From Publishers Weekly
This is the autobiography of a determinedly independent man who began to rebel seemingly shortly after he was born in New England in 1915. As actor, lover and occasional hell-raiser, Merrill captivates readers by recounting the details of his life, no less rocky than the Maine coast, his heart's true home. In his youth, he won roles in SRO plays ( Born Yesterday , Brother Rat , etc.); film parts followed, most memorably in the 1950s classic, All About Eve , and an off-screen role as Bette Davis's husband. The marriage lasted nine years before "The Queen" and her equally hard-headed spouse called it quits. Before the divorce, though, they had good times with their children and friends, and exhilarating visits with Hollywood and British luminaries. Merrill also has fond memories of his four-year affair with Rita Hayworth, who shines in a different light here. He voices a protest against "an unbelievable book" by Bette Davis's daughter, B. D. Hyman ( My Mother's Keeper ) as full of unfounded attacks on her mother. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Bette, Rita, and the Rest of My Life is the autobiography of Gary Merrill, actor, would-be politician, and self-professed hard drinking good-time guy. From his childhood in Connecticut, and his summers in Maine to his early work on the stage and in films, he relates a string of anecdotes that provide a brief overview of his life. Merrill is best-known for the company he kept, namely, his former wife, Bette Davis, and one-time girlfriend, Rita Hayworth. Herein lies the problem with this book: Merrill seems overshadowed by the specter of these two stronger and better-known personalities. On some level, he appears to acknowledge this, hence the title. Yet, despite his close associations with Davis and Hayworth, he offers no new insights into the character of either actress. Although he spent ten years with Davis and four with Hayworth, he describes these relationships in the same anecdotal style he employs for the rest of the book. Beginning with the 1960s Merrill became more politically active. He marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, Alabama. and later visited Viet Nam and Nicaragua with peace groups. He made a brief foray into politics with an unsuccessful bid for a congressional seat in his home state of Maine. He currently earns the major portion of his living using his pleasantly distinctive voice in commercials. Although Merrill comes across as a good-hearted individual and a loving and devoted father to his adopted son, his book is at best mildly entertaining, but doesn't make for especially compelling reading. -- From Independent Publisher
