Customer Reviews

Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon...and Beyond

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I love this book. Ms. Gray as a biographer had a challenge here. What is interesting about the guy the whole country has known and loved as being 'wholesome'? Ms. Gray presents us with a portrait of an amazing talent, devoid of spectacle and scandal. What we find in this book is a story of a talented little boy who believed enough in himself, his abilities and his love of acting to capture the imagination of a generation. Ms. Gray is an excellent writer with a distinguishable voice. Her other book on Roger Corman shows that she is positioned to be THE writer of Director's Biographies. Buy this book. Take the journey from 'Mayberry to the Moon'. You won't regret it.

I read Beverly Gray's book on "Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon... and Beyond". I found it to be very easy to read, very entertaining and full of interesting stories about Ron. Ms. Gray was objective, diplomatic and kind, never to offend any party involved. I thoroughly enjoyed the book so much so that I finished reading it in one and a half day while sun bathing in Del Mar, California recently.

I found Ms. Gray's study of Ron Howard to be a highly creative and attention-grabbing presentation of a man with a constantly developing and fascinating career and personality, ranging from his child-actor beginnings through his current reputation as a successful director in many genres. The book brought to life his early years in the Andy Griffith television series and "The Music Man." The author's treatment of his recent film, "A Beautiful Mind," is especially moving and insightful and tied together Howard's consistency and creative exploration in all of his work. His ever-present optimism, human decency, energetic habit of taking on new challenges, and loyal respect for others in his life and his work is presented in a very appreciative and in-depth way.

Did you ever want to be Opie when you were a kid? I did. The thing about Opie was that even when he got into trouble, and he did get into trouble, everybody still liked him. Beverly Gray, in Ron Howard From Mayberry to the Moon, presents a good case that the same is true of Mr. Howard. Everybody in the motion picture business likes him, that is if you exclude a few pretentious critics (and even they probably like him, just not always his happy endings). Nice guys do NOT always finish last.

Howard did not cooperate with this biography because "he felt himself to be in midcareer and not ready to participate in a long range assessment of his accomplishment." OK, fair enough. Keep that in mind while you are reading, but do read it.

From Opie to Richie to director, this is a detailed portrait of a man whom everyone agrees is a real mensch and who is wildly successful. It is also fascinating, and adds to Howard's charm, to realize who loyal he is to his family and friends, yet how honestly he treats them when casting projects. Simply put, if he feels they are right for a part, they get it; if not, they don't. That takes quite a bit of respect and love - from the actor and the director.

Gray's extensive interviews bring out some interesting bits of trivia about Howard. Her prose flows nicely and her organization is excellent. Maybe in another forty years or so, she can write an update - next time with Ron Howard's input.

Ron Howard: From Mayberry To The Moon ...and Beyond is a full-length biography by Beverly Gray of a Hollywood child actor star who grew up to become a successful and respected movie director. From his days as Opie Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" to his seasons as Richie Cunningham of "Happy Days", to his recent directorial achievements (including the winning of an Academy Award for Best Director of "A Beautiful Mind"), Ron Howard's professional and family life are recounted in exuberant detail in this engaging and informative presentation which is strongly recommended reading for his legions of fans.

No offense to Beverly Gray, she did an excellent job of researching and gathering information. That alone was impressive. It was simply not the book I was hoping for. I was expecting experiences and insights in richer detail with some depth. Instead I was bored after reading chapter after chapter of dates and quotes from other people about Ron's life and work (and more dates and quotes relating to those people). A great body of work if you enjoy historical research information or want to walk step-by-step along a somewhat jagged timeline of Ron Howard's life.

As for me, I trudged through a couple of chapters and honestly couldn't get halfway through, it felt like homework. I also wasn't happy to read in the very first pages that Ron himself didn't want this book to be written and refused to participate. It cast a shadow over everything I read from those words forward knowing that a man with such great integrity and character - a rare gift in his industry - was not honored by the act of writing of this book.

Beveryly Gray is truly a wonderful biographer. She captures the tone and warmth of Ron Howard throughout the book. Beverly also puts you "in the know" for the locales, such as Greenwich, Connecticut, where Ron Howard moved to partially shield his children from the "glamorous temptations of the film industry." This is a book for people who want to take a walk with Howard and really get to know what drives him. It's warm, friendly, and low-key, just like its subject. And a great read! Well done, Beverly! Oh, by the way, did I mention Beverly also teaches film at UCLA Extension. A wonderful, warm person in her own right.

Great quality, good shipping time, etc. I needed this biography for a school reading, and it arrived on time, so no problems. Very pleased with purchase. This was my first purchase on Amazon, but it was made very easy, and I plan to use it in the future.