Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon...and Beyond

by Beverly Gray

"Ron From Mayberry to the Moon... and Beyond," the first full-length biography of Ron Howard, takes an in-depth look at the Oklahoma boy who gained national fame as a child star, then grew up to be one of Hollywood's most admired directors. Although many show biz kids founder as they approach adulthood, Ron Howard had the advantage of brains, common sense, and two down-to-earth parents who kept him from having an inflated view of his own accomplishments. He also had a longstanding to trade the glare of the spotlight for a quieter but equally creative life behind the camera. This biography tracks his career from 1960, when he debuted as six-year-old Opie Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" through 2002, when he accepted his Academy Award as Best Director for "A Beautiful Mind."

Author Beverly Gray, an entertainment industry veteran, has spoken to teachers, friends, and professional colleagues from all phases of Howard's career. She has also combed the archives to gain further insight into this very private man whose accomplishments have brought pleasure to so many.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Audiobook

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2003

About the author

After completing my doctorate in Contemporary American Fiction at UCLA, I surprised everyone (including myself) by taking a job with B-movie maven Roger Corman. At the legendary New World Pictures, I edited scripts, wrote publicity material, cast voice actors, and tried my hand at production. One highlight was coming up with the twist ending to a cult classic, Death Race 2000. Later, as story editor at Corman’s Concorde-New Horizons Pictures, I oversaw the development of 170 low-budget features. I’ve written six produced screenplays, and played several cameo roles (in all of which I kept my clothes on).

Since leaving Corman’s employ, I have been active as a journalist, while also teaching screenwriting workshops through UCLA Extension. My first book, Roger Corman: An Unauthorized Biography of the Godfather of Indie Filmmaking, made its debut in the #4 slot on the Los Angeles Times’ hardcover non-fiction bestseller list. Three years later, I published Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon . . . and Beyond. I followed this with the first expanded paperback edition of the Corman bio, tastefully retitled Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers. A third edition, available as both an ebook and a paperback, brings the Corman saga into the present day.

My newest, most exciting project yet is Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How The Graduate Became the Touchstone of a Generation. Its publication in November 2017 coincides with the 50th anniversary of this landmark film, which is beloved by Baby Boomers for capturing their view of the adult world that in 1967 they were newly poised to enter.

I live in Santa Monica, California. When not doting on my family, I focus on my popular blog, “Beverly in Movieland,” which covers movies, moviemaking, and growing up Hollywood-adjacent. Find it at www.beverlyinmovieland.com

Reviews

[Brian Eshleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book confirming what God has been feeding me for a while from different directions, that even the advantaged, the gifted, need to learn and to develop their gifts. The author does an admirable job tracing the consistencies in Howard's character even as she helps point out ways in which her subject has grown.

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This author had no access to Ron Howard or anyone close to him, so she simply rehashes quotes from articles and videos she watched. It's all written like a high school term paper with confusing tense changes and no attributions for where she got some of the information. While she claims to have interviewed three dozen people who worked with Howard, there's little evidence of it here. She skips entire years in his life, doesn't go in depth on many projects (assuming she couldn't find others articles?), provides nothing new about his famous TV years, and over and over repeats how nice everyone thinks he is. It all makes for a pretty plain, boring read with no insight into the star or his private life. It's basically one giant, long, simplistic Wikipedia entry that focuses completely on his filmography...and he deserves much better.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hollywood rarity - a genuinely good man

I grew up in an LA beach suburb and some of my friends had parents who worked in Hollywood. One of my high school classmates was the daughter of the first TV Lois Lane. Still the Hollywood folks seemed a far cry from my working class parents.
Ron Howard was lucky to grow up with parents who, though entertainers themselves, grounded their boys in the same midwestern values with which I grew up. My limited personal experience, and reading AP wire stories as a newspaper editor, tells me that wasn’t the norm for many child actors.
It wasn’t so much the business as it was his parents who molded him into a solid professional, husband and father.
Spending a lot of COVID time reading heavier history, I enjoyed this lighter fare about a talented child and man who hasn’t gotten too swayed by his own press clippings.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5. While the writing is okay, this reads more like a rehash of a bunch of tabloid articles. You will get a nice compilation of events in the life of Ron Howard, and given how so many (including me) love him it was nice to hear of how much love and common sense surrounded Ron during his upbringing, and how he carried that out during his lifetime both at work and with his own family. Read this if you like Ron Howard, not if you are looking for a good biography.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Early on the author of this rehash says that Ron Howard declined the opportunity to be interviewed. Once I started reading the book, I could see why. The book is poorly written and contains no insight. The quotes read like blurbs from press releases. They are fawning beyond belief. I got through about 25% of it and called it quits. Read the Howard brother's The Boys, instead. It is well worth it.

[Lezley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our Book Club asked the question whether children should be allowed to act? We all read about a child star and hopefully that input will form the basis of discussion. Ron Howard, although an actor at a very young age seems to have had a healthy introduction to acting...all the good and supportive folks at Mayberry. He also seems to be smart in realizing that that this child celebrity role may not last forever. He therefore equips himself for the future by widening his theatrical horizons and ends up as a top notch director. Although Howard did not agree to be interviewed for this book, it's probably just as well as the author can avoid undue flattery. The book is well researched and well written. I think Ron Howard would be proud!

[LAMONT D · Rating 3 out of 5]

For an unauthorized biography you still get a sense of what kind of person Ron Howard is and what others think about him especially as it pertains to his professional life as an actor and director. The author goes into too much detail about the various productions and movies, but you get a good overview at how these works came about and what motivated Howard to be the director that he has come to be over the years. This was written 20+ years ago and so you have much more to judge Howard on now then you did back then but still it was written after such iconic productions as Apollo 13 and Tom Hanks (my favorite) and the Grinch with Jim Carey. And he will always be remembered as Opie, for better or worse.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audio version of this book and seeing the copyright listed as 2021 thought it was up to date. The print version must have come out in 2003/2004 and so is somewhat dated at this point. I was relieved that the author’s quest to turn up something scandalous about Ron Howard was unrewarded. Long live integrity!

[David White · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was more about his movie making ability. Interesting book but very long and dissected every movie. It would have been more interesting had she actually got to talk with Ron Howard and not just take things out of the news

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Well written enjoyed his career and family. Ability to big be creative and flexible concerning his future and friends a nab d he seems




Very well written book interesting he turned out to be very loyal and creative in his career and his future

[Vonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a non-approved book so the information was collected without the consent of anyone. The information was okay but I would rather read an approved book where Ron Howard gave information about himself that I knew was accurate.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although it was interesting to learn about some aspects of Ron Howard's life, the author starts by explaining this is not a memoir, but what she knows and learned about Ron Howard. She even stated the author wouldn't give her any information, and that seemed a little creepy to me.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read about Ron Howard's career from "Opie" to 2003 (time of book writing) and how his journey from child actor to teen throb to director was not as easy as one thinks. Also talks about his family support along the way. Many interesting tidbits are shared.

[Joe B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well rounded synopsis of a famous child actor who become one of Hollywood’s famous directors. A book that contains nothing more than copied press releases and movie reviews about Ron Howard that encompass his unauthorized biography.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned more about Ron Howard, the actor & man, than I had known. Interesting.

[Jim Swike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Returned by Kindle. Enjoy!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

Author did a great job of research.Reads like a novel. It really kept my interest. Fantastic book that leads to a desire to learn more.

[Penney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistic Bio

I would have preferred this bio to have Ron’s input, but the author garnered enough quotes from family and friends to make this an interesting read.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up to 4. Interesting to hear the planning and work it took for Rom Howard to movie from acting to director.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

#76 of 120 books pledged to read during 2020

[Judith Leipold · Rating 3 out of 5]

A glitch in my computer has delayed this entry by about two months. It wasn't memorable enough to write a review. I am a RH fan, but not necessarily of the this book.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gray did extensive research to write this unauthorized biography of Ron Howard. Much of her information was gleaned from previous interviews, as well as other sources. The biography includes 16 pages of photos and over 65 pages at the end consisting of a timeline, filmography as an actor, filmography as a director and producer, awards and honors, extensive source notes, and an index.

What we learn, ultimately is what we already instinctively know: Ron Howard really is a nice man, although a more guarded, private man than many people might realize, but he really is a nice guy. Don't bother reading this biography if you're looking for scandal and dirt. Credit is deservedly given to his parents, Rance and Jean Howard, who played a tremendous role in shaping his life - and their pivotal role in his life needs to be acknowledged. I think Ron's nature, combined with their good, common sense, helped keep Ron Howard grounded.

The one drawback to this biography is that it really seems to have been written too early in his career. Rather than being interviewed for this biography, Howard "felt himself to be in midcareer and not ready to participate in a long range assessment of his accomplishments."(pg x) Since this biography ends with Howard's Oscar for A Beautiful Mind, most people would have to agree that this biography is a little precipitous, and Howard (hopefully) has many years of work ahead of him.
Highly Recommended; http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/

[Shirley Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon...and Beyond Excellent reference book on the background of Ron Howard, a very famous man, who starts his life in the public eye and finds himself there to this day, but who hasn't let the Hollywood limelight ruin who he is from the inside out. I was blessed to see he is still married to the same woman he met back in high school, that he still holds many of the same values that were taught to him at his youth in the message-driven Andy Griffith Show. After reading this biography, which takes Ron Howard through 2003, and his successes and failures up till that point, I then discovered just by staying in distant contact that he is still a very real person. He still, even as an academy award winner makes himself available to the people. It's a good book. Recommend your reading it. I look forward to seeing the next one which should continue on with his life work and him as a person.(less)

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, unauthorized biography. Ron Howard comes off as a very likeable guy. I was surprised by how prolific he is and how much he involves his family in his work. His dad is amazingly prolific and his wife Cheryl is in almost every one of his movies. Of course, his brother Clint has an impressive list of credits, too.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This unauthorized Ron Howard biography was interesting but since the subject didn't collaborate, it reads a bit more like a filmography. Which was fun to read in its own right. In the end, it's a good look at Howard's work and circumstances as described by his peers.

[Tari · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointment for me. I was hoping for his biography. Sadly, this was little more than a review of his works. I'd love to read an autobiography. I think it would be so much better coming from his voice.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled in all the gaps I had about one of my favorite entertainers.
Reveals Howard's unique method of choosing names for his children.

[Kathy Creason · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather dry biography! I am sure Ron Howard is more interesting in real life.

[Michael Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An APL Recycled reads find. Fit this in between other things and found it an OK biography of a talented director and the forces that shaped him.