The Legs Are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying, and Other Things I Learned the Hard Way [Hardcover]

Diahann Carroll (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 30, 2008

The actress who broke through television’s color bar, entertainment legend Diahann Carroll tells all in her candid memoir The Legs Are the Last to Go. The first black woman to star in her own TV series—NBC’s Julia—Carroll displays all the grace, wit, style, and honesty that carried her to the top as she reveals intimate details about her career, her life, and her loves, including her marriage to Vic Damone and her torrid relationship with Sidney Poitier. The Legs Are the Last to Go is an unforgettable self-portrait and revealing Hollywood memoir at its finest.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. At age 70, singer-actress Carroll, a Golden Globe and Tony Award winner, was described in a 2006 rave review by Stephen Holden in the New York Times as delivering a song like an emotional volcano, and the label works equally well for this radiant autobiography, bubbling over with sincere self-insights as well as a potent underlying theme of the immense cruelties and racial politics of showbiz. Revealing personal struggles with her mother and men (she details her marriage to singer Vic Damone), she pulls no punches in detailing conflicts with such major figures as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Pearl Bailey and Samuel Goldwyn. Beginning with her Harlem childhood, she traces her life from the High School of Music and Art, modeling and early club performances to theatrical triumphs (No Strings; Sunset Boulevard), TV (Julia; Dynasty), her grandchildren and plastic surgery, plus painful memories of racism. An outstanding chapter probes the art-directed Negro squalor and other demeaning aspects of the 1959 film Porgy and Bess, a cliché of noble poverty as reimagined by some very talented white men. What emerges is an astute analysis of her career along with descriptions of the highs and lows of an often glamorous life, whether she performs at dazzling Vegas venues or in an intimate cabaret space. (Oct.)
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From Booklist

With the kind of verve and energy for which she’s well known, Carroll recounts life in the later stages of a long career. Admittedly vain and proud of the fact that in her 70s she still looks good—even in high heels no less—Carroll looks back on a groundbreaking career: the first black actress to star in her own television show and, more recently, the first black actress to play the role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. In between, Carroll has racked up a breathtaking list of achievements on stage, in film, and on television. She’s also racked up four failed marriages and a life full of the kind of mistakes a driven woman will make climbing to the top of a show-business career during a period when women and African Americans had few opportunities. Carroll is candid about the trials and tribulations—as well as the joys and triumphs—in her public and private life. This follow-up to her earlier memoir (Diahann: An Autobiography, 1986) is a heartfelt appreciation of life, friends, and family. --Vanessa Bush

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Amistad; 1 edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060763264
• ISBN-13: 978-0060763268
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The sequel is even better October 2, 2008

By eclectictastes

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Back in the 80s when she was appearing on Dynasty ,one of the hottest shows in the country, Diahann Carroll wrote "Diahann", her first autobiography detailing her life, careers and loves up until that point. Although interesting and informative, the book's prose seemed stilted and overly dramatic at times. In addition, one got the impression that Miss Carroll was holding back in some areas perhaps over fear of repurcussions to her career.

Her latest book, The Legs Are The Last To Go, is informative but even more interesting as it comes from a woman who now seems comfortable enough in her own skin to speak her mind about her 50 year career. In this book, Miss Carroll is more frank in telling her story . Her demeanor is also looser. After reading the first book, I didn't expect her to be such a funny storyteller but I found myself laughing out loud at her recollections of working with Pearl Bailey as well as a fleeting encounter with a certain music superstar of the 70s.

Her recollections and updates on her relationships with her daughter and former husband Vic Damone are candid but not exploitative. Instead they reveal her emotional growth. Many readers will relate to the stories about her aging parents who she comes to recognize as flawed but good people. Even as a veteran actress, Carroll isn't totally jaded about the entertainment business. You can feel her excitement and appreciation when she writes about meeting and working with Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey's Anatomy.

I strongly recommend this book. Hopefully, Miss Carroll will have more stories.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved It! October 1, 2008

By Bryan

Format:Hardcover

I've known and loved Diahann Carroll for quite some time, so I was more than happy to read "Diahann Unplugged" in The Legs Are the Last to Go! She is quite funny, always glamorous, and very honest in this memoir that covers her entire life. The photos are great, and whether you know her from Broadway, from TV, or her singing career, this is a great read!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous, Fun, Informative Read For People of All Ages! October 2, 2008

By C. R. Morgan

Format:Hardcover

I am too young to remember Diahann from her heyday, but my mother was a fan and she was still definitely a household name for me growing up. This book not only made me laugh, it also taught me a lot about Old Hollywood, especially in its pre-politically correct days. If you like Nora Ephron's I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK, THE LEGS ARE THE LAST TO GO is similar but with more substance, and more glamour! So many entertainment legends cross these pages. It's a must read not only for Diahann's fans but all Hollywood and Broadway buffs.