My Life in Three Acts [Paperback]

Helen Hayes (Author), Katherine Hatch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1991

In this absorbing autobiography, America’s First Lady of the Theater looks back on her long career as a star of the stage and screen, full of recollections of the likes of Chaplin, Joan Crawford, the Fitzgeralds, Al Capone, and many more.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Thanks to freelance writer Hatch's unobtrusive collaboration, Hayes's voice is practically audible in this candid, humorous and deeply moving story. Born with the century in Washington, D.C., Hayes first appeared on stage at age six. The shy and quiet future star's career was managed by her mother until she met roistering, boozy Charles MacArthur, whom she wed in 1928, the year the MacArthur-Ben Hecht play, The Front Page , opened on Broadway. The "mismatch" lasted until MacArthur's death in 1956, enduring the starkly described loss of their 19-year-old daughter Mary to polio. In other chapters, the actress entertains, recalling the couple's relationships with luminaries in the theater and films, valued companions and a few troublemakers. She can be caustic, noting the failings in modern stage, film and TV productions. In her 90th year, however, Hayes is still hopeful for a better world, retired professionally but active in humanitarian causes.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This full life of "the First Lady of the American theater" is superior to the two-cassette Audio Renaissance condensation (Audio Reviews, LJ 7/91), narrated by Hayes herself. Here Hayes's actor son, James MacArthur, reads with smooth assurance. Her autobiography recounts Hayes's early successes, engineered by a controlling mother and playwright husband, Charles MacArthur. Her eventful saga covers most of this century, touching on luminaries like Joan Crawford ("mommie dearest" was "cruel" to her children) and directors John Ford (irresponsible when deprived of alcohol) and Elia Kazan ("unprofessional" in collecting his salary after deserting one play). She relates with candor and wit how she landed renowned parts like Queen Victoria and strove for excellence. Recommended for all theater and biography collections.AGordon Blackwell, Eastchester, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Paper); First Edition edition (April 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671735373
• ISBN-13: 978-0671735371
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,182,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Superficial but well written, July 24, 2011

By 

Dr. James Gardner (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Life in Three Acts (Paperback)

Helen Hayes (1900-93), the "First Lady of American Theatre", is one of only 12 people to have ever won the quadruple crown - an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony. In her case, she was the first woman to achieve this status and she ran up a total of 7 - 2 Oscars ("Airport", "The Sin of Madelon Claudet"), 2 Tonys ("Happy Birthday", "Joan of Lorraine"), 1 Special Tony Award, and 1 each for an Emmy ("Harriet Beecher Stowe") and a Grammy. Her life was more devoted to the stage, and hence most readers will not have seen this work, but she managed 50+ performances on TV and 20+ films. My favorite Hayes performance was from "Anastasia" (1956).

"My Life in 3 Acts" is the third of Hayes' recollections and was published just 2 years before her death. It is a fairly superficial account of her personal life and a mere accounting of her stage and film appearances. There is little depth and no appendix with a list of her performances, as so many of these celebrity biographies contain. On the positive side, the book is well written and makes for an easy read.

Here are a few of Hayes' comments about her collaborators over the years -

* John Barrymore - "America's great actor [had ] a tempestuous personality"
* Ethel Barrymore - "an actress of great beauty, dignity, and warmth"
* Joan Crawford - "a vulnerable insecure woman behind the tough mask...not quite rational in her raising of children."
* Lewis Stone - "a fine actor"
* John Ford - "as celebrated for the extraordinary number of great films he turned out as he was notorious for his drinking."
* Marion Davies - "warm, effervescent, and very generous...a gifted comedienne at her best in light romantic comedies"
* Charlies Chaplin - "an incomparable comedian on screen, he as funny in real life [but] could be an awful bore"
* Frank Borzage - "had a wonderful for intimacy: he knew how to get inside an actor's heart and mind, and that rapport gives a special glow to his films."
* Louella Parsons & Hedda Hopper - "these two women were tough, mean monarchs, reigning over the movie colony with their viper tongues."
* Booth Tarkington - "a likable, unusual man. He used to drink a lot but got control of his habit before it destroyed his health and writing career."
* Clifford Odets - "the most appalling guest, a crashing bore"
* F. Scott Fitzgerald - "used alcohol as a stimulus until it became a stumbling block."
* Anatole Litvak - "a tough taskmaster, though he did turn out good films."
* Lee Strasberg - "one of the founders of the Actors Studio, which I blame for many of the things wrong with the American theatre then and now."
* Richard Burton - "cared only for himself...he felt deficient because of his blemished skin."
* Kim Stanley - "was gifted and she drove herself mercilessly to discover `the dramatic truth' of whatever character she portrayed."
* Maurice Evans - "Almost singlehandedly he made Shakespeare popular with the American public."
* Dean Martin - "was a dedicated professional."

In summary, this is a well written easy to read book, but it is relatively superficial with regard to Hayes' personal and professional life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars english--sara c., December 12, 2006

A Kid's Review

For more than fifty years, Helen Hayes has been a star on stage, screen, and television. In that time, she crossed paths with some of Broadway's most famous stars: Charlie Chaplin, Scott Fitzgerald, Gloria Swanson, and many more. As for being acclaimed First Lady of the American Theater, Hayes starred in her first play when she was just six years old. My Life In Three Acts tells about Hayes's hit play, such as Victoria Reigna, and about some of her not so respected plays. In her autobiography, Hayes speaks with wit and wisdom on topics that are both public and private. She expresses her thoughts on World War Two, and about the assassination of Kennedy. She reflects on the mournful parts of her life: the death of her husband and daughter, and the alcoholism of those dear to her. Hayes also supplies amusing anecdotes about her friends, which include John Ford and Al Capone. After finishing her career as an actress, Hayes expresses her opinion on what is wrong with the American theater today, such as how porn theaters are taking over classic Broadway theaters.

I found My Life In Three Acts to be inspiring by how Hayes improved her life everyday. Throughout Hayes's career, her life was rousing in every aspect. "George Tyler, (a movie producer,) once told me that I were only four inches taller, I could reach the heights too." I liked this quote because I could tell that throughout Hayes' acting days, she was growing by exceeding heights and overcoming problems. Such as after a horrific event occurs in her family, Hayes finds a way to deal with the problem by taking sympathy from others, moving homes, and doing what she does best; act. Hayes was able to capture her emotions and to put them into words that made me feel like I was engaged in the experiences as well. For example, she wrote about a delightful childhood treat of hers that her grandmother used to prepare for her. "She would cut a hole in the orange, insert a peppermint stick, and then we'd squeeze the orange and suck the juice through the stick." I felt as if I was enjoying the treat myself.

The events Hayes encountered were very detailed and made My Life In Three Acts exciting. Some of my favorite parts of the book describe the stirring parties Hayes attended. "The people who sat around that table in the Algonquin Hotel's Rose Room set the style for New York, dictating what one should read, think, wear, eat, what plays to see, what opinions to have, and so on." Not only did this quotation capture `the style for New York,' but it also described the style of the kind of people that were at the parties and in Hayes's life. I thought that it was also exciting to hear about the different places Helen toured through throughout her career, from France to Oklahoma City. One time while touring, Hayes got ready for bed on the train and saw a breathtaking site; the stars in the night sky seemed close enough to touch, and the snow sparkled like diamonds. Hayes then rushed to tell the rest of the actors on the train, and they became enthralled too. This scene in the book demonstrated all of the simple things in Hayes's life that she appreciated and didn't take for granted. Everyday there seemed to be excitement in Hayes's life. Because of how inspired and excited I felt reading this book, I can defiantly call it an engrossing memoir that is able to take a reader back to stimulating theater life in the mid-1900's.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Classy Lady's Non-Classy Memoirs, May 19, 2000

By 

Steven Fantina (Phillipsburg, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Life in Three Acts (Hardcover)

Helen Hayes whose life story would be fascinating to all fans of Broadway and/or Hollywood pretty much squanders this effort by traducing a large assortment of individuals. What makes this badmouthing all the more unpleasant is the fact that most of her targets were deceased at the time of its publication and unable to present their side of the story.

While the recurring instances of charcter assasination are the book's biggest liability, the First Lady of the American Theater also comes off as somewhat self-centered and shallow.

Those who respect the many noble actions which typified Helen Hayes' final decades will be disappointed and likely disturbed by this autobiography that does not do her memory justice.