As we did in 2021 and 2023 and 2024, we're attempting to again increase book coverage in the community. This go round, we're talking with Kat, Ruth and Marcia. Kat reviewed "Jeanine Basinger's THE MOVIE MUSICAL " while Ruth covered "Alec Baldwin's NEVERTHELESS: A MEMOIR" and Marcia covered "Here We Go Again My Life In Television -- Betty White." Marcia, let's start with you. Tell us Betty and the book.
Marcia: Betty White was an actress who did TV in the fifties and probably became more famous in the early 70s from game shows. Then she did THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW and really became a TV actress and star. She started playing Eunice's sister Ellen on THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW and when MAMA'S FAMILY spun off from that show, she continued to play Ellen on that and then, of course, came THE GOLDEN GIRLS. Betty White was sunshine and fun. I wanted to love this book. I didn't. In 1995, Mary Tyler Moore wrote AFTER ALL and I felt like I learned more about Betty in that book then in this one supposedly written by Betty. Betty and Mary were great friends and they couples dated. They knew each other very well. I didn't get that from the book.
"Supposedly written by Betty."
Marcia: I don't think Betty wrote it or dictated it. There are too many problems with the book. For example? Desi Arnaz invented the multi-cam sitcom. Betty's telling this story of I LOVE LUCY and her regional sitcom being done for a year side-by-side. But she talks about how they were live. I LOVE LUCY was not live. It was filmed. This is a part of TV history. Lucy didn't want to go to NYC. That meant a whole new way of putting a show together. Desi came up with it. The sitcom would be filmed, it would be multi-cam, etc. If Betty wrote the book, I would assume, if her show's set was right next to I LOVE LUCY, she'd know that I LOVE LUCY was not a live show. That happens over and over. She or someone also writes about how Ken Barry began playing Mama's son on THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW. No. Not true. Alan Alda -- among others -- played one of Mama's son on THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW. Ken Barry never did a skit with Mama -- they were called The Family -- until the spin-off MAMA'S FAMILY. There are way too many errors like that which make me think that Betty didn't really write the book or dictate it.
Ruth, you covered Alec Baldwin's memoir.
Ruth: I did. I was a fan of the actor early on. I can remember him on THE DOCTORS -- a daytime TV program. And, in his book, he writes about that show and I was glad but I would have honestly enjoyed more about the people on the show. I enjoyed the book but had wanted to bring this into the discussion. He does Broadway, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE as Stanley, and has to -- or feels he has to -- pump up and look good and this caused health problems. I am very sad about that. But am I remembering wrong or was his body not used throughout his career.
You mean on display?
Ruth: Yes.
In MARRIED TO THE MOB, as Michelle Pfeiffer's husband, we see him in his underwear and his body is featured in WORKING GIRL. Prior to that, you've got photo shoots with magazines like US where his bare chested and posing with Lisa Hartman Black -- his KNOTS LANDING co-star. Alec's a good looking man to this day but, yes, his body was on display in the early years.
Ruth: I thought so. Or hoped so, I was afraid I was remembering wrongly.
Kat?
Kat: I read the worst book in the world. Some musicals, per the author, aren't really musicals. Depends on the mood she's in basically. She doesn't see GREASE as a real musical. Sometimes dancing is enough to be a musical -- SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER -- sometimes it's not -- FOOTLOOSE. Sometimes box office is so important, other times it's not. She excuses racism throughout the book which was very offensive. It fails to cover movie musicals in a linear fashion and instead jumps around all over.
You'd asked us to bring up Barbra Streisand.
Kat: I had! Thank you. She doesn't seem to care for Barbra. She lavishes Julie Andrews for two movie musicals and calls her a star of the genre. Now I love THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE -- and despite the author's lie, the film was a hit. The author hates it. So why are we pretending Julie's a musical star only based on two films? Barbra's attacked for everything and the author seems to confuse FUNNY GIRL with FUNNY LADY as she blathers on about how Barbra's personality is used in one. Yes, it was. In FUNNY GIRL. That's why Barbra said when it was on Broadway that it was her life -- Barbra's -- it just happened to happen to Fanny Brice first. And, sorry, Barbra was a bigger musical star than Julie Andrews. YENTL, FUNNY GIRL, HELLO DOLLY, FUNNY LADY and ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER all made money. Lots and lots of money. She doesn't care for Streisand and that may have to do with the support Barbra's historically had from gay men because the writer of the book is a homophobe.
So you don't recommend the book you read.
Kat: Not at all.
And Marcia?
Marcia: No. It's a poorly written book and I don't believe Betty wrote it or dictated it.
Ruth?
Ruth: Mr. Baldwin's book was a pleasure to read. His childhood, his college days, his move to NYC and then to California. I found it all fascinating and very well written.
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Previous book discussions:
"Books (Marcia, Isaiah, Ava and C.I.)"
"Books (Trina, Stan, Ava and C.I.)"
"Books (Isaiah, Ava and C.I.)"
"Books (Rebecca, Marcia, Ava and C.I.)"
