One of the bestselling memoirs of all time, David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon is an account of one of the most remarkable lives Hollywood has ever seen. Beginning with the tragic early loss of his aristocratic father, then regaling us with tales of school, army and wartime hi-jinx, Niven shows how, even as an unknown young man, he knew how to live the good life. But it is his astonishing stories of life in Hollywood and his accounts of working and partying with the legends of the silver screen - Lawrence Oliver, Vivien Leigh, Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, James Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, Noel Coward and dozens of others, while making some of the most acclaimed films of the last century - which turn David Niven's memoir into an outright masterpiece.
It's a classic take on a Hollywood long gone.
ReplyDeleteyes. it was a very good read. my MOM gave it to me years ago.
ReplyDeleteand YES,. the man was a class act no matter how you looked at him.
it was a honest look at a world thru his eyes.
"Bring On The Empty Horses" was his autobiographical second book, which was mostly more Hollywood stories. Also a great read and companion tome.
ReplyDeleteThe likes of Niven, O'Toole, Olivier, Grant and the rest of that "gang" of actors/actresses will never be seen again. What a pity. That is why I keep collecting their movies and refuse to watch what today is supposed to pass for movies. What drivel!
ReplyDeleteRead it years ago, The last line of the book is the best!
ReplyDeleteThere is the other side of the tale too: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Munn-David-Balloon-Behind/dp/B00I631AO8 . Also worth a read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the rec! Looks like a really fun tale.
ReplyDeleteHe was meant to be the featured star of "The Pink Panther". After watching Peter Sellers in action, he suggested to its Director, Blake Edwards, to make Clouseau the focus of the movie.
ReplyDeleteavailable read on archive.org
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