Hollywood memoirs

[TheMildManneredMilitant]

I've just finished Jennette McCurdy's book 'I'm glad my Mom died', which was a well-written, fascinating insight into child stardom (and overcoming a tough childhood). I also recently re-read Michael Cain's autobiography which I love. Can anyone recommend any other well written Hollywood autobiographies/memoirs?

I'm quite partial to these, @TheMildManneredMilitant - though tbh I prefer the older 40s/50s/60s ones. But I read Sally Field's book In Pieces a while ago, and really enjoyed that - she had a tough childhood as well. It’s well-written too, which isn’t always the case!

It's been quite a while since I read them but I remember these as being interesting:
Moving Pictures by Ali MacGraw
You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again by Julia Phillips
My Life So Far by Jane Fonda

Great thanks so much @JaneJeffer and @Terpsichore

David Niven for 1930s and 1940s Hollywood

• The Moon's A Balloon
• Bring On The Empty Horses

@TheMildManneredMilitant Just thought of another one, The Kid Stays in the Picture by the director Robert Evans - who, coincidentally, was married to Ali McGraw for a time. It’s ridiculously macho and boastful but great fun.

Lee, by Pamela Marvin (his second wife).

For old Hollywood I would second the recommendation for David Niven. Marlon Brando’s aitobiography was also great and I loved the biography Kate Remembered about Katherine Hepburn.

For more recent books I have read
good reviews of Jennifer Grey’s book ‘Out of the Corner’ .

My favourite Silver Screen memoirs are
Harpo Speaks by Harpo Marx

By Myself by Lauren Bacall

Haywire by Brooke Hayward. Brooks Hayward was the daughter of a Hollywood and Broadway agent and producer and her mother was a stage and film actor. Her parents were much married to extraordinary people. Fascinating growing up in this world but there is also a lot of description of serious mental health issues.

Brooke not Brooks btw

With Nails by Richard E Grant.
Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins by Rupert Everett.
Goddess - The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summers.

Michael J Fox’s book is really good.

Who the Hell’s In It? by Peter Bogdanovitch is completely enthralling if you’re interested in the history of old Hollywood. He interviewed loads of screen stars and transcribed the conversations. It was a follow-up to a similar book with directors called Who the Hell Made It? ☺️ Both fascinating if you like that kind of thing. As I do!

I’ve found my people! Am obsessed with Hollywood biographies. The Rupert Everett has been mentioned already and is one of my favourites. I recently read Eleanor Coppola’s Notes on a Life which was fascinating and moving- even if she (as the wife of Coppola) isn’t the famous one. It’s interesting to see how her life was shaped by her marriage and having to balance her desire for her own creativity/identity alongside such a powerful force.

Also loved Furious Love (Burton and Taylor), Natasha (Natalie Wood)

I will add more! Keep them coming please! I especially love the old Hollywood memoirs.

The Kid Stays in the Movie is being made into a film if I recall correctly?

Also looking forward to the Blonde film (Joyce Carol Oates novel) Although as it’s one of my favourites am worried it won’t be good!

Kid Stays in the Picture! Sorry 🙄

Rose McGowan’s is a hard read but fascinating on the topic of cults and Hollywood as a cult.

Will second Richard E. Grant's With Nails - really interesting about the filming process, lots of great anecdotes, a very entertaining read. Was very sad to read about his wife passing away recently, you could tell from this book they had a wonderful relationship.

I've read Bette Davis's autobiography and George Sanders biography by a friend of his (can't remember the titles).

Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher, a novel but based on her own life story.

Also, Simone Signoret's autobiography.

Wow so many suggestions thank you all for replying.

It’s probably bad form to quote my own post but just to be pedantic, I got Peter B's name slightly wrong (it’s Bogdanovich, no 't') and the conversations with directors is called Who the Devil Made It ? 🤪

A couple not mentioned that I really enjoyed:

Watch Me - Anjelica Huston
Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life - Alan Cumming

I loved An Open Book by John Houston. He knew everyone. I really liked Rob Lowe's autobiography too.

Wonderful, wonderful books by David Niven.

Not quite Hollywood but the 2 memoirs by Rupert Everett are outstanding, laugh out loud and poignant. He's a brilliant writer.

I really love a Hollywood auto/biography, especially from the Golden Age era when the crazy studio system was still in full swing.

Esther Williams' Million Dollar Mermaid is a goodie - she fought back from various disasters, and invented waterproof make-up along the way. Charles Higham's biography of Howard Hughes is fascinating, as is Karina Longworth's Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Howard Hughes' Hollywood. Karina Longworth's podcast series, You Must Remember This, has some interesting series about various periods in film history, including detailed explorations of the careers of Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, etc, and a thorough debunking of Hollywood Babylon.

I have the fairly recent Vivien Leigh one on my wish list and I'd like to read one on Joan Fontaine, Olivia de Havilland (their enduring rivalry fascinates me) and Judy Garland.

Just adding in with the general chorus of David Niven - the Moon's a Balloon is wonderful - gossipy, serious and supremely funny. He had an excellent turn of phrase and really brings the era to life (an era I had no particular interest in to begin with). Start it and I'm sure you'll be rewarded swiftly by such a great choice...