Stand still—you’ll only get older.”
Born Robert J. Shapera on , in New York City, Evans’s journey began far from the glamour of Hollywood. His father, a dentist, encouraged his son’s early theatrical inclinations, recognizing a spark of charisma and ambition. This early encouragement, coupled with a natural talent for self-promotion, laid the foundation for his future success. He adopted the stage name Robert Evans, a move that signaled his determination to forge his own path.
The Kid Stays in the Picture served as the basis for a critically acclaimed documentary film, further cementing its place in Hollywood lore. The book remains a standard for Hollywood storytelling, offering a uniquely unfiltered and unforgettable account of a life lived on the edge. It’s a testament to the power of narrative, the allure of celebrity, and the enduring fascination with the inner workings of the entertainment industry. It’s a story of ambition, excess, and survival – a story that continues to captivate readers decades after its initial publication.
