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Act One: An Autobiography Paperback – February 11, 2014

by Moss Hart (Author), Christopher Hart (Foreword)

4.6 569 ratings

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Moss Hart's Act One, which Lincoln Center Theater presented in 2014 as a play written and directed by James Lapine, is one of the great American memoirs, a glorious memorial to a bygone age filled with all the wonder, drama, and heartbreak that surrounded Broadway in the early twentieth century. Hart's story inspired a generation of theatergoers, dramatists, and readers everywhere as he eloquently chronicled his impoverished childhood and his long, determined struggle to reach the opening night of his first Broadway hit. Act One is the quintessential American success story.

Review

“Moss Hart's Act One is not only the best book ever written about the American theater, but one of the great American autobiographies, by turns gripping, hilarious and searing.” ―Frank Rich

“Reading Act One is like going to a wonderful dinner party and being seated next to a man who is more charming, more interesting, smarter, and funnier than you ever knew men were capable of being. Moss Hart is alive in these pages, and I am in love with him.” ―Ann Patchett, author of This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage and Bel Canto

“Is Act One for you? Only if you know that theater is spelled theatre, cast albums are not soundtracks, and intermission is twice as fun as halftime. In that case, not only is Act One for you--it is immediate and required reading.” ―Tim Federle, author of Better Nate Than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate!

“Act One is legendary in the theater world for one simple reason: it speaks personally to those of us who have chosen a life on or around the stage.” ―James Lapine

About the Author

Born in New York City in 1904, Moss Hart began his career as a playwright in 1925 with The Hold-Up Man, yet achieved his first major success in the 1930 collaboration with George S. Kaufman, Once in a Lifetime. In addition to numerous Broadway productions, such as The Man Who Came to Dinner and You Can't Take it With You, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1938, Hart wrote screenplays for Gentleman's Agreement and A Star is Born. Moss Hart also gained universal recognition for his award-winning direction of My Fair Lady in 1956.

Print length

464 pages
Language

English
Publication date

February 11, 2014
Dimensions

6.1 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
ISBN-10

9781250050892
ISBN-13

978-1250050892
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1250050898
Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; Second edition (February 11, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781250050892
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250050892
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #201,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #60 in Theatre Biographies
- #67 in Broadway & Musicals (Books)
- #701 in Author Biographies

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4.6 569 ratings

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CJS

Delightful!!!

Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2023

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An absolute delightful autobiography by playwright Moss Hart. He grew up in poverty but had an early love for the theatre. He worked as a social director at summer camps, building himself up to the most in demand director for all of the camps. He had written several plays during this time, none of which were produced but finally had one called Once in a Lifetime that was produced. The book tells of his early childhood and times as a social director but more important, the collaborative effort with George S. Kaufman and getting Once in a Lifetime produced. His writing in the book describes Kaufman in such detail that you feel you know him. The work done during this collaborative effort is also discussed as well as the re-write process after out of town tryouts. The reader was so elated when the play finally turned out to be a success and his family was able to escape poverty. A great look at life on Broadway in the early part of the 20th century. My only criticism would be there are no photos in the book.

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Ivy Lin

Best theater biography of all time

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2018

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When we talk about theater books, there is Moss Hart's Act One and then there are all the other books. Hart's memoirs about his early days as a struggling playwright absolutely bursts with humor, energy, sharply drawn anecdotes and human portraits. Hart was a talented writer and can make chapters about being the social director of summer camps at the Catskills sound way more interesting than it probably was. This is a wonderful memoir.

Moss Hart was the son of a rather impoverished cigar-maker and lived in a poor neighborhood in the Bronx. As a child he had an eccentric Aunt Kate who instilled in the boy a love of theater. But Hart sounds like he was meant for theater anyway, for as he observes, "Theater is the inevitable refuge of the unhappy child." He describes his journey from a joyless childhood to a shiftless adulthood as a social director of summer camps until he meets playwright and director George Kaufman. Hart describes their difficult first collaboration together (a satire of Hollywood called "Once in a Lifetime"), and the book ends with Hart and Kaufman's play's triumphant opening night on Broadway. Afterwards Hart goes home to his family, tells them to gather their few possessions and leave their old apartment forever. They are no longer in poverty anymore.

When George Kaufman first read Act One he said wryly, "Act One is fiction." And indeed one does suspect that quite a few facts go by the wayside and that Hart takes some creative license in telling his own story. But the core of Act One has a deep emotional truth. I don't know of another playwright who wrote with such honesty about his own insecurities and failings and describes the often excruciating "creative process" with such detail. This humility and genuine love for the the theater is what makes Act One such a page-turner so many years later.

One huge moment in Act One is after the premiere of "Once in a Lifetime" George Kaufman goes before the audience and says "80% of this play is Moss Hart." In Act One I think 80% of the book might be fact, the other 20% fiction, but it's still a damned great book. If you love theater this book is the place to start.

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Kid Kyoto

Great start but, well needs a better act 3

Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2022

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New York DJ Johnathan Schwartz used to read a heartbreaking Christmas story from Act One and, years later, I tracked down the book. This is the autobiography of playwright Moss Hart and tells his story of growing up desperately poor in the Bronx of the 1910s, dazzled by the lights of Broadway. It follows his early efforts to enter the theater and ends with the production of his first hit, the play Once in a Lifetime.

The first 2/3s are an excellent portrait of life in New York in early days of the 20th century. Early on we get the story I remembered, a Christmas Eve trip to the pushcarts where his father checked the prices at each one until they reach the end unable to find anything he could afford as a gift. Hart's account of simultaneously feeling disappointed but also closer than ever to his father is just heartbreaking.

Later stories detail the now-lost tradition of adult summer camps in the mountains as an escape from the oppressive, pre-air conditioning, heat of the city. We also learn about his early days as an office boy to a producer and desperate quests to make ends meet. Throughout the book are peeks at the culture of Broadway, the Algonquin Roundtable, and larger-than-life stars and producers. As a New Yorker I feel a bond of brotherhood when, after his show is a hit, he vows never to take the subway again and leaves his Brooklyn apartment with a triumphant bit of vandalism.

But still the last portion of the book bogs down with a prolonged account of writing, rewriting and revising Once in a Lifetime with his collaborator George Kaufman. While hearing the ins and outs of the creative process can be interesting it's just not very well told. He mentions changing scenes and dialogue but offers few concrete examples of what the changes are so if you're not familiar with the play (I am not) it becomes repetitive.

And of course it's hard to say how accurate the book actually is. Wikipedia helpfully points out that Hart gives his aunt a happier ending than real life ever did, and certainly we must assume that some incidents and dialogue were consolidated or punched up for the readers.

But the book is certainly a great window into the New York, and especially the Broadway of a century ago and if you have an interest in that subject you'll find a lot to enjoy.

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don novak

Fabulous

Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2023

Verified Purchase

What an enjoyable read, even if you aren't a theater fan!!!
Loved it!!!

Nuno Lopes

Very disappointed.

Reviewed in Spain on September 3, 2023

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I can't read page number 4. The text is largely cut on the sides of the page.

wordsmith44

Writing the dream!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2018

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This has to be among the best books about a life in the theatre - from early infatuation through to hard won success,
driven by a desire to live a dream and escape youthful poverty in the process. Not only was the author a noted author but also a successful director of stage productions, including the famous "My Fair Lady". It is so sad to recall his
premature sudden death from heart failure in his late fifties.

One person found this helpful

Persiana

Touching story.

Reviewed in Germany on November 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

lessons of overcoming, dreaming and fulfilling

Linda

I loved it and was able to read it after reading ...

Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2016

Verified Purchase

This book was a re-read for me as I remember reading it back in the late 50's/early 60's. I loved it and was able to read it after reading the book, "KITTY", written by the wife of Moss Hart. A great duo for those who love the American Theatre!

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