All the World's a Stage [Hardcover]

Dennis Weaver (Author), Thom Hartmann (Foreword) (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

"If you're like me and find the business of entertainment fascinating, we're going to have some fun together, because in this book I'm going to share with you some personal, humorous, and memorable moments—moments I have experienced over the five decades that I've been a stage, television, and film entertainer. . . . Then, I will share with you my most important role to date and the most important stage I've ever trod—the grandest stage of all, the stage on which we are all playing out the stories of our lives: planet Earth." —Dennis Weaver

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Though millions recognize Dennis Weaver for his roles in the long-running television series "Gunsmoke" and "McCloud" and, more recently, as the host of the Western Channel, the most important work of his life has not been performed in front of a camera. Since the early 1980s, he has dedicated himself to serving humanity and the environment. Now, Weaver shares the story of his life--his childhood and military years, his career as an entertainer (which includes a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood), and his more recent success as a spokesperson and role model for social annd environmental concerns. His ultimate goal: to remind us that only through collective spiritual growth and understanding the interrelationship of all living systems, will humanity consciously step forward to preserve our world for future generations.

About the Author

Dennis Weaver won an Emmy award for his role in television's longest running series, "Gunsmoke". Over the past five decades, he has appeared in stage, television, and motion picture productions as actor, comedian, and singer/songwriter. Weaver co-founded Love is Feeding Everyone (L.I.F.E.) and founded the Institute of Ecolonomics to find solutions for a sustainable ecology and economy. He is a sought-after speaker on social and environmental issues. Weaver lives in a self-designed "Earthship." A film on this environmentally friendly home has been featureed on PBS nationwide and at internation and U.S. environmental film festivals.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571742875
• ISBN-13: 978-1571742872
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,186,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Renaissance Man, December 12, 2001

By 

Robert J. Marks (Lynnwood, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: All the World's a Stage (Hardcover)

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I admire Dennis Weaver. He has a long consistent acting career in diverse roles, a marriage now celebrating its second half century and deep convictions on what is meaningful in life. His life story is full. Besides his lead in the television series McCloud and the role of Chester on television's longest running prime time series, Gunsmoke, Dennis Weaver won an Emmy for his portrayal of Chester on Gunsmoke; is an inductee of the Cowboy Hall of Fame; co-founded LIFE (Love is Feeding Everyone); serves as host of cable TV's Western Channel; and served for fourteen years as the spokesman for Great Western Bank replacing John Wayne after Wayne's death. Dennis Weaver starred in Steven Spielberg's first movie, "Duel"; teamed with Orson Welles in the movie "A Touch of Evil"; acted with James Cagney in "The Gallant Hours"; co-hosted Farm Aid IV with Willie Nelson. He is a singer/songwriter and has recorded his works with the likes of John Denver. Like Ronald Reagan, Dennis Weaver served as President of the Screen Actor's Guild. Weaver was a naval aviator in the Naval Air Corps in WWII; was offered a football scholarship at the University of Oklahoma; and finished #6 in the decathlon tryouts for the United States Olympic team. He built a house out of old tires,dirt filled pop cans and adobe and dubbed it "Earthship". Behind the scenes, he introduced the parents of Ron and Clint Howard. Ron Howard, of course, played Opie on the Andy Griffith Show and later made great films like "Apollo 13". Clint Howard costarred with Weaver in the television series "Gentle Ben." Dennis Weaver introduced Linda Evans ("Dallas") to her first TV acting job on McCloud; coached his son's little league team; was financially helped by Shelley Winters in lean times; and, before fame, made money delivering flowers to people like Lucille Ball, Jack Webb and John Ford. Director extraordinaire John Ford's son-in-law, Ken Curtis, later replaced Dennis Weaver's character of Chester on Gunsmoke as the hay seed Festus.

The first eight chapters of "All the World's a Stage" are Weaver's autobiography. The account of his life in the Great Depression reads wonderfully like John Grisham's "The Painted House". The times were tough, but there was love, family, adventure and good friends. Some of Weaver's pros are poetic: "A shared crisis is fertile soil in which kindness can grow"; "The purpose of life is to Love and be Loved". Some read like proverbs: "to achieve a goal, three things are necessary, focus, focus and focus"; "Everyone should be passionate about something"; "that which you would have for yourself, give to others"; "Be happy with yourself;" and one his favorite sayings, "The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer."

Dennis Weaver soared to popularity as stiff legged Chester Goode in television's Gunsmoke. Chester was Matt Dillon's hired help - not a deputy as reported in most commentaries on the series. The cast and theme of the early Gunsmokes were magic. Doc, Kitty, Matt, Chester and the magic writing of John Meston zoomed the early black-and-white half hour Gunsmokes into the number one spot for four straight years. Purists (like me) say these are among the best westerns ever aired. Dennis Weaver soon tired of the role of Chester. He felt the possibilities of Chester's character were exhausted and left Gunsmoke after the first nine seasons. He wanted to be a leading man. He achieved this in numerous roles including the television series, McCloud.

The last ten chapters of "All the World's a Stage" proselytize Dennis Weaver's pantheistic worldview. He is a vegetarian concerned about the planet earth. His call to activism came during meditation. "One evening, while I was practicing the stillness, the Divine Presence of God came in a very sweet and loving way; and I was moved to mentally speak to that Holy Consciousness, which I often refer to as the `Divine Mother'." He envisions his god as a female. In the book's preface, he writes, "I sincerely and humbly thank God for we are all together in Her". He is the member of Self-Realization Fellowship described as "half-Yoga [Hindu] and half-Christian". (There are Christians - like me - who believe being half-Christian, like being half-pregnant, is not possible.) Weaver is not passive about his faith. He has placed his passions into action. Besides LIFE, he champions the discipline of "Ecolonomics", a term he created to describe joint concern of ecology and economics.

Compared to the autobiographies of James Arness and Burt Reynolds, both Gunsmoke regulars, Weaver's autobiography overflows with passion, concern for truth, introspection, and search for spiritual identity. Little emphasis or concern is placed on the importance or the fame of self. The title of Weaver's autobiography, unlike those of James Arness and Burt Reynolds, does not include his name. "All the World's a Stage" emphasizes both who he is - an actor - and where his passion lies - in the spirituality of planet Earth. Dennis Weaver holds these precepts higher than self. Some may not agree on the conclusions of his quest for truth, but all must admire the sincerity and outstanding character that constitutes a remarkable man.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, March 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: All the World's a Stage (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book with great depth and pathos and humor about the dust bowl in
the depression. It is not just another Hollywood book, but there are many humorous
stories about his career. I especially loved to read about what work he is doing for our
planet and to cap it off his spirituality certainly comes forth. My friends and I agree that once
we began to read we couldn't put it down.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treat to read!, November 12, 2003

By 

Graciela Sholander "Author & Writer" (Fort Collins, CO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: All the World's a Stage (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It takes the reader back through many years and presents a clear picture of life in each era, through the eyes and personal experiences of this wonderful actor and kind-hearted soul. Whether you're reading about young Dennis picking strawberries in Oregon fields with his family -- to make it through tough financial times -- or his often amusing experiences in Hollywood, this book will entertain and uplift you. Written in a warm, conversational, highly accessible tone. Reading "All The World's A Stage" gives you the feeling of relaxing in a porch rocking chair with a good cup of coffee, listening to timeless stories told by an old friend. Full of anecdotes and Hollywood history, woven together with wisdom and spirituality.

-- Graciela Sholander, http://dreamitdoit.net