Customer Reviews

Grayson Hall: A Hard Act to Follow

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I only have one complaint about this book and that is that once
you start reading it, you can't put it down! It is an excellently written, incredibly detailed account of the life of
a magnificent woman and a passionate actress! I was very honored to have known Grayson Hall and been the recipient of her many kindnesses and I am amazed at how much I learned about this fascinating woman by reading this book! Kudos to the talented writer and to everyone involved in the project! I highly recommend this book!!

Cult actress Grayson Hall has been best known to students of Tennessee Williams through her larger-than-life performance as the 'butch choir-mistress' in John Huston's film of Night of the Iguana, a role for which she received an Academy Award (tm) nomination. The actress is also fondly recalled for her yeoman work as a scheming gypsy tarot card reader, a French countess, a devious housekeeper and the ever-faithful 'Physician to the Vampire' on television's Dark Shadows. Now independent scholar RJ Jamison reveals the very complex woman behind the legendary, iconic, eyebrow-raising actress. Jamison's diligent spadework and spot-on reporting uncovers a wealth of hitherto unknown detail about Hall's life. The author situates her subject in her various contexts, illuminates her art and life, and most important of all, shows us what fun she had living Off and On Broadway as a 'gutsy broad' who gave her all to the Theatre but who remained powerfully devoted to her family, her kitchen, and those to whom she gave her heart. R J Jamison's book is a riveting read. You won't soon forget Grayson, or this book about her.

In this thoroughly researched biography, author R.J. Jamison chronicles the metamorphosis of young, awkward Shirley Grossman into the eventually sophisticated and elegant Academy Award-nominated actress, Grayson Hall. Revealing never before told stories and secrets (including Shirley's true date of birth), Jamison finally opens the door on the enigma that was Grayson Hall. Who was this woman really? Was she the no-nonsense actress who made young ingénues quake in their shoes? Or was she the kind-hearted friend who doted on her family? It turns out that she was both of these and so much more. Whether you know Grayson from the theatre, movies, or from Dark Shadows, you will "surely" want to read this book about our "Shirley."

Grayson Hall was a real character in her own life so it is not surprising that she could make a star-turn in just about any role she took on. This book is a wonderful look into an actor's life, how actors live and work. Ms. Jamison left no stone unturned in this bio!

Nancy

After being completely wowed by Grayson Hall's performance in "Night of the Iguana" I really wanted to learn more about her and, luckily, I came across this book. Unluckily, it's not a very good book as far as biographies go. Yes, the author does do a fabulous job of chronicling her complete professional career (stage, television, film, and even radio), so much so that at times I felt I was reading a 200-page obituary. What is lacking in the body of the writing, and what the author fails to show the reader, is a vivid sense of the "Hard Act to Follow" herself. In the hands of a better writer, this might not have posed a problem. Also, the style seems very amateurish to me--unnecessary punctuation (way too many misused exclamation points), underlined titles where italics are the norm, and too many typos. I expected to learn a lot more about the woman who was Grayson Hall, but I didn't. This biography left me wanting.

I didn't like NIGHT OF THE IGUANA, and as for DARK SHADOWS, I haven't seen many episodes, only the two films. I went into this book not knowing much about Grayson Hall except that all of my friends love her. As the story continued, I realized it was one I had read about already, to other actresses and women who grew up in a certain time. In fact, a lot of what happened to Grayson Hall (or Shirley Grossman) already had happened to Jacqueline Susann, the same sorts of trials and sorrows, especially in a theatrical world in which a certain kind of beauty was celebrated and those who lacked it had to use other sorts of skills to get ahead.

R. J. Jamison's research is pretty amazing, even though some of the gaps remain startling. Years go by without Jamison being able to account for what Grayson Hall was doing. But at a certain point in the late 1950s, we see all the disparate parts of her character come together and a star is born, sort of; she was a late bloomer and paid the price late bloomers do, all of a sudden producers look at you and you're playing Madwoman of Chaillot roles. It came to me that I had seen Grayson Hall on stage in the early 1970s, when I was just a boy, and I attended the legendary premiers of Genet's play THE SCREENS in an experimental production at the Chelsea Theater Center at the BAM. It was a scary show, and I didn't understand a word of it, and it seemed there were more people up on the stage than there were in the audience, but Grayson Hall made an impression on me; she frightened me with her deadbeat madness and her cigarette voice, like a man in drag. She was not on the side of the revolution--or was she? A committed actress, she didn't seek identification or sympathy from her audiences. Jamison's biography makes me want to seek out more of her work, even the SATAN IN HIGH HEELS Hall denied she'd ever made.

She seems like a brave person who had her share of troubles. In a way, she raised her boy Matt like Auntie Mame, but it seems to have paid off as his voice, wisely spotlit by Jamison, dominates the book as that of a loving son whose mother was worth all the trouble it took to bring her up.

Grayson Hall, the subject of this novel, was one fascinating individual. In reading Jamison's excellent biography, I found myself wishing that I had gotten to know her, or at least seen one of her stage plays.

Knowing the woman primarily from Dark Shadows, it was a treat to discover that she was a real person; funny, warm, emphatic and totally dedicated to her art and her family. RJ Jamison draws her perfectly: he does not apologize for the flaws and comments on her subliminal acting abilities with gusto.

The only problem is: whoever inserted the photos (and yes, when I read a biography I always look at the pictures) really did a lack luster job of it. Ms Hall comes off cropped badly as most of the pictures are fully distorted.

But don't let that stop you from getting (and enjoying) this fantastic book.

This book is a fascinating read for someone who likes biographies of interesting people who for one reason or another were in life lesser known by the general public. I read the book because I had become a fan of Mrs. Hall when I was a child.

I enjoyed learning about the theatre business as well as gaining insight into the actress herself. I love Grayson Hall, this book was not disappointing.