Betty Garrett and Other Songs: A Life on Stage and Screen

by Betty Garrett, Ron Rapoport

The riveting story of a leading lady whose real life has been as dramatic as those of the characters she portrayed!

Genres: Memoir

306 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1997

Reviews

[Polly]

I originally read this book years ago, probably when it first came out. Decided to read it again because I've been learning the ukulele and came across Betty Garrett playing the uke on an episode of Laverne and Shirley. Check it out on youtube, very fun. (Search for her name and "plenty of gin")

Anyhoo, I couldn't remember much from my first read, but bought the book again on Kindle and gave it a read. SUCH an interesting woman. Has LIVED the lyrics from Stephen Sondheim's "Broadway Baby." She had an interesting upbringing, a "lively" social life, broke into the theater, broke into movies, was highly involved in the whole Red Scare time period. Wow, she lived it all! I only wish this book were two volumes, as she lived a lot of life and probably had many more stories to tell. Highly recommend.

[Melissa]

Betty Garrett tells her life story of working on stage, movies and television. Betty also portrays her marriage to Larry Parks and her experiences of raising her two sons. Betty has had the pleasure of working with many talented stars including Jack Lemmon (her favorite second only to her husband), Frank Sintara, Carroll O'Connor and Penny Marshall, and shares stories of these actors and so many more. Betty is a multi-talented woman and her sharp wit is scattered throughout this novel and will surely have you laughing out loud!

[Graceann]

After meeting Betty Garrett Parks in 2004, I sought out this autobiography in an attempt to know more about her career. This book was an excellent primer on the life of a working actress, and on life during the infamous Blacklist (Garrett was married to Larry Parks, whose career was ruined by HUAC). Her love for her craft and her husband shines through on every page, and her sense of humor is well-displayed, too.

[Sarah]

Great biography that spans from WWII Broadway to 1950's Hollywood and McCarthy hearings and then onto 1970's Sitcoms and cabaret.

[Lori]

I read this book about ten years ago and wanted to read again. I have been a fan of this talented lady since I saw her in All in the Family and Laverne and Shirley. It was nice to read her memoir again. She writes about starting her career in New York appearing in many productions. Moving to California and marrying Larry Parks. She writes of the painful years when her Husband Larry Parks and she were blacklisted in the early 1950s that kept them from appearing on film for years. As a result they travelled around the USA and England in plays. One trait I like about Betty Garrett is she seems like a nice person not full of herself. Good memoir.

[Frank]

One of my favorite golden age actresses has written one of my favorite show business memoirs. Betty Garrett isn't out to get back at anybody (though she doesn't pull her punches either). Instead, she tells a warm, sometimes funny, sometimes painful story of her life and career. Along with humorous stories about working with Frank Sinatra, Harry Cohn and Jack Lemmon, she overs a vivid, first-person account of life during the anti-Communist witch hunts, when her husband, Larry Kert, was blacklisted. Yet there's no great bitterness in her writing. She's a survivor who has gotten through her problems with love and humor, which is what comes across in the book.

[Ceste Stanly]

I have read at least 25 autobios of old Hollywood actors & actresses & this is the 1st that I have read that had been blacklisted by the House of Unamerican activities. Both Betty & her hubs were blacklisted from making movies & television appearances for the bulk of their careers. Fascinating to understand the context of the history of it a bit better. Loved learning about her Broadway & stage career as well as her husband's. Loved hearing her silly stories about working w/ Sinatra. She is a great writer