Customer Reviews

Ginger: My Story

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

According to one writer and critic 'Ginger my story' was greeted with 'critical yawns' upon it's publication in 1991. Personally I couldn't disagree more. Reading this book was a truly heartwarming experience from beggining to end. Ginger writes candidly about her upbringing, her early experiences on the vaudeville circuit, her hollywood film career (including the pitfalls of being a woman in Hollywood) and the sad story of her five marriages which all ended in divorce. Ginger tells delightful anecdotes about her encounters with other famous folk - George Gershwin, FDR, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Noel Coward, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra etc. It is wonderful to know how devoted she was to her mother Lela (to whom the book is dedicated) and the chapter where she describes how she coped with Lela's death is truly poignant. The most interesting parts for me was where she describes how christian science had helped her through life and how she had had used it to help others (she cured her third husband of warts and her fourth husband of boils!). I did feel quite sad though reading this knowing that Ginger was no longer with us (it's a shame she couldn't have used christian science to save herself from diabetes;she died from the disease in April 1995) for I would surely have written to her congratulating her for having written such a wonderful memoir.

I am a great fan of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. When I learned that she had written an autobiography, I wanted to read it right away. This book was so good and informative, that I read all 450 pages within a few days. In her book, she talks about her childhood, her devotion to her mother, Lela, her stage career, her romances, and her movie career. I reccomend this book to any Ginger Rogers or Astaire and Rogers fan.

Pleasantly surprised to read Ginger Rogers autobiography about the golden age of Hollywood. She writes about her troubles with the hollywood biggies ( director Mark Sandrich...) and the price she paid for having not conformed to the hollywood social scene of drinking, philandering and ego stroking. Loved to read about her early broadway career and her romantic tangles ranging from Jack Culpepper to Cary Grant. There are times when she is not specific about certain events ( her later marriages) but does not make any apologies. Obviously this talented lady was a force to be dealth with seriously, or she would not have survived the harsh realities of show business. Much has been written about her mother Lela, and not in very sympathetic tones, but none of that in this autobiography- love, support and tenacity are what got these women through- a very entertaining book.

Not being an avid "autobiography" reader, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can honestly say that even if you aren't a reader you will like this book. It has surprises out of nowhere & it's enjoyable.

I'd recommend this book to anyone.

I found this book to be delightful. I'm not taken aback by the use of the first person pronoun, or the comments on Christian Science, or her bursts of enthusiasm that come through from many years ago. In fact, they enhance understanding of this ebullient and hard-working personality. She's open about her flaws and imperfections...and in fact, seems eager to communicate them to the public....who, seeing her in more than a few transcendentally beautiful films, had come to expect the same from her in person. She demonstrates her down-home humanity and her joy of life many times over...even as she attempts to set the record straight, on all the so many erroneous things, that were said about her over the years.

She's quiet on certain (but not all) personal things...i.e., between husband and wife....and I'm glad she had the good taste NOT to let us in on the things that are none of our business. She was more of a private person...like Fred...than many would have supposed. She was active socially at different parts of her life, but always preferred the small gathering, or the small party, with friends.

Some viewed her as an "ultra-conservative". But here too, she sets the record straight. She only supported her mother's right to speak out regarding her opinions on left influence of some Hollywood script writers. It should be noted however, that this was at the very moment when the theft of American atom bomb secrets led to an exact copy, being detonated by Mr. Stalin. Compare Ginger's "sin" to Kate Hepburn's melodramatic and simplistic "I am a communist" speech in their support. I'm not disparaging Kate at all, but truly, which was worse?

She wasn't so "ultra-conservative" not to have met and admired Democrats FDR, Elinor Roosevelt, Harry Truman (who had a day for her in Independence, Missouri), and Jimmy Carter. She wasn't so "ultra-conservative" to have broken her engagement with a cheating Howard Hughes, and turned away from a life of wealth and luxury. She wasn't so "ultra-conservative" not to have married a pacifist, and to have considered as her favorite film, Hollywood's first anti-war movie: "All Quiet on the Western Front", starring her future husband Lew Ayres. She wasn't so "ultra conservative" not to have been a fighter for her own rights, and the rights of actresses. And in fact, it should be noted that her friend and colleague, Ronald Reagan, with whom, in 1950, she did the anti Klu Klux Klan film "Storm Warning", helped to end the cold war, with Mickhail Gorbachev...whom HE befriended.

Underlying her great talent, charm, personality, versatility, and good looks, she had a strength of character, which earned her every bit of her many accolades. Yes, she admittedly and not surprisingly, also made mistakes, both professional and personal...but...and this is key to understanding her...bounced back every time. She didn't live in a dream world of her brilliant past career...but lived in the moment...even if that moment was not up to her highest past standards...as is almost always inevitable in late career.

In my opinion, this did not diminish her one iota. As Billy Wilder said..."We are all as good as the best things we've done." If this is the standard, and I think it is, then Ginger Rogers must be ranked very highly indeed. Her dance musicals, her dramatic acting, and her skills as a first rate comedienne, her stage musicals, all place her in the category of a classic Hollywood legend.

She was a hard working actress, who loved her audiences; quietly took care of her family and charities; transcended her mid-West background to become a woman of the world; and who never took out a loan in her life. Fred Astaire had a three word description of her spunk. Fred simply said: "She had guts.". That's Ginger Rogers. I recognize the quality of her life....and I recommend this book highly.

Ginger Rogers was a legendary movie star of the thirties and forties. She did hit the heights and was most closely associated with Fred Astaire because of the musical movies they made together. Although she appeared in many other films, it is because of Astaire that she is still known. So after many many years as a performer it is difficult to read all of this fluff about her life and not really know much about her.

The things that I learned from reading this lengthy autiobiography are that she was deeply religious, had five husbands and many dalliances with other men, did not drink, and above all that she was her biggest fan (maybe her mother was--it's hard to differentiate between the two). I've never read an autobiography of anyone who is so charmed by herself.

She explains a number of times that she wanted to be known for her work and would do any part that proved she could act. However, throughout this book she constantly tells the reader how important her clothes, make-up and hair color were to her. She remembers every dress that was ever designed for her. She had fights over make-up and hair color as well as costumes. She never fought for better dialogue.

As for her five marriages, there is little about any of them. She speaks of each man being handsome and that she fell head over heels for them. But they disappear and there is no whys and wherefores. It becomes apparent that rarely is she seen with most of them for long. She takes her beloved mother to all the events and special tributes in her life rather than her spouse. Of her last marriage she speaks to the fact that he has a 14 year old son. She never relates another word about this child, who became her step-child. So one would guess that she had nothing to do with the rearing of this young man.

She seems so shallow throughout the entire book. And how could someone who reached the heights in this very cut-throat business be so naive all of the time. The husbands drink; she does not. She is so against alcohol, but marries men who drink. She talks about her swimming pools, tennis courts, ice cream fountains, clothes, trips all over the world with many pieces of baggage, etc. But not once does she talk about what should be important about marriage, career and the rest of it.

It is nice that someone is so devoted to her religious beliefs, but she seems to cram so much hokum down the readers throat, as if she is trying to recruit. Some of the stories are so childish--a husband that she cures of boils on his ass; a husband that she cures of scally feet; a young actress whose life she saves although the young woman is in the hospital being given medical attention.

Lela Rogers, her mother, was always known as a hard-as-nails woman who guided every move her movie star daughter made. It is very apparent that they had a close relationship. She never did anything without her mother's approval. Was this the reason that each marriage failed? None of this is ever explained.

I recall going to see her in 1980 at Radio City Music Hall. She appeared with a number of young male dancers, who did most of the dancing. She had much too much very blonde hair and much too much make-up, appearing as if she thought she was 30 years younger than she was at the time. It was kind of a Baby Jane moment.

THe book has some interesting stories, but most of it is fluff. She certainly throws famous names around thoughout the entire book. But I never got a feel for who she was other than a woman who was very impressed with who she was.

This is my favorite book! Sweet, funny, sober, honest Ginger Rogers gives us a peek into yet another one of her many talents--writing. Her autobiography reads well, in fact, it is the only biography I could ever finish, let alone read multiple times. It gives a detailed (but not at all dull) look into her life in show business, FIVE husbands, her religion, and of course, her mother. Illustrated with lots of lovely pictures of Ginger and many of leading men, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, et cetera. Beautiful book, a must read.

If you want to be transported back to the early days of musicals then let Ginger, in her own words dance you there.
There is very little negativity in this book and this gives you insight into what Ginger's character was all about.
Her book lets you celebrate watching a women bring forth a beautiful interpretation of femininity and she brings the
classics alive.

I have never read an autobiography where I went in so excited about someone and ending the book not liking them very much. At the beginning she states she's not going to talk trash about anyone, fine, but everything is so superficial. She's been married 5 times, no where in the book does she do any self reflection about maybe I had some issues, instead of blaming all these guys for drinking, changing, etc. All she says about her french husband is I'm not going to talk about it and his unfaithfullness. Did he have an affair? Several? Was he gay? We should not have to guess and assume. This is her story. Her mom who would have cut off her right arm for Ginger and had guided her through her entire career dies while Ginger is abroad. People fly out to comfort Ginger, but she doesn't return to the States because the show must go on?? HELLO, it's mom! It's a good book if you want a list of every movie she did and who was in it. Also gave me an insight into Christian Science, which she is a member of, but besides that I was really disappointed.

I am not a HUGE Ginger Rogers fan. Well, that's not the right way to put it. I most certainly like Ginger and enjoy her movies, it's simply that she's not my FAVORITE movie star. Still, I got this because I love Old Hollywood and am open to reading the life stories of any Classic Hollywood star, especially autobiographies.

To Ginger's credit, she has a good, storytelling voice. I'm guessing she did have a ghost writer, but anyhow, the writing is fluid and polished which always helps. The beginning of her story is pretty good, chronicling her childhood as "Virginia McMath" who loved dancing even then. But it goes downhill after she grows up.

Maybe she ran out of material (but then, of course, was it necessary to keep this at some nearly 500 pages?). Perhaps that is it. Still, Ginger seems to linger too long on repetitive events: designing outfits with Edith Head (yes, I adore fashion... yet you can only say so much without actually being Miss Head herself, Ginger), playing pranks on people at the studio, and life lessons learned from "Lelee," her mother, Lela Rogers.

What would have been nicer? More information on working with her ever so famous dance partner, Fred Astaire. A clearer explanation of how her marriages just happen to dissolve all of a sudden. (I know it's her personal business, but we are entitled to some explanation here as she IS writing a book about HER life!) There were five of them, and they all just didn't work out? Also, I could have done less with her pushing the Christian Science faith on us. I believe everyone is entitled to their religious views and to express it, but don't try to convert ME by telling me over and over how it cured the warts on your husband's foot. Once is okay, but Ginger does it over and over.

At the beginning of the book there is a little note from Ginger explaining how she wanted to keep respect for any other famous names she mentions in the book, and basically says therefore she won't trash them. But it won't be long before you hear her opinions on Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland, and Mark Sandrich (director of several Fred/Ginger movies), to name a few.

I think that if you're an avid fan of Ginger's, you'll most certainly need or want to read this. If you are a Ginger fan to the bone then you'll probably have a ball. But for the rest of us, I'd say that rent it from the library. Or leave it on your bookshelf until you've run out of anything else to read. I still have lots of respect for Miss Rogers and continue to enjoy her movies, I just don't think she's the best to write an autobiography.