Trust Me: A Memoir

by George Kennedy

(Applause Books). "These are memoirs of a kid born in New York City in 1925. His dad, George Senior, was a pianist, composer, and orchestra leader at Proctor's Vaudeville Theatre, and his mother, Helen, played in a classic dance troupe. Hanky-panky ensued. They married, and I soon was the result... I write like I talk. A long time ago I tried making 'talking and telling the truth' one and the same. That isn't just difficult; it means painfully reviewing things you've been led to believe since you were a child. That's very hard to do. Like many, I have marched along adhering to conventions (sex, color, church, party, gang) without examination. There's a wonderful, protective 'togetherness' in that anonymity. You obey or are damned, less joined together than stuck together. You become an echo rather than a voice. This book is about what happens when you stop fearing and think. I like writing, but warmed-over BS is not on the menu. You are the most important thing in life. Every phrase in the book awkward or not is how I think and question everything. I wrote every word as if we were sitting together. I want you to think, too..." George Kennedy, from the preface

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
See also George Kennedy (journalist, professor)

George Harris Kennedy, Jr. was an American actor who appeared in more than two hundred film and television productions.

In addition to his acting roles, Kennedy wrote Trust Me: A Memoir. He was also credited as author on two mystery novels, both of which featured Kennedy as amateur sleuth on the trail of killers in a Hollywood setting rife with his many famous co-stars. An uncredited ghost author penned both mystery novels.

Reviews

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great actor and a great person and a great book.

In Trust Me, George Kennedy showcases the unexpected encounters that have shaped his life and career. Best known for his extensive work in film, television, and theatre, as well as for his unmistakable stature, Kennedy takes us deeper into his story to reveal a strong faith in the power of kindness. Trust Me traces Kennedy’s lonely childhood, as he and his mother struggle to survive the Great Depression, and his young adulthood fighting in World War II, working as a military advisor in radio and television, and finally breaking into the acting business.

From learning to ride a horse, despite his scoliosis, to working with demanding directors, his journey hasn’t been easy. But Kennedy’s talent and resolve have been proven time and again, most notably by his Oscar-winning performance in Cool Hand Luke. Kennedy offers anecdotes of inspiring encounters from all walks of life, from flight attendants to Hollywood greats, including Paul Newman, Carol Burnett, Bo Derek, James Stewart, Clint Eastwood, and Frank Sinatra.

Kennedy tells his story the only way he knows how – as candid, no-holds-barred look at life’s tragedies and triumphs, this book reads as if he is just with you talking to you, both funny and philosophical, Kennedy asks hard questions of himself and invites you to do the same. As Kennedy says, This book is about what happens when you stop fearing – and think.

He speaks very openly about his thoughts of life but also working with so many actors, his wife's, his family and family problems,his role as "man of the house"

One thing is for sure, he was a nice guy,talking about others he worked with that "his own" career, liked by all and lived a full life, 91 years filled.

Very entertaining. Four stars

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Kennedy now resides in the same assisted living center as my mother and they share the same birthday. He is a dear man and the book is written exactly how he talks which is sometimes scattered.
I enjoyed his rendering of different stars and his life in films.

[Paul Manfredi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big George was a Nice Guy!

Big George Kennedy was a really nice guy who had a terrible childhood. I loved his movies, but this book is written so oddly that I only gave it 3 stars. He has some good stories of fellow actors but goes off on tangents that I found hard to follow or even care about. I love his movies though!

[Lenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing entertaining book. I never knew or expected that George was such a profound philosopher. Five star book!

[Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a memoir by the actor George Kennedy who won an Academy Award for his performance in Cool Hand Luke, and was also in dozens of other films including the Airport and Naked Gun series. He writes about his life in a candid, spontaneous manner that both criticizes and praises the people he lived and worked with. His father died when he was four and the stepfather that entered his life and stayed for seven years could not read or write, and never spoke to his stepson, perhaps not even realizing he was getting a young boy at the same time as a wife. Kennedy had multiple potentially debilitating experiences when growing up but seemed to rise above them and blaze his own path through life.

I like memoirs because they’re like a window into a different life, the life of someone I may have heard about, (and in this case actually met a few times) but who lived in a completely different world. Film fans will appreciate this book because it contains information about other celebrities and actors as well as those vital bits of largely useless trivia information we all like. Did you know that for the 4th Airport movie, Universal Pictures rented a Concorde for 40,000. dollars an hour? This book was published in 2011 and Kennedy died in 2016 at the age of 91, but in addition to many well-acted film roles, he left us with this book that is a delightful and humorous story of a life in the film world.

[Cyndy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this memoir. Another reviewer said it was scattered and I agree but I enjoyed it because he said so going in that it wasn’t chronological. It kept me interested with the little glimpses here and there of his life. I think he would have been a really interesting and fun person to know.

[Mei Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book showed the hardships and a life of someone that lived through The Great Depressions of the 1930's. George Kennedy had nothing but himself when he grew up and even after he grew up he still had nothing but himself. George's mom was a whore and his step dad never even talked to him, so George grew up with all the faith he had in himself. After he grew up, George joined the army, when he retired form that, George became an actor of many popular movie.
there is one quote that I really liked from him. That is "Without my dreams, I would have had no one to play with at all." George was a dreamer. that was also what he depended on. it was his dreams that kept him going and leading him to a successful life. This quote is very inspirational because it shows me how far dreams can take you. George fought down all the problems in life with himself and his dreams. He had a bad childhood but he overcame that, he had two unsuccessful marriages but he overcame that, he lost two kids and he still overcame that. It was his dreams that kept him going.
I think George wrote this book not only to tell the story of his life but also to tell people today that as long as you have dreams, there will be chance even if it is very slim. His life story shows a perfect example of that quote.

[Chuck Neumann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the memoir by actor George Kennedy. The veteran supporting actor was most active in the 60's and 70's, working with John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Paul Neumann, Clint Eastwood, Burt Lancaster and many others. His most recent success was the Naked Gun films. He goes into his rough childhood and his private life a great deal. He starts out by asling himself questions about his life and then answering them. An unusual style which he drops about a third of the way into the book. He also starred in a few TV series but doesn't talk much about them except to say he worked too hard on them. An interesting book about a fine actor and his unusual life, but not really a great book.

[G P Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

After his recent death, I found this book at my local library. A very quick read, it was published by a small printing company and edited that way. Though a bit sporadic, (life timeline to small people chapters), this book works. George is not a tattletale, a gossip, or bridge burner. We are not overwhelmed by every detail of genealogy, but read enough fine stories and experienced-life observations to respect this fine author, who seems through his writing, an interesting man. RIP, and I am also a fan of Good Old Dependable.
Side note: Mr. Kennedy was reliable as a strong male character actor. Two favorite movies were his Oscar winning role in "Cool Hand Luke" and his subtle role in "Death On the Nile".

[Barry Hammond · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Kennedy is a versatile actor in everything from Charade, The Dirty Dozen, Cool Hand Luke, Hurry Sundown, to Airport, The Eiger Sanction, Death On The Nile, and The Naked Gun. He had a couple of television series, too: Sarge and The Blue Knight and was in the last three seasons of Dallas. His memoir is a mix of great stories about the movies and the people he knew mixed with serious thought about some of life's mysteries, but entertaining throughout. My only complaint is that he didn't talk about the writing he did in the 1980's as well. - BH.

[Brian Bundesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick read. A bit choppy and disjointed, but Kennedy warned readers, so he delivered as promised. He led an extraordinary life. Lots of interesting stories. Disappointed there was virtually nothing about the Dirty Dozen. If you're a fan of Kennedy and his films, the book is worth a read.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting trip down Mr. Kennedy's past in Hollywood from his own perspective. I enjoyed reading "inside stories" on the making of his famous movies and his relationships with other actors. Very easy read - finished it in a day.