Breaking the Silence [Hardcover]

Mariette Hartley (Author), Anne Commire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 1990

Mariette Hartley's Polaroid commercials with James Garner and her Emmy Award-winning television performances have made her one of America's favorite stars. But hidden behind her high good humor was a family legacy of abuse, suicide, and alcoholism that nearly destroyed her. Growing up the privileged granddaughter of pioneering psychologist John B. Watson, who preached that children should never be kissed, hugged, or even touched, Mariette went from days of martinis, tweeds, and roses in suburban Connecticut to madcap nights in Hollywood, outwardly leading a charmed life. Inside, though, her family secrets and abusive husband were pushing her toward tragedy. Filled with wit, humanity and marvelous inside stories of Hollywood and television, Breaking the Silence is the story of Mariette's triumphant journey to hope, courage and a happy new life-a work as warm and engaging as the woman herself.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sometimes hilarious, sometimes horrifying, always on target, this splendid autobiography by Emmy-winning actress Hartley and playwright Commire rises well above other efforts of its kind. Many of Hartley's themes are familiar--alcoholism, physical and mental abuse, psychoanalysis and eventual redemption--but her intelligence, candor and uncluttered prose cast all afresh. Whether she is describing an outrageous series of outtakes on the set of Gunsmoke or her father's decline and eventual bloody suicide, she offers substance and style. A special pleasure is her humor. On an adolescent rival: "I'll bet she saves all her kilt pins in a little box that says 'Kilt Pins.' " On Fay Wray: "I just wish my demons had been large, furry and visible. They weren't." Photos not seen by PW. First serial to People; BOMC featured alternate.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Television star Hartley's early life was considerably grimmer than her perky personality would suggest: the child of alcoholic parents, she grappled with the painful legacy of her father's suicide and an ill-fated marriage to a man who beat her. But psychoanalysis, she says, has helped her put these problems in perspective, and her intrinsically cheerful nature shines through every sentence of this memoir. Best known for her ill-fated stint as co-host on the CBS Morning Program and a series of Polaroid commercials with James Garner, Hartley is very funny when relating stories of her career and family life with second husband Patrick Boyriven and their children. Her quirky, irreverent style makes this fast-paced, episodic book a delight to read.
-Marcia L. Perry, Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Mass.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (October 3, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399135839
• ISBN-13: 978-0399135835
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars review of "breaking the silence", April 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Breaking the Silence (Signet) (Paperback)

This was a wonderful book. It detailed so eloquently the struggle of growing up in an abusive home and overcoming the obstacles placed before a person. Ms. Hartley presented herself in a very human manner and also a person who is not above these struggles herself. It gives a person hope that they too might be able to overcome such difficulties in life. I would recommend this book to professionals as well as survivors.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving & funny; surprisingly good., July 6, 2008

By 

Timothy J. Bazzett "ReedCityBoy" (Reed City, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breaking the Silence (Signet) (Paperback)

I ran across this book not too long after reading Jane Pauley's memoir. I haven't heard of Mariette Hartley in some time, so don't really know what she's up to these days, but this is one very interesting book. I had no idea Hartley had had such a lousy disfunctional childhood, with alcoholic and distant parents (her father shot himself, a suicide), a famous pop psychologist/behaviorist grandfather who believed children shouldn't be touched overly much. What a lot of crap on this poor kid's plate, ya know? Then she had to survive an ill-advised abusive marriage, before she finally found someone who deserved her. My first memory of Mariette Hartley was her role in the classic Peckinpah western film, Ride the High Country, with Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott in their last big major roles. And she was great in the film - her first movie role, about 45 yrs ago, I think. She talks about this auspicious debut and the awful stuff whe was dealing with at the same time, and also talks about some of the awful clinkers she made too, and all the TV shows, revealing - who'da guessed this? - what a card James Arness was when she did some Gunsmoke episodes. I notice that Hartley has a co-writer for this book, but I have to assume that the sense of humor exhibited throughout the narrative belongs to Hartley alone. And she is a funny woman, in addition to being a survivor. This book should not be out-of-print. This story of personal tragedy, recovery and survival is simply too well told to be lost. If you can find this book, read it! - Tim Bazzett, author of Pinhead: A Love Story (RatholeBooks.com)

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Glimpse into what it's like to be a TV icon, July 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Breaking the Silence (Signet) (Paperback)

I've admired MH for many years and it was a pleasure to relive some of the shows I've seen her in, but from her point of view. She comes across as a very humble, friendly, and intelligent person you can't help but admire. The writing is crisp and humorous. I especially loved the sections dealing with the really bad movies she made, like Count Yorga and Drums of Africa (which I'm now dying to see) as well as cult shows she was on like Peyton Place, Star Trek, and Hulk. If anything, I would have liked to hear more about what it was like behind the scenes at those shows and how she fleshed out those characters, what it was like to win an Emmy, etc. She has been in so many shows she could probably do another book just on that aspect of her life. The sections about her family were very interesting, too, showing how much she managed to overcome to be where she is now. Hope she writes volume two--apparently her life has changed a lot since 1991 with divorce and several humanitarian awards, etc.