Customer Reviews

Confessions of a Hollywood Director (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series)

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Richard Bare was my step-father in the early 60s. He was married to my mother, the one to whom he referred as the "plaintiff" in the book. I was just a kid at the time, so I didn't really know him very well. They were married for 5 years. The first 3 or 4 were fine; the last one wasn't so great. I was sent away to private schools for a couple of these years, so I wasn't around as much as I would have been. As I recall, Richard was a talented, creative individual, but he was all about Richard, you know?! His career came first, his boat second, the wife and family, well whenever he could fit them in. I wasn't really included in much, and when they went out at night I was my own babysitter even at the tender age of 9. That's just the way it was back then. He had his own children from a previous marriage, so we saw them on the weekends in the summer. He got on well with them, but they were his creations. Me - well, I was my mother's problem or issue to take care of. I enjoyed the book but it did bring back some sad memories for me, but also some interesting ones. I recently wrote him a letter and said my peace. Don't know if he'll respond; I doubt it. He's 97 years old now and wrote that book in 2001. Most all his friends from back in the day have long since passed on. My mother is still alive (87), but due to poor health, she no longer practices law. She went to law school primarily because of her marriage to Richard. Their divorce set a new precedent in law having to do with community property laws. She didn't "DO" anything to him; he was just used to having everything his way. She was his 4th wife, so that does speak a little to his history of getting along with women in relationships. He was an only child, and from what I read, was rather spoiled by his mother. When the depression hit, his dad took a beating financially and things sort of went downhill in that regard. Anyway, I bought the book because he was my step-father and I wanted to know more about his life. I learned a lot about the career aspects of his life, but not a lot about Richard Bare, the person. See what I mean? His career has always been who he is, and he's a Leo, so that also explains a few selfish tendencies if you understand astrology. It's a good read, but only if you're interested in his early life and all his accomplishments in early episodic 60s television in which he excelled. Never made the big time, but had a good career, never the less.