Skip to content

Book Review: Where There’s Smoke…

Written By:

Alister Davison
where_theres_smoke_review

Review: Where There’s Smoke… / Author: William B. Davis / Format: Paperback / Publisher: ECW PRESS / Release Date: Out Now

Nineteen years ago, a TV series began that captured my heart and mind like no other at the time. That show was The X-Files, and I was hooked from the very beginning. I bought mugs, t-shirts, sculpted statues, the near-obligatory videos (four episodes per tape), even the soundtrack album. I joined a fan club (like DVD, the internet wasn’t around), where I received a newsletter by post. Those were the days. 

It’s ten years since The X-Files finished on TV, presenting high quality drama with fascinating conspiracy theories. Sometimes ludicrous, often brilliant, it tapped into the cultural zeitgeist; characters appeared on The Simpsons, catchphrases such as ‘the truth is out there’ became common parlance. Has it stood up to the test of time? I don’t know, I’ve never re-watched it, but the fact US TV networks still search for ‘the next X-Files’ is testament to its popularity.

Fans will recall a notorious villain, The Cigarette Smoking Man. Originally an extra, played by William B. Davis, this man became a key part of the overall arc of the show, part of its mythology from day one. When Davis’s autobiography Where There’s Smoke… landed on my doormat, I was looking forward to rekindling old flames as I recalled my favourite episodes from the show, while getting some juicy insider gossip on what went on behind the scenes.

Not to be: Davis is a man who has lived for over seventy years, of which The X-Files was a mere decade. It shows in this autobiography, with the series only starting to feature in the final quarter of the book. Even then, he offers little insight to the show that any casual fan wouldn’t already know – the apparent aloofness of the two leads, the baffling outcomes to certain aspects of the plot, the shoestring budget and nervousness around the making of the first series. Yes, The X-Files may have made Davis a near household name in the 1990’s, but this is a book about the man, rather than the show that brought him fame.

That may be unfair. Davis is well-known in his native Canada, acting since he was a child and now running his own acting school. He’s been about the block, travelling to London and Dundee on the way, and for me this is where the book is at its most interesting. He’s enjoyed his time and it shows; not only the plays in which he performed or directed, but the women he became involved with on various levels. It’s not so much kiss and tell, merely an observation of who he’s met and where he’s been over the course of his life.

In other aspects, Davis has a matter-of-fact approach to his description; I feel this is where the book suffers. The style is fine, but when he says he wonders why his childhood years would interest anyone else, he does little to colour them. Similarly, when he mentions names, there’s an expectation that we’ll know exactly who he’s talking about. Granted, there are several I’ve heard of, especially those in England, but others remain unknown; even with his comment ‘yes, that so-and-so’, some remain a mystery. Is the Carolyn Jones he mentions the same who played Morticia Addams? We can only assume.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad book. Davis’s life has been interesting, but I’d certainly have found the book more engaging if I was Canadian. It’s assumed that the reader will have a familiarity with names and places, one that struck me as odd considering The X-Files was a hit across the globe.

Yet, there’s a warmth deep within. Not so much a yearning for the past, but a fondness in recalling it; no regrets, but a wondering how life could have been if different choices were made. In this, the book is a success. If, like me, you picked up this book purely as an X-phile, you may be disappointed. However, if you’re reading as the memoirs of an actor whose career spans radio and TV across the latter half of the twentieth century, it’s worth a go.

Alister Davison

You May Also Like...

chinese remake of anaconda drops trailer

ANACONDA Trailer Grants First Look At Remake Of 1997 Horror Flick

Three sequels and a spinoff-crossover film wasn’t enough for the 1997 creature feature Anaconda, which not only has a new movie in development, but is getting a Chinese remake! From
Read More
black widow star scarlett johansson in talks to lead new universal jurassic world film

Scarlett Johansson In Talks To Join JURASSIC WORLD Film

Another MCU star appears to be taking up the reins for Universal’s new Jurassic World movie: two-time Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson is reportedly in talks to lead the franchise that
Read More

Exclusive Reveal! Titan Comics to Deliver Prehistoric Hysterics in First 2 DUMB DINOS Collection

Titan Comics have exclusively revealed to STARBURST that they’re gearing up to publish the first-ever collection of the hilarious cult digital comic strip 2 Dumb Dinos, and we’re not the
Read More

New Dates For Lovecraftian Key of Dreams

Key of Dreams has announced new spaces for its titular immersive luxury horror event. The critically acclaimed company is known for its overnight experiences that dunk you into a strange
Read More

FAB Café to Host Free Film Screening of New Indie Comedy SECRETS OF A WALLABY BOY

We’re well known for our championing of truly independent filmmakers here at STARBURST, so it’s doubly exciting to be writing about one of our own! After joining the crew in
Read More
colin farrell returns as oswald cobblepot in the penguin series trailer

Colin Farrell Returns In THE PENGUIN Trailer

Colin Farrell returns as Gotham City’s answer to Tony Soprano in the first trailer for Max series The Penguin, which spins out of the world of the 2022 DC film
Read More