BOOK REVIEW: Entertainment Autobiography
PIECES OF MY HEART Author: ROBERT WAGNER with Scott Eyman
Wagner's autobiography will appeal not only to fans but those interested in entertainment history as well. It has pictures galore and Wagner is generous with stories about fellow actors, moguls, producers, directors, scriptwriters, the evolution of studios, and the business at home and abroad.
A walk through this archive leaves one amazed. Yes, R.J., as he prefers to be called
and explains why, does provide an account of the fateful night Natalie Wood drowned. After her death, yellow journalism ran rampant, tearing Wagner apart.
As a young adult he was cast in the 1953 movie,Titanic, where he met the much older Barbara Stanwyck. Their kept-quiet relationship lasted years but the age difference then would have been scandalous. His account is interwoven with fascinating entertainment tidbits.
Wagner's later television involvement includes stories of movies for television with Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor but he may be better remembered for three series including Hart to Hart with Stephanie Powers. Not largely known is his behind-the-scenes investment in Charlie's Angels and epic battle with Aaron Spelling for money owed him. Wagner also did stage work in Love Letters, touring for years first with co-star Stephanie Powers, then wife Jill St. John.
Whether playing a serious film role in The Longest Day or working with Mike Meyers in the Austin Powers comedic spoofs, Wagner has had one of the longest, most versatile careers in show business.
Blessed with tremendous good fortune and an enviable array of close friends, Wagner was alternately cursed with disasters, mistakes, and bad timing. Pieces of My Heart is a great read and the last chapter deeply moving.
Check with your local bookstore or order through:
www.powells.com
www.harpercollins.com
