By Myself and Then Some

I first read this book when it was simply "By Myself" and I remember recommending it to everyone! Lauren Bacall is a marvelous actress and equally talented writer. Her style is breezy, candid, self-depracating and forthright. She takes us through her lean years trying to get into a Broadway or even off-Broadway show, the romance--and many roadblocks--with her first love and husband, iconic Humphrey Bogart (it wasn't all wine and roses and she is upfront about their differences and fights), how she got Bogie, herself, family and friends through his battle with cancer and subsequent death, life as a single lady, and life as a single lady "wronged" by a man--in this case, Frank Sinatra. She's honest with us and she quotes friends who are equally honest about her life--both the good and the bad.After the Hollywood years of Bogie, the Rat Pack and "humiliation" of Frank, Lauren aka Betty Bacall returns to her hometown, NYC, and she generously brings us along as she continues life as a single mother, meets, gets pregnant by (a big no no back then for a single woman) then marries Jason Robards, a charming, talented actor and terrible alcoholic. Interspersed are fascinating stories of friendships with the rich and famous--Adlai Stevenson, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, John Huston, Bobby Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Leonard Bernstein, to name a few.This is a tough woman who married two alcoholics, raised three children largely on her own, fought her way to a successful career in films and finally on Broadway, and endured loss after loss--friends, family--and she was thisclose to her mother and her aunts and uncles. Her shock and profound grief at their deaths is gritty and real. She's upfront about other losses--roles she wanted, money she needed, the divorce from Jason Robards, boyfriends who moved on, even the prickly relationship with her only daughter, Leslie Bogart.I revisited "By Myself and Then Some" shortly after Bacall's death. It took just a few pages for me to remember why I loved the original book so much! The addition--the "and Then Some"--has the tone, fast pace, humor and honesty of "By Myself." It is equally as interesting and answers many of the "whatever happened to him/her/that situation" introduced in "By Myself." Her memory when it comes to even the smallest details like the phone conversation when Sinatra shouted at and broke up with her, that last night with Bogie and how seeing his body dropped and rolled down the stairs led to nightmares for months afterwards, the trips abroad, the parties she and Bogie gave, how she dealt with his drinking and occasionally spiteful behavior are fascinating to read. You actually feel you're experiencing these things with her. Even her candor about her nerves is refreshing: I know when I'm nervous my hands shake terribly and Lauren Bacall wrote about the times her nerves got the best of her and how badly HER hands and even her head trembled. I admire her very, very much. If you haven't read "By Myself and Then Some" I encourage you to buy it. Yes, she was a movie star who mingled with the A-listers but the themes of her life--illnesses and deaths, anxiety and depression, problems with children, dishonest men, insecurities--are very relatable and it's those things that "make" the book!

I read this to learn about this time in Hollywood. I'm going to make the time to watch some of the movies mentioned. My only personal observation I wanted to share is about her career choice. I totally understand the desire at a young age to be a star and on stage. Yet her lack of natural talent (meaning she was good when she worked very, very hard and was well directed) and her insecurity and her stagefright and that she points out continuously throughout her book make me wonder. I've seen so many untalented children in performing arts schools, community theater, etc. They all WANT to be on the stage even if they lack the natural talent to do well. I wanted it, too...and yet my lack of talent, stagefright and self-awareness held me back from wasting anyone's time. It obviously didn't do the same to Lauren and she lived a great life because of it. So I wonder if I and many others should push through their lack of and reach for the stars with sheer determination and hopefully connections. Yes, Lauren Bacall's pretty and she's a great friend...I can see that. She was a great wife to Bogie and he a great husband. I youtubed and saw her on a game show at the time she acted in the last movie before Bogey died. She was so coquettish and self-absorbed in an adorable way (I guess) and the talent I saw was in her adorability while flirting. I guess it doesn't really matter if you're talented. If you want to be up on that stage and put yourself through the terror and judgement of others, risking your calm for them to like what you do...I think that's not a bad thing. I just don't think it's for everyone to do that. We'd all be a bundle of nerves and anxiety. I don't fault her...just observations of human behavior. I really want to thank her for putting it out there. It was a great read and shed light on a world I'll never know. She's a remarkable, wonderful person. I related to her in many ways. I have a Bogie in my life and it's really a great place to be. Safe and loving. She did well in that space and I get it....it's priceless.

知人へのクリスマスプレゼントに12月13日注文。12月28日到着との連絡があったが、届いたのは1月7日。しかも1番目立つ表紙右下の表面ビニールが剥がれている上、裏にも薄く切れ込みがある。欠陥品の発送？ 通販は信用第一を肝に命じて欲しい。(交換依頼中)

The autobiography is well written, interesting and insightful.In describing the life of an American actress over a period of 60 years, it was an account not only of the person, Betty Bacal, but of life in America, though it naturally concentrated on the life of an actor in America and also from time-to-time, England.My main criticism if there has to be one is that Bacall seems to have met and befriended just about every actor, writer and producer alive during those 60 years and quite naturally she mentions them in the context of her relationships with them. Sometimes there are just too many names to absorb.I would have preferred to hear more about her innermost thoughts because she was clearly a person of much depth.It is a long book and it kept my interest to the end, so it really is worth reading.

This autobiography is incredibly engaging and realistic. It is a warts and all appraisal of the life of an actress who lived through and indeed was at the centre of Hollywood's Golden Age - the time when movie stars were real movie stars. Bacall sprinkles her account with lots of glitz and glamour, and it is impossible for her not to name-drop on almost every page, but it also includes her memories of the sad and negative parts of her life.The book is divided into three parts - her childhood and pre-film star life, then her Hollywood movie life and marriage to Humphrey Bogart, and finally her life after Bogart's death. This edition of the book is actually a reprint of her 1978 autobiography with updates at the end.Born "Betty Joan Perske" in the Bronx to Jewish parents, Bacall started modelling at a young age, and had an amusing liaisons with a young Kirk Douglas in Manhattan. As a teenage fashion model she appeared on the cover of "Harper's Bazaar", as well as in magazines such as "Vogue". She was spotted by movie scouts, and once in Hollywood her stunning looks, relatively tall height of 5 feet 8½ inches and her smoky sultry purring voice made her stand out from the crowd.During early screen tests she was so nervous she inadvertently produced an alluring pose known as "The Look" - this gave her a unique and instantly recognisable trademark that would define her for decades. On her first movie "To Have and Have Not" (1944) she met Humphrey Bogart, and their legendary love affair started from there. She followed this up with the film-noir "The Big Sleep" (1946) - also with Bogart - and her map to the stars was set.Many iconic roles followed, including "Key Largo" (1948), "Bright Leaf" (1950) and "How to Marry a Millionaire" (1953). But behind her success Bacall reveals the tragedy of helping her husband through a traumatic and debilitating battle with cancer right up to his sad death in 1957.In the 1960's, 1970's and early 1980's Bacall found success on stage, appearing in the highly successful "Cactus Flower" (1965) and winning two Tony awards for "Applause" (1970) and "Woman of the Year" (1981). Amazingly, Bacall had her biggest movie award successes late in her career, winning a Golden Globe and receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "The Mirror Has Two Faces" (1996) - her first nominations after a career of more than fifty years.Bacall paints a full and detailed picture of her life, and it was a very long life. She died just five weeks short of her ninetieth birthday. Bacall reveals why her high profile relationship with Frank Sinatra ended, and why her second marriage failed. She also describes what it was like living as "Mrs Bogart" - even after her first husbands death, movie fans were still desperate to remember him through her. And, Bacall highlights her political efforts, in 1952, she gave campaign speeches for Democratic Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson and she also campaigned for Robert Kennedy in his 1964 run for the U.S. Senate.Overall, this is a wonderful and engaging biography. Written in a free and refreshing fast-paced style, it probably reflects the personality and attitude of the author. A must-read for fans of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Before I comment, can I make it clear ... Loved this book. The ambition Lauren Bacall exuded was second to none, never mind that she was a nervous wreck, something she was surprisingly honest about. I'm sure there wouldn't be many like her who battle through knock backs and nerves as she did till she reached her goal. But what a name dropper! And everyone was her "best friend". Whether she met them once, or knew them for years, they were categorised as wonderful dahling! And discretion didn't seem to be in her make-up, which is surprising as she drove home time and again that Bogie was naturally secretive and shunned journalists who fished for gossip. It makes you wonder what he would have made of her spilling the bean ... Or should I say ALL the beans!Like other reviewers I found the addition to the original was rather surplus to requirements and though it read like an obituary list which eventually became monotonous, it won't put me off recommending the book, especially if you're into autobiographies and want to know what life was really like for those glamorous stars in Hollywood and on Broadway. As I say, she certainly doesn't hold back.

Is an intensely personal autobiography so well written by Lauren Bacall that you can hear her voice in every sentence. When I saw the book was over 11 hours long I was a bit daunted but it was such a lovely read, I flew through it. I really enjoyed hearing all the stories about her life with Bogie, then Jason Robards.