My First Five Husbands..And the Ones Who Got Away
by Rue McClanahan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rue McClanahanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-09-09
ISBN: 0767926943
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Book Reviews of My First Five Husbands..And the Ones Who Got Away
Book Review: "My Favorite Golden Girl"
Summary: 5 Stars
Rue McClanahan's long-awaited biography "My First Five Husbands..." is a better-than-average tell-all about someone's life. In this exceptional piece of work Rue discusses the highs and lows of being an actress while trying to find Mr. Right in the process.
Never shy about discussing her personal life, in "My First Five Husbands..." Rue talks about her determination in finding the right man to share her life with, only to be married six times with five of those relationships ending in divorce court. One man took her to the cleaners when she sued him for divorce, one was more concerned about his career, another was a compulsive liar whom upon hearing he was going to be the father to Rue's only child left her to raise the boy on her own. The other marriages ending in similar ways. After reading this book I got the impression, unfortunately, that Rue never felt whole in her life unless she was sharing her existence with a man, despite the fact that she was a successful actress, was financially independent, and a great mom.
Rue chats about her professional background as well and her determination that she would make it in the New York theatre, despite her family not believing she could make it. After a successful run with Dustin Hoffman in a play, Rue was offered her first starring role on television on "Another World" in 1970 as psychotic Caroline Johnson, who poisoned Pat Randolph in order to snag her husband and children. It was this performance that made her publicy recognized for the first time, however she did not enjoy her stay on the daytime serial: she has stated her role on "Another World" was one of the most boring jobs she ever partook in.
Eventually an appearance on "All in The Family" in 1971 brought her to the attention of Norman Lear who cast her as Beatrice Arthur's best friend in "Maude". It was this role that led her to fame and fortune, but after the series ended Rue discovered she was flat broke from one of her husbands demanding he be given half of her earnings and holdings, thanks to California law.
However, Rue persevered and snagged her greatest role, as well as an Emmy, for playing Blanche on NBC's "The Golden Girls" that became her greatest success. She discusses how she got the job, how the producers wanted her to play Rose, why the series ended, and the love for her fellow co-stars and director Terry Hughes.
I enjoyed "My First Five Husbands..." immensely and had it read in two settings.
God Bless you Rue...we will never forget you!
Summary of My First Five Husbands..And the Ones Who Got Away
?This book is about men I have known, in both the Platonic and Biblical senses. Some I knew only slightly, some quite well. Some I?ll love always, some I no longer like very much, and there are a few I?d like to strip naked, tie to a Maypole, smear with sweet syrup near a beehive, then stand back and watch. I?ll describe a goodly number of these hot dudes?and duds?keeping the nicest man for last because?if for nothing else?I?d like to leave you, dear reader, with a good taste in your mouth, and Hubbies #3 and #4 might make you want to rush to gargle. There were times I truly wondered, Lord, will I EVER get it right? Thank God I thrive on variety.?--From My First Five Husbands . . . And the Ones Who Got Away
People always ask me if I'm like Blanche. And I say, 'Well, Blanche was an oversexed, self-involved, man-crazy, vain Southern Belle from Atlanta -- and I'm not from Atlanta!?? -- Rue McClanahan
Who can forget Rue McClanahan as the sexy Southern vixen, Blanche Devereaux, on the Emmy-award winning series The Golden Girls? With her breezy sex appeal and sharp comedic timing, Rue infused her character with a sassy joie de vivre that captured the hearts of women everywhere. Now, the actress behind the magic reveals her life in and out of the spotlight in a laugh-out-loud funny memoir about love, marriage, men, and getting older that is every bit as colorful as the characters she plays.
Raised in small-town Oklahoma in a house ?thirteen telephone poles past the standpipe north of town,? Rue developed her two great passions?theater and men?at an early age. She arrived in New York City in 1957 with two-weeks worth of money in her pocket, hustled her way into a class with the legendary Uta Hagen, and began working her way up in the acting world against the vibrant, free-spirited backdrop of the sixties. That?s when she met and married Husband #1?a handsome rogue of an aspiring actor who quickly left her with a young son. Still, she was determined to make it on the stage and screen?and in the years that followed, rose to the top of the entertainment world with a host of adventures (and husbands) along the way.
From her roles on Broadway opposite Dustin Hoffman and Brad Davis, to her first television appearances on Maude and All in the Family, to the Golden Girls era and beyond, My First Five Husbands is the irresistible story of one woman?s quest to find herself. Now happily married to her soul mate, Husband #6, Rue is proof that many things can and do get better with age?and that, if she keeps her wits about her, even a small-town girl can make it big.
Told with Rue?s saucy wit and Southern charm, My First Five husbands is a deliciously entertaining take on life and love from an irrepressible star.
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