For example, as a child the author lost an eye in a freak accident. In fact Thurber’s work reflects many of the demons which plagued him throughout his life. James Thurber: The Life and Hard Times portrays the esteemed author as a prolific artist with a tragic sense of humor whose work satirized the foibles of middle class America. When he was starting out James Thurber intended to become a serious author like his idol Henry James but instead went on to gain fame as a renown humorist a vocation which, in his estimation, was a lower and under appreciated genre of literature. Thurber also suffered from an internal conflict in regard to his artistic aspirations. There was a marked difference between the ease at which Thurber was able to produce his drawings and the challenges involved in creating his written work. Thurber was described as being a “compulsive doodler” and although there were times when he struggled with his writing his drawings seemed to come naturally to him. It provides viewers with examples of the author’s work with special emphasis on his simple comic drawings. The documentary acts as a primer for all those unfamiliar with James Thurber’s lofty career achievements. Among the notable names in the documentary are playwright Edward Albee, novelist and critic John Updike, journalist Alistair Cooke, and writer Fran Lebowitz. It features an array of insightful interviews with several of Thurber’s co-workers, critics, fellow writers, friends, and even his daughter Rosemary. James Thurber: The Life and Hard Times was directed by Adam Van Doren and is narrated by George Plimpton. Unfortunately the documentary reveals that Thurber wasn’t pleased with the initial Hollywood adaptation of his work but we’ll never be sure of his opinion regarding the updated version. In 1947 another film version was released with actor Danny Kaye cast in the lead role. Interestingly, the 2013 version, starring Ben Stiller, was actually the second time this particular story was adapted to the big screen. Perhaps modern readers will be familiar with Thurber because of the 2013 film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” which was adapted from one of the writer’s most famous short stories of the same name. He began writing for the New York Evening Post before joining the staff of The New Yorker.
Due in part to the urging of then wife Althea, Thurber moved to New York City in 1925. Thurber was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1894. The nearly hour-long PBS styled documentary James Thurber: The Life and Hard Times presents viewers with a multi faceted portrait of the writer/artist, portraying him in real human terms rather than merely concentrating on his status as a literary icon. James Thurber was an acclaimed humorist/illustrator/satirist who rose to literary fame when his work was featured in the prestigious magazine “The New Yorker”.
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