Fredda Dudley Balling

Unlike any biography or memoir you’ve probably ever read, this breezy and enjoyable book is a funny, charming, entertaining and often self-deprecating look at a man and his life. That the man happens to be writer/director/producer Tay Garnett, who helmed films like Joy of Living, China Seas, Trade Winds, Cheers for Miss Bishop, My Favorite Spy, the soap-opera noir masterpiece, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and the unforgettable 1930s romantic classic, One Way Passage, seems almost a fortuitous aside.

Garnett’s failings are here, but they’re handled in humorous style. You learn a lot about Hollywood from a business and creative standpoint, but you learn it between the lines, and always with a pinch of humor and a dash of irony. He drinks, he marries and falls in love, he pitches films and takes vacations, but mostly, Garnett just lives life to the fullest he can within the confines of his fluid circumstances, which were always tied to great loves, friends he was traveling with, stars he was working with, and wives he was married to in that particular moment.

A huge section of the memoir deals with an incredible extended vacation, and has only minor connections to Hollywood, until you realize a lot of the background footage from Trade Winds, starring Frederic March and Joan Bennett, was shot by Garnett on said vacation. Breezy rather than rambling, you come off liking Garnett considerably after reading this. He had his own failings, so is not quick to criticize those of other stars or directors or producers. In a way, he was akin to writer Mickey Spillane, who often wrote, as he said, when he needed bread. Garnett seemed to pause the living of life whenever he needed bread and made a movie. Fortunately for filmgoers, and those who read his memoir, that was quite often.

This is that unusual memoir that upon completion, you find yourself hard-pressed to cite specific stories or antidotes that made you enjoy it so much. You simply know as a reader that it put a smile on your face, and was a refreshing change from the salacious and titillating memoirs which seem written only to earn a buck, and perhaps settle old scores. I was surprised to discover how much television Garnett was involved in later in life.

This memoir is an absolute delight, and anyone who loves classic films will enjoy it immensely. What’s great, is even if you’re not into classic films — and how sad for you we buffs all are — this is still a fun memoir to read. Highly recommended.… (plus d'informations)