Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise

by Sam Irvin

Kay Thompson’s larger-than-life story is an effervescent toast to show business with a shot of Auntie Mame and a twist of The Devil Wears Prada. A multi-threat entertainer and a world-class eccentric, Kay Thompson was the mentor/best friend of Judy Garland, the vocal guru for Frank Sinatra and Lena Horne, and the godmother/Svengali of Liza Minnelli (who recreated Thompson’s nightclub act in her 2009 Tony Award–winning event, Liza’s at the Palace). She went to school with Tennessee Williams, auditioned for Henry Ford, got her first big break from Bing Crosby, trained Marilyn Monroe, channeled Elvis Presley, rejected Andy Warhol, rebuffed Federico Fellini, got fired by Howard Hughes, and snubbed Donald Trump. She coached Bette Davis and Eleanor Roosevelt; she created nightclub acts for Marlene Dietrich and Ginger Rogers; and when Lucille Ball had to sing on Broadway, Kay was the wind beneath her wings, too. Kay’s legion of fans included Queen Elizabeth of England, King Juan Carlos of Spain, and Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco. Danny Kaye masqueraded in drag as her; Noël Coward and Cole Porter wrote musicals for her; and The Beatles wanted to hold her hand. She was a charter member of the Rat Pack, costarred in a whodunit with Ronald Reagan, and directed John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Gala. The dame cut a wide swath through the arts. After conquering radio in the 1930s she commandeered MGM’s vocal department in the 1940s, where she revolutionized the studio’s greatest musicals with her audacious arrangements, from The Harvey Girls to Ziegfeld Follies. In the 1950s she became the highest-paid cabaret attraction in the world with her groundbreaking act "Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers," featuring her young protégé—and secret lover—Andy Williams. In a stunning feat of reinvention, Thompson next became the bestselling author of Eloise (first published by Simon & Schuster in 1955), chronicling the mischievous adventures of the six-year-old mascot of The Plaza, spawning an industry that is still going strong today. Then Kay took the silver screen by storm as the "Think Pink!" fashion magazine editor in Funny Face, stealing the film right out from under Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. The Thompson saga swells from small town wannabe to international headliner, dissolving into self-destruction and madness—the storyline usually reserved for a rags-to-riches potboiler—yet with unexpected twists, outlandish turns, and a last-minute happy ending that, even by Hollywood’s standards, is nothing short of preposterous. But that is Kay Thompson. Fascinating. Frustrating. Fabulous!

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, New York, Film, Autobiography, Music

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2010

About the author

Author of "Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise" (Simon & Schuster), published November 2, 2010. Sam Irvin is a veteran director, producer and screenwriter for movies and television. After beginning his career as the assistant to Brian De Palma, Irvin has directed a dozen movies including "Guilty as Charged" (Rod Steiger, Lauren Hutton, and Heather Graham), "Out There" (Bill Campbell and Billy Bob Thornton), "Elviras Haunted Hills" (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), and "Fat Rose and Squeaky" (Louise Fletcher and Cicely Tyson). He wrote and directed "Kiss of a Stranger" (Mariel Hemingway, Dyan Cannon, and David Carradine). He also directed episodes of Comedy Centrals "Strip Mall" (Julie Brown and Cindy Williams), as well as three full seasons of the premium cable TV series "Dantes Cove" (for which he also co-wrote the theme song, "Dying to be with You"). Irvins other credits include co-executive producing Bill Condons Academy Award- winning motion picture, "Gods and Monsters" (Sir Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, and Lynn Redgrave), and co-producing Greg Berlantis "The Broken Hearts Club" (Timothy Olyphant, Dean Cain, and Zach Braff). While writing his book, "Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise" (Simon & Schuster), Irvin served as a historical consultant for the Tony Award-winning Broadway show, "Lizas at the Palace," and produced the 3-CD compilation, "Think Pink! A Kay Thompson Party" (Sepia Records). He resides in Los Angeles."

Reviews

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

To refresh your memory, Kay Thompson trained as a singer and pianist, started out as a singer on the radio, and began doing arrangements. She had several radio shows, then moved on to Broadway, where she wrote and arranged songs but never hit the big time as an actress. She went to MGM in the 40s, where she did arrangments and coached singers like Lena Horne and Judy Garland. She was Liza Minelli's godmother. Then she left the studio to sing and dance in a nightclub act with the Andy Williams and his brothers. Naturally, she arranged all their music and choreographed their dancing in a new energetic style - by the way, she and Andy were lovers. The act was a huge hit in New York and Las Vegas. Around 1955 she finally got around to writing a book about the character she'd drop into to make her friends laugh, a little girl named Eloise. She was a huge hit, too, and Kay wrote several sequels. Somewhere in there she finally got a worthy movie role, the fashion editor in "Funny Face". She never got another good movie role and eventually stopped doing cabaret, but in 1973 she directed a legendary fashion show of American designers at Versailles. When Judy Garland died, she stepped up to manage her funeral and Liza says she was the person who stood behind her and her sister with her arms around them. Liza was a loyal friend to Kay, too; she had Kay move in with her in her last years.

I really enjoyed this biography. Sam Irwin, who started out as Brian De Palma's assistant and went on to direct and produce movies including one of my favorites, Gods and Monsters, was hired to direct a documentary on the history of Eloise, and once he started interviewing people, he realized her story should be a book and that he had the passion to do it. He had no idea how big the project would be! He talked to what seems like hundreds of people - after all, Kay knew everybody in Hollywood and on Broadway - and learned her family history from her niece and nephew. Her journey through radio and on to Hollywood has lots of great stories - she had a feud with Mary Martin, of all people - and while Irwin clearly loves her, he doesn't hesitate to point out when she made bad decisions or was her own worst enemy.

The theme that emerges in Kay's later years is that while she had tremendous musical and acting talent, she was a perfectionist who had to be in control. Noel Coward wanted her for the role of Madame Arcati in a musical version of Blythe Spirit and to star in Sail Away, another Broadway show, but she refused these and other roles. She claimed she had a complex about working on Broadway because of being let go from shows when she was starting out; the truth was she just couldn't commit to anything if she couldn't be in charge. She was almost signed as the friend of Rosalind Russell in the movie version of Auntie Mame but made so many demands that she was replaced by Coral Browne. There are many stories like that. As for her books, Hilary Knight, the illustrator of Eloise, eventually refused to work with her because she was so insistent on doing things her way. It's frustrating that for whatever reason, she didn't make more movies or write more books. I wish I'd known her!

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kay Thompson should be more widely known and appreciated for her contribution to the popular culture of Hollywood, Broadway, nightclubs, and fashion, and not just for her Eloise books. What a character! I enjoyed reading about her St. Louis origins. The book would have benefited from cutting out the author's redundant asides, and, as others have pointed out, from less detail about every single song arrangement and job she had.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up with Eloise Thompson's alter ego and I loved Funny Face, the movie with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. But Kay Thompson was a mean, manipulative, drug addicted (admittedly unknowing), greedy and paranoid woman. She's described here as eccentric and because she was so talented in so many areas she was allowed to get away with a lot. But by 3/4s of the way through this book I was real and truly sick of her. A control freak to the nth degree. She actually tried to physically control the hand of the artist that illustrated the Eloise books. Too many people to mention were written about here. I lost track of who was who and what was what after a while. There are quite a few people I recognized and possibly learned more about them than I ever wanted to know. It may be that Audrey Hepburn and Hillary Knight (the illustrator) come off the best. But then I should cut the others some slack because I believe the Almighty himself would have had an anuerysm(sp?) around this woman.

I gave this 3 stars because I learned a lot about the Eloise genesis and process. But I find it hard to recommend to anyone who isn't interested in getting some information about some well known Hollywood movie and New York theater people.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think most people my age will recognize Kay Thompson's name as the author of Eloise. What they won't know (I certainly didn't) is the level of influence she had on music and movies from the 30's to the 60's. This biography reads like a Who's Who of Hollywood during this timeframe, and Kay Thompson was at the center of it all. While at times the author seems to stretch a little (she invented Rap!), it can't be denied that Thompson was a pioneer in American music and contributed greatly to the careers of stars like Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams. That she also was an eccentric, larger than life personality makes for additional interesting reading. A good book for those interested in music, musicals, and Hollywood gossip.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. Frustrating, too, but really...astonishing woman.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for everyone and there is a lot detail in this book but I just found it a fascinating look at a most interesting character.

[Catherine Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter Emily found this book at a second hand bookstore a couple of years ago. We are both fans of the Eloise books and this biography looked intriguing. Published in 2010, the author Sam Irvin did exhaustive research and interviewed so many people in order to draw this fascinating portrait of a very talented woman who impacted the entertainment industry for 9 decades. I loved every single moment I spent with this book.

I knew Kay Thompson from her role as the fashion editor in the movie Funny Face as well as the author of the Eloise books, but I had no idea of all this amazing woman had done starting with radio in the 1930s and 40s to her vocal arrangements, prolific songwriting, vocal arrangements and vocal coaching for stars in movies, on Broadway and in television. She was close friends with Judy Garland and godmother to Liza Minnelli, who took care of her in the last waning years of her life.

Like so many women whose contributions have gone uncredited and their stories untold, it is astonishing to read about all Kay Thompson contributed. The question of WHY her story has never been told is what prompted Sam Irvin to spend over a decade researching and writing it. He is so fortunate that so many people who knew her well were open to giving him interviews for this book. I had no idea about her amazing nightclub act with the Williams Brothers or her long term love affair with Andy Williams that began when he was 20 years old and she was 38.

This book is such a rich behind the scenes look at the historical arc of radio, movie and television entertainment and the people who shaped all those industries. Just like her alter ego Eloise, Kay Thompson carved out a place for herself in all of these industries - often changing how things were done with little credit. I was fascinated by the story of how she put together and directed JFK's Inaugural Gala. And how she forever changed runway fashion shows when she created and directed a charity fashion show in France featuring five American designers at Versailles in the early 1970s. Her talent had no boundaries and she was so original in her thinking and so bold in her execution.

She was a very eccentric personality and Irvin doesn't pull any punches in highlighting the less attractive and often self defeating aspects of her relationships. He also delves into the drug culture of that era and it's impact on artists and entertainers and her own reliance on "B-12 shots" laced with amphetamines. Her collaboration with illustrator Hilary Knight on the Eloise books was a fraught one. Not something anyone would ever guess looking at their four iconic publications.

There is so much history here about the entertainment industry. The backstories for how movies were put together and how the contract system of the major Hollywood studios impacted what was even possible. For buffs of the golden age of Hollywood, this book is a treasure trove of first person accounts of how it all went down. It was a pleasure to immerse myself in this book and I was sorry when it ended. I could have gone on and on listening to the interesting and well told stories.

[Diane C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agreed with many of the other reviewers............knew Kay Thompson as Eloise's creator and was thrilled to find out the other side of her life in entertainment. But the writer gallops along like a runaway train, filling in WAY too many details. Although his writing probably approximates the pace of Kay Thompson's life, it makes me tired to read a chapter. I'm enjoying this book and it's encyclopedic detail of show business personalities, but may not finish it because of all that detail.

Worth at least a browse to learn more about this amazing woman whose influence on modern show business is almost forgotten.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject is endlessly entertaining. The style of the writing, with which some reviewers took exception, didn't give me a moment's trouble. What I do wish, though, is that the author had found a way to tell the meat of the story (Eloise/Funny Face/cabaret/coaching) ordered not by topic but by chronology. Half the amazement of her list of accomplishments is realizing she was doing so many different and important things at the exact same time.

[David James Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this saucy, sensational biography, but beware if you are in the least conservative/judgmental... This tantalizing tome takes an open mind, a taste for MGM madness, and a love of the spirit of Auntie Mame. Otherwise, goodnight Gracie! Viva KAY!!!

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost done, but this woman was an amazing, screwy broad. Her influence on musical pop culture is mind blowing. And her fierce ego was fascinating, to say the least.

[Barbara Vartanian]

didn't finish it. too many details...in my view, clouded the picture. but then, it was a sort of chronology.

[Yourfiendmrjones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very definition of breezy. Do yourself a favor- read this while listening to her music as I did, and have the pop culture immersion equivalent of floating in a champagne bubble. Just. Great.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people with a minimum of pop culture knowledge may be aware of Kaye Thompson for her co-starring role in the musical film “Funny Face” and her best-selling “Eloise” books. But in Sam Irvin's astoundingly encyclopedic biography, we learn that Thompson had an influence over aspects of nearly every genre of the performing arts throughout the 20th century.

Irvin starts in the early days, of course, with Katherine Fink’s musical talent preceding her looks in their family. Fink, who later changed her stage name, quickly began to become a radio star with her singing and musical arrangements. Jazz and Blues were in her heart, and she learned quickly how to navigate the male-run business. Her collaborations sometimes became romances, and she gradually worked her way up into other cities to become a success in that field.

Another aspect that Irvin covers in great detail is Thompson's multitude of nightclub acts, which early on included an accompanying quartet, the Williams Brothers. One of them, Andy Williams, of course went on to become a bigger star and also had a romantic connection with Thompson over the years. Irvin also details her difficult marriage and divorce with a musician.

Kaye was also known as a great vocal coach for a number of films and live acts, from Frank Sinatra to Judy Garland and many others. Gay fans of Judy's famous concerts should know that Thompson coached her in everything from movement and vocals to her iconic stage presence.

Later on, Thompson's coaching skills were helpful for Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, in shaping not only her onstage persona but her look and brand. The two became lifelong friends as well, with Minnelli assisting Thompson in her reclusive last years.

Dozens of other major stars, film and theater producers and composers offer quotes about their personal and professional connections to Thompson. Check out the expensive index!

Irvin doesn't gloss over the dark side of Thompson's life, including her “B12 shots,” which actually were from a speed-dealing Dr. Feelgood character to the stars. Thompson's eating disorders, mood swings and diva behavior are documented thoroughly.

And of course, the Eloise books, illustrated by Hilary Knight, became a one-woman franchise, with spin-off products, recordings, television specials and more. Irvin also documents Thompson's need to control and dictate every aspect of the character, often to her downfall, and to the diminution of Knight’s role (and financial compensation) as illustrator.

Broadway shows and film roles came and went, and Irvin documents the successes, failures and projects that never got off the ground. Often it was Thompson herself who would make impossible demands, and passed up roles that later went to other actresses who would win Tonys and Oscars.

And if the film “Funny Face" seems like a mirthful happy affair, Irvin provides all the dish and on-set difficulties between Fred Astaire, Thompson, and producers and directors.

One contentious aspect of that film, in which she plays a fashion magazine editor, was the costumes. Thompson wanted control, and usually ended up donning her own predecessor of Capri pants, or hiring renowned fashion designers to make her costumes.

This zeal for couture and a flair for fashion led to her later becoming the uncredited director of the famous “Versailles '73” fashion show, in which five American designers’ hip runway show (Kaye’s direction) far outdid the French, who presented a bloated spectacle. The event is credited as jumpstarting American ‘pret-a-porter’ to the pinnacle.

From fashion to films, television to radio, nightclubs to children's toys and books, Thompson did it all. Her amazing successes and failures are recounted in this expansive and utterly fascinating biography. And who better to write it than an accomplished filmmaker, director and producer. Irvin admits in the acknowledgments to having a lifelong fascination with Thompson and her character Eloise. This expansive biography is his tribute, and a must-read for any fan of the performing arts.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.tkreviews.org/#/kay-thomps...

Kay Thompson is not a familiar name to most Americans today, even though she was a friend and colleague of some of the biggest names in twentieth century popular culture. She was a vocal coach and good friend of Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Lena Horne; she was close with writers like Ray Bradbury and Truman Capote; she helped cast Gene Kelly and Lucille Ball in her second husband’s radio show; and she later upstaged Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire when she played the part of the “Think Pink” fashion magazine editor in Funny Face—just to name a few. You most likely have seen the results of Kay Thompson’s creative genius without ever knowing her name.

As Sam Irvin describes in a new biography, Kay Thompson (Simon & Schuster, $26.99), she was not only friends with famous actors, singers, and writers, she also inspired them, coached them, and had a lasting influence on countless aspiring stars. She was an incredible performer in her own right, an eccentric drama queen, and a force to be reckoned with, and was someone who had an unfailing drive to succeed and an uncanny ability to reinvent herself after experiencing disastrous personal and professional setbacks.

Thompson was also the author of one of my all-time favorite literary creations: the precocious, mischievous, and hilarious six-year-old Eloise who runs around the Plaza Hotel with her Nanny, her pet bulldog Weenie, and her pet turtle Skipperdee. She “sklonks” the barber in the kneecap and declares things like: “I am Eloise. I am six. I am a city child” or “You have to eat oatmeal or you’ll dry up. Anybody knows that.” Thompson was indeed a rawther fabulous person, as Eloise would say, but many fascinating yet previously unknown details of her life are revealed in this book: she was a founding member of the Rat Pack, her arrangements inspired the song “If Only I Had a Brain” in The Wizard of Oz, she had an affair with Andy Williams when she was eighteen years his senior, she directed John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Ball and an extraordinary fashion show in Versailles (Bill Cunningham called it “the Valhalla of American fashion—and everything was all downhill after that”), and she was able to convince airlines and other companies to sponsor her fabulous trips with illustrator Hilary Knight to Paris and Moscow to do firsthand research for the sequels to the original Eloise book, Eloise at the Plaza.

Born to Jewish immigrants in St. Louis, Thompson was actually the created name and persona of Catherine “Kitty” Fink, who experienced some rocky starts when she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in radio in the 1930s (when she first arrived on the West Coast, the job she had been promised didn’t come through). After landing radio work that catapulted her to stardom, she eventually became MGM’s “secret weapon” as a vocal coach for years. She was later released from her contract (and her first marriage), and started a cabaret act, “Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers,” which earned her outrageous sums of money and was in demand all over the country. From radio to having the number-one nightclub routine in the world, Thompson went on to cameos in the arenas of film, fashion, and publishing, all the while making groundbreaking moves like wearing pants, designing bras, or writing what Iriving claims could be considered the first rap songs. As she herself declared, “I have always been 20 years ahead of myself.”

But this book reveals some of the darker sides of Thompson’s life: she went through two divorces and was notoriously difficult to work with, often throwing Eloise-esque temper tantrums. In the early 1970s, she told a friend, “I love love and I believe in divorce. Two great things. I’ve lived with quite a few men and alone is better. That doesn’t mean I’m a loner, I just don’t like to ask permission.” (Irvin addresses rumors that Thompson had an affair with Judy Garland, who was miserable in her own marriage to Vincent Minnelli, but this seems unlikely.) Thompson was offered many film roles and money-making proposals in her life, but she would make such outrageous demands that the person making the offer would eventually give up. From a young age, she was never happy with her looks, and she had five nose jobs and multiple facelifts. The creepiest part of the book suggests that Thompson was addicted to “B-12 vitamin cocktails” that her doctor injected into her, which, in reality, were a powerful combination of amphetamines that kept Kay always energetic and rail-thin.

Irvin did an incredible amount of research for this book, and he provides meticulous details and firsthand accounts of encounters with Thompson that really make her personality and the show business world come alive. Those in the publishing world will recognize anecdotes from Bob Bernstein and Bennett Cerf at Random House, which published the Eloise at Christmastime book (the others were published by Simon & Schuster), as well as the late Nina Bourne, the famed advertising wordsmith who edited Eloise in Paris at Simon & Schuster after its original editor, Jack Goodman, died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Irvin includes plenty of classic Thompson anecdotes, including the time she drove a car across a golf course to try make it to a meeting on time, or when she disappeared and someone found her in Cuba at a hotel run by the mob, or when she sent a telegraph to Orson Welles to “ask” if she could use his name in a number she did with the Williams brothers called “Poor Suzette (with Her Restoration Bosom and Four Lovers): “Dear Darling Adorable Orson: I’m taking the liberty of using your name in a number called SUZETTE unless I hear from you to the contrary. Needless to say, it is used with charm and affection and if you are not here by 11:30 I will refuse to go on. Your lover. Kay Thompson.” For those who know Eloise, it is obvious that Kay Thompson was the creative genius behind the character with lines like these: “I’ve discovered the secret of life: A lot of hard work, a lot of sense of humor, a lot of job and a whole lot of tra-la-la!” or “Enthusiasm and imagination can carry you anywhere you want to go, without Vuitton luggage.”

At one point, Irvin quotes Louella Parsons as saying in the 1950s: “What a story Kay’s sensational rise to fame is—much more thrilling than fiction . . . Someday somebody’s going to write it—it would make a fascinating story.”

Sam Irvin’s editorial reply in the book is: “Ya think?”

And this book proves it to be true.

[Lee Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kay Thompson may not have always been a likable person, but it seems as if she was always an interesting person. I had no idea how influential she was in so many careers. It wasn’t just Judy and Liza; Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Ethel Merman, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers, and many, many others benefited from her talents as an arranger and performance coach. That she was never able to translate those abilities into a huge, worldwide stardom for herself comes down to her looks (read: the sexism of the entertainment industry, and the taste of the general public) and her tendency to be her own worst enemy.

This book isn’t perfect; it starts mainly chronological, but when the twin peaks of success that are Funny Face and Eloise come to the fore, things switch to an “each chapter is a separate topic” style for a little while, then it falls back to a final few chronological chapters that cover Thompson’s mentorship of Liza, then her total dependence on Liza, when Thompson’s financial status falters, then her health. Stubborn to the end, a black-clad, kohl-eyed grande dame at Studio 54 and elsewhere, she went out like she came in: with BAZAZZ!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a life. All I really knew of Kay Thompson was her film-stealing role in Funny Face, & a vague sense of her as the writer of the Eloise books. What really struck me while reading this was her involvement and impact on music and musicals in the 30s/40s/50s. Would love for TCM to do a day of programming featuring the films on which she worked as an arranger or coach. What an impact.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up loving the Eloise series and Funny Face is one of my all-time, favorite movies. I never knew I was watching the author of Eloise when I was watching the movie. It was difficult admiring her accomplishments when you learned how mean and controlling she was. The more I got to know what her personality was like, the less I liked her. However, her influence and talent were undeniable.

[Donni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Kay Thompson -- until I heard about the Versailles fashion event (she was brought in as choreographer for the American team). A singer, actress, comedienne and huge personability, this entertainer also authored the "Eloise" books. This bio chronicles everything from her friendship with Judy Garland, her relentless competitive drive, and her unorthodox love life and lifestyle.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed it. Sam Irvin’s attention to detail was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing that he was able to research and discover so much of the minutiae of Kay Thompson’s life; the book felt very COMPLETE. It was a curse to have to read about her same mistakes, misjudgments, and eccentric treatment of the people in her life over and over again.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and enjoyed every tiny detail that others have complained about. I had no idea how involved this woman was with so many aspects of show business. I was interested in learning more about her because I recently read Andy Williams' bio. She was clearly uber-talented, but she was also extremely selfish and rude.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kay Thompson sounds like a hoot, and has influenced us more than we know. Songs, performance, entertainment, fashion, the business of product placement, and, how I first heard about her, as the author of Eloise — I had no idea about this Great Dame! I am now VIOLENTLY ENTHUSIASTIC about her.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good biography of the woman, Kay Thompson, who wrote the Eloise books. I learned that she was also a singer, arranger, composer, and actor. She knew most of the stars from the thirties and was Judy Garland’s best friend and Liza Minelli’s godmother.

[Nick Benninger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

So good. What an incredible and complicated person. The book is very engaging and in depth, definitely worth the price.

[Charlotte Lancaster · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been in a reading slump, so I decided to grab a book from my (sizable) to-read stack and read it from beginning to end. This is the book I chose. Oy, what a tedious slog. For such a mind-numbing amount of exhausting detail, the book is shallow. It is as if the author found every single publicity announcement and put them all together in one interminable "homage." Seriously, there are long paragraphs that consist of nothing but names of people who attended some event, or participated in a project, or just freaking went over to Kay Thompson's house. He devotes pages and pages to detail each and every project that even flickered momentarily in her brain, only to end each one (dozens!) with, spoiler alert, "too bad it never came to fruition." To make sure you know that Mr. Irvin is actually integrated into the story, he constantly inserts his own opinions and weird interpretations of Kay Thompson's influence on entertainment culture (she was the first rapper? No.). After more than 400 pages, I still have no sense of how Kay Thompson became the person she was, where she came from, nothing of any substance. And I love Kay Thompson. This book needed an active editor, or a more insightful author.

[Matthew Warnecke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kay Thompson is a marvel and (sadly) under appreciated. This book has the verve, and Pizazz that makes Kay such a wonder.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

**#58 of 120 books pledged to read during 2017**

[NOLaBookish aka blue-collared mind · Rating 4 out of 5]

A confession-didn't like Eloise and her Plaza life so much. Was more of a Madeleine fan. Oddly, it was the art that I really didn't like and the fact that a lot of the book went over my head at the time and now I know why after reading the biography of Kay Thompson, its author as well as legendary arranger to some of the greatest singers of her time (Garland, Sinatra, Minnelli, Horne, Merman and many, many more), a sensational performer in her time and the subject of hilarious and amazing stories from those who knew her. Thompson said then she wrote it for adults, and now knowing her sophisticated life and friends, I am sure that it is true and I'm prepared to give it another go.

Because of that aversion to Eloise, I would never have bought this book, if it hadn't been for another original who wrote about it on her FB page-performer Leigh Harris, known to many of us that saw shows in the 1970s and 1980s in New Orleans as the amazing Lil' Queenie - No surprise that our Leigh loves Kay Thompson, another consumate performer and larger-than-life personality.
http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/LITTLE...

I only knew Thompson because of that amazing performance in Funny Face, but never realized how much of it and her work and Hepburn's et al was her own design (well I also knew of her through following Judy Garland's career although most biographies don't give Thompson any credit for helping to craft Garland's amazing later live performance work)..
I read this book in the few days leading up to JazzFest with sound checks drifting over the bayou through my open window, appreciating the detail the author gives to Thompson's arrangements and her productions, thinking how amazing it would have been to have her in the Jazz Tent in her prime. The respect that other musicians had for her work was palpable in the book and her gigantic personality came through loud and clear too. Unfortunately, sometimes the author resorted to extended timelines (then she released this and then she released that and so on...) that grew quickly tiresome and I think could have been lifted for more reviews and memories which, when he used them, told me a great deal more in a few words than the lists.
I am now listening to my 75 song cd of Kay Thompson and expect to search out more of her amazing work. I can't believe that she was not the big deal in her time- but listening to her, you hear how she influences all of them-Garland and Sinatra so clearly-and know that her collegial attitude in helping those giants gave us some of the greatest interpretations we will have of mid century American music.
Let's face it- she had pizazz-or bazazz.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

From an obsession with the Eloise lipstick color to Eloise herself, I came to Kay Thompson backwards through the art of Hilary Knight. I also adored, adored, adored the naughty, creative, never bored Eloise and found comfort in the fact that she was even more naughty and creative than I was as a child. She was real and now, after reading this well-researched book, I find that Kay Thompson was in fact just as real as her Eloise. I would hope that Eloise would have a better ending and I know that Eloise would not care what wrinkles appeared. Those sections of the book were a distraction from the creative self that Kay possessed, but Hollywood was and is what it is -- a miasma of facelifts and buffoons. She was a class act and this is a great read. My only online confession -- I bought this book on a whim to give to my mother, she was the vehicle of both my birth and my introduction to my mirror image, and yes, I read it before giving it to her. That is supremely tacky, but I couldn't resist. In the same way that a child pokes at the bottom of candies in the box to avoid the nougat, I did the same with this book and, trust me, both Kay and Eloise would approve. After reading it, you will want to "think pink" too!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly the author knew the topic and I really enjoyed learning more about a woman I have heard about all my life --- but, there was so much information packed into these pages that I felt the overall story suffered for it. Sort of -- focusing so much on the trees that the forest got blurred. So much digression in the storytelling -- the narrative with these digressions interrupted my mind's "flow" -- and made me think several times, "just get back to KAY'S story". Overall however, a vast amount of research and just plain hard work to get the information necessary to write and "tell" this story. The first half of the book was a little more bogged down that the second half -- perhaps the editor got a better hold of the second half! Kay Thompson was one of a kind and it was lovely to learn more about her life, talent, trials and tribulations.