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Jeannie Out of the Bottle: A Memoir
A magical, heartwarming memoir from one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses, best known for her iconic role on I Dream of Jeannie
The landmark NBC hit television series I Dream of Jeannie has delighted generations of audiences and inspired untold numbers of teenage crushes on its beautiful blond star, Barbara Eden, for decades. Part pristine Hollywood princess and part classic bombshell, with innocence, strength, and comedic talent to spare, Barbara finally lets Jeannie out of her bottle to tell her whole story.
Jeannie Out of the Bottle takes us behind the scenes of I Dream of Jeannie as well as Barbara’s dozens of other stage, movie, television, and live concert performances. We follow her from the hungry years when she was a struggling studio contract player at 20th Century Fox through difficult weeks trying to survive as a chorus girl at Ciro’s Sunset Strip supper club, from a stint as Johnny Carson’s sidekick on live TV to tangling on-screen and off with some of Hollywood’s most desirable leading men, including Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, and Warren Beatty. From the ups and downs of her relationship with her Jeannie co-star Larry Hagman to a touching meeting with an exquisite and vulnerable Marilyn Monroe at the twilight of her career, readers join Barbara on a thrilling journey through her five decades in Hollywood.
But Barbara’s story is also an intimate and honest memoir of personal a stillborn child with her first husband, Michael Ansara; a verbally abusive, drug-addicted second husband; the loss of her beloved mother; and the accidental heroin-induced death of her adult son, just months before his wedding. With candor and poignancy, Barbara reflects on the challenges she has faced, as well as the joys she has experienced and how she has maintained her humor, optimism, and inimitable Jeannie magic throughout the roller-coaster ride of a truly memorable life.
Illustrated with sixteen pages of photographs, including candid family pictures and rare publicity stills, Jeannie Out of the Bottle is a must-have for every fan, old and new.
The landmark NBC hit television series I Dream of Jeannie has delighted generations of audiences and inspired untold numbers of teenage crushes on its beautiful blond star, Barbara Eden, for decades. Part pristine Hollywood princess and part classic bombshell, with innocence, strength, and comedic talent to spare, Barbara finally lets Jeannie out of her bottle to tell her whole story.
Jeannie Out of the Bottle takes us behind the scenes of I Dream of Jeannie as well as Barbara’s dozens of other stage, movie, television, and live concert performances. We follow her from the hungry years when she was a struggling studio contract player at 20th Century Fox through difficult weeks trying to survive as a chorus girl at Ciro’s Sunset Strip supper club, from a stint as Johnny Carson’s sidekick on live TV to tangling on-screen and off with some of Hollywood’s most desirable leading men, including Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, and Warren Beatty. From the ups and downs of her relationship with her Jeannie co-star Larry Hagman to a touching meeting with an exquisite and vulnerable Marilyn Monroe at the twilight of her career, readers join Barbara on a thrilling journey through her five decades in Hollywood.
But Barbara’s story is also an intimate and honest memoir of personal a stillborn child with her first husband, Michael Ansara; a verbally abusive, drug-addicted second husband; the loss of her beloved mother; and the accidental heroin-induced death of her adult son, just months before his wedding. With candor and poignancy, Barbara reflects on the challenges she has faced, as well as the joys she has experienced and how she has maintained her humor, optimism, and inimitable Jeannie magic throughout the roller-coaster ride of a truly memorable life.
Illustrated with sixteen pages of photographs, including candid family pictures and rare publicity stills, Jeannie Out of the Bottle is a must-have for every fan, old and new.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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2260 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Eden
10 books34 followersBarbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
May 20, 2012
I grew up watching Barbara Eden on "I Dream of Jeannie", and I have followed her career ever since. I expected more from this book.
She has interesting stories to tell, and she does tell them. However - unlike the authors of other biographies and memoirs I have read recently - she seems overly-impressed with herself. She reminds us repeatedly that she was/is a beautiful blonde, and she name-drops a lot. Of course if famous people are a part of your life story, those names need to be mentioned. But there are ways to do it that flow more naturally. She tells us that she'll talk about her encounters with a few of them "later", and when she does they turn out to be little more than someone introducing them, with no further contact or impact on her life. Pretty much every man she encountered wanted her, according to her own accounts, and pretty much every woman was jealous of her. I'm sure some of those people were surprised to read that! It was also hard for me to get past the constant "Jeannie blink!". It was cute the first time, but seemed childish and unnecessary to me when it kept appearing after that.
I don't blame her for not going into more detail about the tragedy involving her son, but I do wish she had woven more of a thread prior to that so we could have understood her and felt more. She actually mentions him very little considering he was her only child who she clearly loved, and I was confused as to where he was living some of the time. She mentions a sister too, but we don't ever hear much about her.
I didn't dislike this book completely. I was disappointed, and I wanted to come away liking her more than I did. I wish she had been more genuine, and I wish she had focused less on trying to impress her readers. But her story is interesting.
She has interesting stories to tell, and she does tell them. However - unlike the authors of other biographies and memoirs I have read recently - she seems overly-impressed with herself. She reminds us repeatedly that she was/is a beautiful blonde, and she name-drops a lot. Of course if famous people are a part of your life story, those names need to be mentioned. But there are ways to do it that flow more naturally. She tells us that she'll talk about her encounters with a few of them "later", and when she does they turn out to be little more than someone introducing them, with no further contact or impact on her life. Pretty much every man she encountered wanted her, according to her own accounts, and pretty much every woman was jealous of her. I'm sure some of those people were surprised to read that! It was also hard for me to get past the constant "Jeannie blink!". It was cute the first time, but seemed childish and unnecessary to me when it kept appearing after that.
I don't blame her for not going into more detail about the tragedy involving her son, but I do wish she had woven more of a thread prior to that so we could have understood her and felt more. She actually mentions him very little considering he was her only child who she clearly loved, and I was confused as to where he was living some of the time. She mentions a sister too, but we don't ever hear much about her.
I didn't dislike this book completely. I was disappointed, and I wanted to come away liking her more than I did. I wish she had been more genuine, and I wish she had focused less on trying to impress her readers. But her story is interesting.
July 27, 2011
Before starting this book, I genuinely liked Barbara Eden. I was, of course, a fan of "I Dream of Jeannie" and I had seen her in several other shows and movies, enjoying them all. That said - I was *shocked* by this book. I've probably read a hundred celebrity autobiographies and they're generally very entertaining. The celebs will admit their mistakes and even when talking about their accomplishments it's in a self-depricating way to relate to the reader. This book omits ALL of those principles. I really can't over-emphasize how shocked I was by this book. Barbara Eden's self-centered side is clearly out of control.
One would think that in an autobiography the author would tell personal stories. She does tell some personal stories, but none about herself. She describes in detail Larry Hagman's tyrannical and drug/alcohol abusive behavior and how the entire crew lived in fear or him. She even names a famous director who was a hermaphrodite, later throwing in how Katherine Hepburn threw herself at Barbara's date, but wouldn't even speak to Barbara. That's right - she thinks Katherine Hepburn was jealous and threatened by her. These stories took a serious backseat to Ms. Eden's perspective of the leading men she's worked with throughout the years. Don't get me wrong here - Barbara Eden was a cute little blonde girl. She was not Raquel Welch. According to this book every single man that Barbara Eden ever worked with wanted to sleep with her, or at least made a pass at her. And she lists them all in great detail. She was MUCH too prim and proper and had much higher morals than everyone else in Hollywood, so she would never have gone out with any of them. Sammy Davis Jr, JFK, Elvis Presley, Red Buttons, Pat Boone, Tommy Lee, even Burl Ives - and many, MANY more - they wall wanted to sleep with Barbara Eden. Even if this were true, how classy of her to list them in this manner. Before she was a 'star', she was hired as a dancer in a club. She admits that she was awful, but the men came there to see cute blondes, so she kept her job. According to Ms. Eden, the other dancers in the show became so jealous that Barbara was getting all the men's attention that one night they locked her in the dressing room so she couldn't perform. Please keep in mind that all of these girls were also hired for their looks. It was hard to read this section because I kept involuntarily rolling my eyes!
There are so little actual honest stories about her life, I wonder if she even had anything to do with writing this book. Her own son died of a heroin overdose and she barely touches on it. If she wasn't prepared to talk about this, she should've said that, or not written the book. She's been married three times, but showing pretty much no respect for her current husband, she repeatedly describes her first husband as the love of her life, and their divorce as the only mistake she ever made.
All-in-all, I wish she hadn't written this book. I much prefer the perception of Barbara Eden that I had before reading her autobiography. I think her Wikipedia entry is more informative and less offensive.
One would think that in an autobiography the author would tell personal stories. She does tell some personal stories, but none about herself. She describes in detail Larry Hagman's tyrannical and drug/alcohol abusive behavior and how the entire crew lived in fear or him. She even names a famous director who was a hermaphrodite, later throwing in how Katherine Hepburn threw herself at Barbara's date, but wouldn't even speak to Barbara. That's right - she thinks Katherine Hepburn was jealous and threatened by her. These stories took a serious backseat to Ms. Eden's perspective of the leading men she's worked with throughout the years. Don't get me wrong here - Barbara Eden was a cute little blonde girl. She was not Raquel Welch. According to this book every single man that Barbara Eden ever worked with wanted to sleep with her, or at least made a pass at her. And she lists them all in great detail. She was MUCH too prim and proper and had much higher morals than everyone else in Hollywood, so she would never have gone out with any of them. Sammy Davis Jr, JFK, Elvis Presley, Red Buttons, Pat Boone, Tommy Lee, even Burl Ives - and many, MANY more - they wall wanted to sleep with Barbara Eden. Even if this were true, how classy of her to list them in this manner. Before she was a 'star', she was hired as a dancer in a club. She admits that she was awful, but the men came there to see cute blondes, so she kept her job. According to Ms. Eden, the other dancers in the show became so jealous that Barbara was getting all the men's attention that one night they locked her in the dressing room so she couldn't perform. Please keep in mind that all of these girls were also hired for their looks. It was hard to read this section because I kept involuntarily rolling my eyes!
There are so little actual honest stories about her life, I wonder if she even had anything to do with writing this book. Her own son died of a heroin overdose and she barely touches on it. If she wasn't prepared to talk about this, she should've said that, or not written the book. She's been married three times, but showing pretty much no respect for her current husband, she repeatedly describes her first husband as the love of her life, and their divorce as the only mistake she ever made.
All-in-all, I wish she hadn't written this book. I much prefer the perception of Barbara Eden that I had before reading her autobiography. I think her Wikipedia entry is more informative and less offensive.
June 13, 2011
"Hi, my name is Barbara Eden. Here are all the famous people I met, no mention of anyone else in my life because they haven't been mentioned on TV or in the movies. All the name dropping is about all I'm good for because I say 'no' to just about everything. Oh and by the way you'll only learn about two, possibly three personal incidents in my life, because between jumping from this year, back to that, flash forward to this other year you'll be so confused that you'll want to slam my book closed and Jeannie Blink it out of your life."
While there were some interesting anecdoates like finding out her last name is really Huffman and she's distantly related to Felicity, learning of her troubled son and the horrible incident with her still-born birth I was really disappointed with this book. It was barely personal and felt like a menagerie of name dropping opportunities.
Not worth the read.
While there were some interesting anecdoates like finding out her last name is really Huffman and she's distantly related to Felicity, learning of her troubled son and the horrible incident with her still-born birth I was really disappointed with this book. It was barely personal and felt like a menagerie of name dropping opportunities.
Not worth the read.
July 18, 2022
Listened to on audio - which was narrated by the author.
This was a gossipy, name dropping kind of memoir which I found fun overall but not particularly insightful. I decided to pick this up because I liked I Dream of Jeannie - but other than that I didn’t know much about Ms. Eden. As a result, I found that this book provided enough of an introduction to me to be reasonably engaged throughout.
The writing isn’t the greatest - Ms. Eden skips a lot of bit to side tangents which provide some gossip about big name stars but don't really add much to her own story. Plus there were one too many uses of “Jeannie-blink” for me!
Side note - the author laughs at her own stories when she is reading the text - it was a bit performative / self-conscious. It was like she was trying to act the book out - it was a bit odd. The narration had an odd tone / intonation sometimes - like Ms. Eden wanted us to focus on the light and fun only instead of anything more sensitive or dark.
However, there wasn’t much depth to the stories in the first place so I suppose the audio didn’t really detract from the reading experience. The only time Ms. Eden seems to get real is when she talks about her son and her miscarriage - the rest of the life comes across as upbeat and pretty wonderful. Nothing wrong with that - in fact, I admire the positivity of the book. I just wonder at the lack of her own point of view in the telling.
I decided in the end to round this book up to 3 stars because I think the intent of the book was to be a light little memoir - and even if that wasn’t exactly to my taste I did think it was successful. I would have gone with 2.5 stars but the last chapter where she talk about the death of her son was moving. She doesn’t spend too much time on the event - which I respected, because it kept the grief private.
3 overall stars for ending honestly but keeping things positively. This was what I expected to marks for that.
This was a gossipy, name dropping kind of memoir which I found fun overall but not particularly insightful. I decided to pick this up because I liked I Dream of Jeannie - but other than that I didn’t know much about Ms. Eden. As a result, I found that this book provided enough of an introduction to me to be reasonably engaged throughout.
The writing isn’t the greatest - Ms. Eden skips a lot of bit to side tangents which provide some gossip about big name stars but don't really add much to her own story. Plus there were one too many uses of “Jeannie-blink” for me!
Side note - the author laughs at her own stories when she is reading the text - it was a bit performative / self-conscious. It was like she was trying to act the book out - it was a bit odd. The narration had an odd tone / intonation sometimes - like Ms. Eden wanted us to focus on the light and fun only instead of anything more sensitive or dark.
However, there wasn’t much depth to the stories in the first place so I suppose the audio didn’t really detract from the reading experience. The only time Ms. Eden seems to get real is when she talks about her son and her miscarriage - the rest of the life comes across as upbeat and pretty wonderful. Nothing wrong with that - in fact, I admire the positivity of the book. I just wonder at the lack of her own point of view in the telling.
I decided in the end to round this book up to 3 stars because I think the intent of the book was to be a light little memoir - and even if that wasn’t exactly to my taste I did think it was successful. I would have gone with 2.5 stars but the last chapter where she talk about the death of her son was moving. She doesn’t spend too much time on the event - which I respected, because it kept the grief private.
3 overall stars for ending honestly but keeping things positively. This was what I expected to marks for that.
January 15, 2012
To review this book, unfortunately, I first have to admit that I read this book. I am blushing even as I type this. And for all that humiliation, I can only report that I learned two things from "Jeannie: Out of the Bottle": (1). Larry Hagman was a jerk; (2). Barbara Eden should not write books.
December 7, 2011
This book makes a quick, pleasant read, but it's very shallow. Half of the pages are filled with little more than Eden's name-dropping. Of course that's fine, when she's telling stories about people who truly participated in her life and career (like Sydney Sheldon and Larry Hagman), but when Eden only met Marilyn Monroe for 5 minutes because they shared the same body double, it's hard to justify her decision to spend several pages talking about Ms. Norma Jean, especially since she doesn't even spend 1% as much time discussing her own sister.
If you're going to devote more time to people you once mingled with at a party than to those who influenced and shaped your path and shared your day to day dreams, you aren't going to reveal anything very meaningful about yourself. Eden doesn't.
Her showbiz anecdotes aren't boring, but they aren't hilarious or insightful either. Most of the men she met (Desi, Tom Jones, Warren Beatty) flirted shamelessly with her and she always declined their advances, because she was a self-acclaimed reserved, classy and naive lass. Most of the women she met hated her on sight (Katharine Hepburn, Ann Southern, Lauren Bacall and all of the dancers at Ciro who called her "Miss Virgin" and scoffed that she thought she was better than they were). Around the 50th time, it becomes a little tedious to read how enthralled with or envious of Barbara that everyone was, especially since it's not entirely believable. It's true she had a sweet face, wonderful figure and delightful mannerisms, but she was hardly embued with so much talent that one would believe Lauren Bacall would be scared to take a vacation from "Applause," because she was afraid that Eden would supplant her in the audience's affections.
The I Dream of Jeannie chapters of the book are the most meaty. Certainly fans of the tv show will want to have this in their library. Outside of that cult classic and its actors, it's rather annoying how Eden pads the pages with mini-bios of other celebrities. Most of the background she offers on them is public (or wikipedia) knowledge, not information she's gleaned through personal communications or insight.
Eden mentions that her character Jeannie wasn't real, but was just a figment of Tony Nelson's imagination. I can't speak to the black and white episodes, which are less familiar to me, but I've seen countless reruns from the last 4 years of the show and Jeannie was very real. She was seen by Tony, Roger and many others. Poor Dr. Bellows practically went insane because he witnessed so many of Jeannie's stunts, for which he had no rational explanation. While the show itself may have been a fantasy, within the world of the series, Jeannie was certainly a reality, not an illusion.
Eden leaves her son's losing battle with drugs to the end of the book, which almost makes the tragedy seem like an afterthought. If Matthew's trials had been weaved chronilogically through the narrative, the pain Eden ultimately suffered might have seemed more real. As it is, we don't get a feeling that their relationship was a constant and central part of her life. She tells us how much she loved him, but she also tells us that she married an obnoxious bully who disliked her 10 year old child and caused her to lose custody of him. Why she would enter a marriage that she had doubts about in the first place, knowing that would be the cost, is hard to fathom. It led me to the conclusion that Matthew was not quite the priority in her life that she claimed -- which doesn't make her at all responsible for his drug overdose over 20 years later. It just makes her less sympathetic as the mother left behind.
If you're a fan of sixties tv, add this to your collection. If you want to sink your teeth into a good autobiography, this likely won't have enough substance for you.
If you're going to devote more time to people you once mingled with at a party than to those who influenced and shaped your path and shared your day to day dreams, you aren't going to reveal anything very meaningful about yourself. Eden doesn't.
Her showbiz anecdotes aren't boring, but they aren't hilarious or insightful either. Most of the men she met (Desi, Tom Jones, Warren Beatty) flirted shamelessly with her and she always declined their advances, because she was a self-acclaimed reserved, classy and naive lass. Most of the women she met hated her on sight (Katharine Hepburn, Ann Southern, Lauren Bacall and all of the dancers at Ciro who called her "Miss Virgin" and scoffed that she thought she was better than they were). Around the 50th time, it becomes a little tedious to read how enthralled with or envious of Barbara that everyone was, especially since it's not entirely believable. It's true she had a sweet face, wonderful figure and delightful mannerisms, but she was hardly embued with so much talent that one would believe Lauren Bacall would be scared to take a vacation from "Applause," because she was afraid that Eden would supplant her in the audience's affections.
The I Dream of Jeannie chapters of the book are the most meaty. Certainly fans of the tv show will want to have this in their library. Outside of that cult classic and its actors, it's rather annoying how Eden pads the pages with mini-bios of other celebrities. Most of the background she offers on them is public (or wikipedia) knowledge, not information she's gleaned through personal communications or insight.
Eden mentions that her character Jeannie wasn't real, but was just a figment of Tony Nelson's imagination. I can't speak to the black and white episodes, which are less familiar to me, but I've seen countless reruns from the last 4 years of the show and Jeannie was very real. She was seen by Tony, Roger and many others. Poor Dr. Bellows practically went insane because he witnessed so many of Jeannie's stunts, for which he had no rational explanation. While the show itself may have been a fantasy, within the world of the series, Jeannie was certainly a reality, not an illusion.
Eden leaves her son's losing battle with drugs to the end of the book, which almost makes the tragedy seem like an afterthought. If Matthew's trials had been weaved chronilogically through the narrative, the pain Eden ultimately suffered might have seemed more real. As it is, we don't get a feeling that their relationship was a constant and central part of her life. She tells us how much she loved him, but she also tells us that she married an obnoxious bully who disliked her 10 year old child and caused her to lose custody of him. Why she would enter a marriage that she had doubts about in the first place, knowing that would be the cost, is hard to fathom. It led me to the conclusion that Matthew was not quite the priority in her life that she claimed -- which doesn't make her at all responsible for his drug overdose over 20 years later. It just makes her less sympathetic as the mother left behind.
If you're a fan of sixties tv, add this to your collection. If you want to sink your teeth into a good autobiography, this likely won't have enough substance for you.
January 1, 2012
This memoir was the first thing I read in 2012. Too bad it was kind of a yawn.
I learned that Larry Hagman was the real diva on the set of I Dream of Jeannie, throwing temper tantrums, getting drunk and stoned during work, even pissing on the set at least once. Other than that, Eden doesn't really share much juicy gossip that I didn't know. What I didn't already know, I didn't much care about.
Yes, yes, the TV censors wouldn't let her show her belly button when she played Jeannie. I already knew that. Even if I hadn't known, writing it once would have surely been enough.
Very annoying was the way, in the beginning of the book, if Eden wanted to shift time frames, she would mention doing a "Jeannie blink" before the flashback or flash forward. Luckily she quit doing that after the first few chapters, because it was really getting on my nerves.
I wish these Hollywood people would realize that when people read these memoirs, we want to hear all about the sex. Well, at least I do, but I don't think I'm the only one. Why do these Hollywood people try to be so coy?
The book does have an index, which is endearing to me, but I can't imagine why anyone would use it.
I learned that Larry Hagman was the real diva on the set of I Dream of Jeannie, throwing temper tantrums, getting drunk and stoned during work, even pissing on the set at least once. Other than that, Eden doesn't really share much juicy gossip that I didn't know. What I didn't already know, I didn't much care about.
Yes, yes, the TV censors wouldn't let her show her belly button when she played Jeannie. I already knew that. Even if I hadn't known, writing it once would have surely been enough.
Very annoying was the way, in the beginning of the book, if Eden wanted to shift time frames, she would mention doing a "Jeannie blink" before the flashback or flash forward. Luckily she quit doing that after the first few chapters, because it was really getting on my nerves.
I wish these Hollywood people would realize that when people read these memoirs, we want to hear all about the sex. Well, at least I do, but I don't think I'm the only one. Why do these Hollywood people try to be so coy?
The book does have an index, which is endearing to me, but I can't imagine why anyone would use it.
February 5, 2024
What a great insight to the woman who launched a thousand dreams as the beautiful genie of TV land. Barbara came across as "regular folk" who wasn't aware of how truly gorgeous she really is. I liked her candid stories about what a terror Larry Hagman was on set (a report he confirms was true) and about her ass of a second husband.
My heart really broke for her as she described the horror of having to give birth to a still born baby which she had to carry full term though the baby had died months before and how that, plus other piddly factors, led to the demise of her first marriage to Michael Ansara, who she loved with such ferocity that it seemed inconcievable that she would have left him. But as she as in such a dark place after the still born, I can understand why.
I do wish she spent more time talking about her days on "I Dream of Jeannie," however that would probably best be suited for an entire book on its own.
My heart really broke for her as she described the horror of having to give birth to a still born baby which she had to carry full term though the baby had died months before and how that, plus other piddly factors, led to the demise of her first marriage to Michael Ansara, who she loved with such ferocity that it seemed inconcievable that she would have left him. But as she as in such a dark place after the still born, I can understand why.
I do wish she spent more time talking about her days on "I Dream of Jeannie," however that would probably best be suited for an entire book on its own.
October 2, 2011
Reason for Reading: I loved "I Dream of Jeannie" as a kid and really knew nothing else about Barbara Eden, other than the Harper Valley, PTA movie and brief series. I enjoy actor's memoirs from the '70s on back in time and was intrigued to see what Barbara Eden had to say for herself.
Barbara Eden comes off as a very classy, non-Hollywood-type, of lady who has lived a rich and rewarding career, meeting many famous celebrities and enjoying enough success to satisfy herself. She loves to work for the joy of it but she has also suffered some tragedies in life namely the death of her only child at his age of thirty-five.
Barbara tells the whole story of her life, briefly from early childhood, but mostly starting with her life in Hollywood as she tried to make a career for herself as a singer, got side-tracked as a model and ended up an actor, until she reached the stage when she could be both sing and act, whether on Broadway, TV or in the movies. Barbara was married to the same man for most of her career on through the Jeannie years and though she has many tales to tell, she does tell all in a certain way. She doesn't have that much to tell as she was in a faithful marriage and respected her colleagues even when they were difficult to deal with. So we get a lot of stories of who tried to pick her up and who she turned down along with the tumultuous backstage antics of Larry Hagman on the set of Jeannie. A classy book about TV and movies in the 1950s and 1960s with no s*x or vulgar language. A very interesting look into this time period of the entertainment business from someone who wasn't dragged down into the drug scene. And an insightful look inside the exciting and tragic life of an iconic woman who will always be remembered as "Jeannie".
Barbara Eden comes off as a very classy, non-Hollywood-type, of lady who has lived a rich and rewarding career, meeting many famous celebrities and enjoying enough success to satisfy herself. She loves to work for the joy of it but she has also suffered some tragedies in life namely the death of her only child at his age of thirty-five.
Barbara tells the whole story of her life, briefly from early childhood, but mostly starting with her life in Hollywood as she tried to make a career for herself as a singer, got side-tracked as a model and ended up an actor, until she reached the stage when she could be both sing and act, whether on Broadway, TV or in the movies. Barbara was married to the same man for most of her career on through the Jeannie years and though she has many tales to tell, she does tell all in a certain way. She doesn't have that much to tell as she was in a faithful marriage and respected her colleagues even when they were difficult to deal with. So we get a lot of stories of who tried to pick her up and who she turned down along with the tumultuous backstage antics of Larry Hagman on the set of Jeannie. A classy book about TV and movies in the 1950s and 1960s with no s*x or vulgar language. A very interesting look into this time period of the entertainment business from someone who wasn't dragged down into the drug scene. And an insightful look inside the exciting and tragic life of an iconic woman who will always be remembered as "Jeannie".
February 16, 2013
I checked this out from the library because I was and still am a I Dream Of Jeannie fan. It is pretty much a biography of Barbara Eden's life which does mention a lot of her time spent on I Dream Of Jeannie. In all honesty I felt that she was a little in love with herself the way she was constantly going off about how all these men were falling for her and hitting on her all the time,from Elvis to the smallest nobodies. She was and still is a very attractive woman but there is no way every single man that crossed her path wanted to have relations with her. I also got annoyed how she portrayed herself as naive all time. Like her purity and innocence was the reason bad things happened around her with her second husband and even her own son. There is a difference between being naive and down right stupid! The main thing that I really enjoyed about this book was hearing about all the other stars around her such as big names like Marlyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and many others. That part was fascinating with her also giving a little history of the time periode. I would not buy this book but if you are a fan of I Dream Of Jeannie then you should check it out from a local library and read it just once!
October 30, 2016
So Much More than Jeannie Wow. This was amazing. When most people think of Barbara Eden, they think the bubbly, naive genie in a pink harem costume. But there is so much more. This book covers the gammit. From her very religious, straight-laced childhood to dancing in a chorus line to even singing in Vegas. I had no idea she did all that. Motherhood, heartbreak and courage are just some of the things this book has. I loved every page. And I send my love and prayer to Mrs. Eden for the loss of both her children.
July 12, 2016
A great book for battling insomnia, though there were a few good parts about Larry Hagman being a total jerk.
November 8, 2011
Don't laugh! I saw this in the NEW section of the library and couldn't resist--I had a little girl crush on Jeannie/Barbara Eden way back when. I dressed as her for Halloween and saw her in a local production of "Annie Get Your Gun!" Not sure why she didn't mention that in her memoir. I was sitting in an aisle seat in which the actors and actresses walked up and down in between scenes. At one point, I caught her attention and said, "HI JEANNIE!" and she was sweet and said "Hi Sweetie!" back to me. Ah yes, brush with stardom. I think I was 8.
Anyway, the book was OK--it was interesting to read about her marriages, her years on "I Dream of Jeannie," the truth about crazy Larry Hagman, the loss of her two sons, and her encounters with many many other celebrities. I felt as though she portrayed herself as a little too "goody two shoes"--resisting the advances of Elvis, Tom Jones, Tommy Lee, Warren Beatty, Sammy Davis Jr., Desi Arnez, and many other suave Hollywood men. The way she tells it, just about every man she came in contact with wanted to sleep with her! [rolling eyes] Poor thing! Can't believe she was really that straight laced, but oh well. She is beautiful and sweet and I always did kind of looked up to her.
Disclaimer: This type of not-so-well-written Hollywood memoir is usually not my cup of tea, but it was a nice change of pace and I just couldn't pass up the cover with Jeannie's picture in her adorable pink harem costume!
Anyway, the book was OK--it was interesting to read about her marriages, her years on "I Dream of Jeannie," the truth about crazy Larry Hagman, the loss of her two sons, and her encounters with many many other celebrities. I felt as though she portrayed herself as a little too "goody two shoes"--resisting the advances of Elvis, Tom Jones, Tommy Lee, Warren Beatty, Sammy Davis Jr., Desi Arnez, and many other suave Hollywood men. The way she tells it, just about every man she came in contact with wanted to sleep with her! [rolling eyes] Poor thing! Can't believe she was really that straight laced, but oh well. She is beautiful and sweet and I always did kind of looked up to her.
Disclaimer: This type of not-so-well-written Hollywood memoir is usually not my cup of tea, but it was a nice change of pace and I just couldn't pass up the cover with Jeannie's picture in her adorable pink harem costume!
January 6, 2015
Almost unreadable. Between the jumping back and forward in timelines with a Jeanie blink which got really irritating really quickly and the incessant name dropping there is no substance... Avoid
June 25, 2022
Heartfelt and charming, Barbara Eden is a magical lady.
April 23, 2019
I have always been a fan of Barbara Eden. I never quite knew why I was so drawn to her? Was it her looks? Was it her charm? Was it the character she portrayed? Was it the cute cartoon depiction that opened the show? Although all of those things had me hypnotized, I’d have to say the thing that comes to mind is her realness. There’s something about her that she always personified the down-to-earth type of person, and after having read her memoir, I see I was right about her all along.
I remember the first time I saw her on I Dream of Jeannie and I loved her outfit, her silliness, smarts and charm. Of course, who could wait for her to say “Yes, Master,” and her famous Jeannie Blink. When you’d hear the little noise that signified she was about to blink, I’d get so excited. Call me crazy, but say what you want, that was good television! It was such good TV that you can find an old rerun of the show anywhere in the world at any given time--bringing forth new generations the opportunity to experience the Jeannie Blink and her sexy harem outfit. Factor in one of my all-time favorite authors, Sidney Sheldon, was the creator and writer of the show, so there goes two things that drew me to the fantasy show. I used to sit and wish I had powers like Jeannie and her bottle she lived in was all that! She had that thing decked out. (LOL)
As usual, I always learn something about people when you read their life story, which is why I love biographies and memoirs. You get to hear, from the horse’s mouth, what really went on from their point of view and it also gives the entertainer the opportunity to clear the air and set the record straight on facts the media almost always blows out of proportion or takes their words out of context. One thing is for certain, Ms. Eden probably wished she could summon up the gifts Jeannie possessed when it came to her personal life.
She was married to the love of her life, Michael Ansara, who, like herself, was a great actor. They seemed to be a match made in heaven, by Ms. Eden’s own admission, and personally I think that she wishes things would have never changed between them. To be married to someone for fifteen years and have a tragic occurrence change the whole dynamic of what your family meant to you, is devastating to say the least. Having been forced to carry a stillborn baby to term knowing your son wasn’t alive, is absolutely horrendous to any parent. Unfortunately, at that time, she had no way of knowing she was suffering from Postpartum Syndrome because back then there wasn’t a label attached to it. The depression she went through took her out of her right mind thereby advising Michael she wanted out of their marriage. As much as he tried to keep their family together, she wasn’t having it. As I read her words, I got the distinct feeling that although her and Michael have new spouses they’ve been with for years now, if she could Jeannie Blink back there and change what happened, she’d still be married to Michael to this very day.
I felt her pain as she talked about her son she and Michael shared that died of a drug overdose at the young age of thirty-five. OMG, I truly felt her words! It was moving and very touching. She truly opened up about the struggle she had with her only son and his drug problem. Even though she’s been married three times, what I love about her is she took her vows seriously. All the famous men who tried to get her to hop in the sack, she wasn’t having none of it, which is another reason why I respect her artistry so well. You can just tell she’s a no nonsense type of person. She was a square to some of her peers, but she was all business. It can never be said she slept her way to the top. She earned her acting chops the old-fashioned way without succumbing to the rigorous bullshit Hollywood puts forth.
She openly discussed the problems on the set with her then co-star, Larry Hagman. I remember reading somewhere that he was a handful, and Lord knows she didn’t mince her words when it came to his behavior. It’s a wonder the show ever got off the ground. I loved her performance in Harper Valley PTA, the movie, and the television show adaptation. She still had that ummph! Even though I know she’ll always be best known for Jeannie, Ms. Eden is one hell of an actress and believable in whatever role she portrays. It’s no wonder she’s lasted this long in the business. I certainly hope Hollywood does a feature length movie of I Dream of Jeannie. It would be interesting to see who they cast to fill Ms. Eden’s shoes? ‘Cause trust me, those are some tough shoes to walk in.
I remember the first time I saw her on I Dream of Jeannie and I loved her outfit, her silliness, smarts and charm. Of course, who could wait for her to say “Yes, Master,” and her famous Jeannie Blink. When you’d hear the little noise that signified she was about to blink, I’d get so excited. Call me crazy, but say what you want, that was good television! It was such good TV that you can find an old rerun of the show anywhere in the world at any given time--bringing forth new generations the opportunity to experience the Jeannie Blink and her sexy harem outfit. Factor in one of my all-time favorite authors, Sidney Sheldon, was the creator and writer of the show, so there goes two things that drew me to the fantasy show. I used to sit and wish I had powers like Jeannie and her bottle she lived in was all that! She had that thing decked out. (LOL)
As usual, I always learn something about people when you read their life story, which is why I love biographies and memoirs. You get to hear, from the horse’s mouth, what really went on from their point of view and it also gives the entertainer the opportunity to clear the air and set the record straight on facts the media almost always blows out of proportion or takes their words out of context. One thing is for certain, Ms. Eden probably wished she could summon up the gifts Jeannie possessed when it came to her personal life.
She was married to the love of her life, Michael Ansara, who, like herself, was a great actor. They seemed to be a match made in heaven, by Ms. Eden’s own admission, and personally I think that she wishes things would have never changed between them. To be married to someone for fifteen years and have a tragic occurrence change the whole dynamic of what your family meant to you, is devastating to say the least. Having been forced to carry a stillborn baby to term knowing your son wasn’t alive, is absolutely horrendous to any parent. Unfortunately, at that time, she had no way of knowing she was suffering from Postpartum Syndrome because back then there wasn’t a label attached to it. The depression she went through took her out of her right mind thereby advising Michael she wanted out of their marriage. As much as he tried to keep their family together, she wasn’t having it. As I read her words, I got the distinct feeling that although her and Michael have new spouses they’ve been with for years now, if she could Jeannie Blink back there and change what happened, she’d still be married to Michael to this very day.
I felt her pain as she talked about her son she and Michael shared that died of a drug overdose at the young age of thirty-five. OMG, I truly felt her words! It was moving and very touching. She truly opened up about the struggle she had with her only son and his drug problem. Even though she’s been married three times, what I love about her is she took her vows seriously. All the famous men who tried to get her to hop in the sack, she wasn’t having none of it, which is another reason why I respect her artistry so well. You can just tell she’s a no nonsense type of person. She was a square to some of her peers, but she was all business. It can never be said she slept her way to the top. She earned her acting chops the old-fashioned way without succumbing to the rigorous bullshit Hollywood puts forth.
She openly discussed the problems on the set with her then co-star, Larry Hagman. I remember reading somewhere that he was a handful, and Lord knows she didn’t mince her words when it came to his behavior. It’s a wonder the show ever got off the ground. I loved her performance in Harper Valley PTA, the movie, and the television show adaptation. She still had that ummph! Even though I know she’ll always be best known for Jeannie, Ms. Eden is one hell of an actress and believable in whatever role she portrays. It’s no wonder she’s lasted this long in the business. I certainly hope Hollywood does a feature length movie of I Dream of Jeannie. It would be interesting to see who they cast to fill Ms. Eden’s shoes? ‘Cause trust me, those are some tough shoes to walk in.
September 30, 2018
An intimate portrait of Barbara Eden
This is an intimate account of Barbara Eden's early childhood, and her work on stage, TV, movies and live concert performances. Her personal life is portrayed in detail, especially her work with Larry Hagman on “I Dream of Jeannie” for which she is known and very well liked. Her emotional breakdown following the death of her only son, Matthew left her in grief and deep distress. His long addiction to controlled substances was devastating. She learns her son’s death from a late-night call from police who found him slumped over the steering wheel of his parked car at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles, CA. He had injected himself with pure cocaine.
Eden has beauty in words when she is describing key events in her life. She makes the narratives come to life and fascinates us, the lows and highs of her life, with a sense of humor. The book is deeply engrossing and her style of writing is exemplary.
Two chapters stands out in my mind, Chapter 8 - All about Larry, and Chapter 9 - Viva Las Vegas. Working with Larry Hagman on “I Dream of Jeannie” was not exactly a bubbly happy picture. Larry was extremely moody and heavily into alcohol. He was a troubled young man. The storms and conflicts regularly raged on the set and the only way for Eden was to hide in her dressing room. He was openly rude to his television crew and co-stars. Guests of the show were treated with insult and rudeness. Jackie Cooper, Groucho Marx, Sammy Davis Jr, and Milton Berle appeared on her show; Hagman exhibited his worst behavior at them. Eden recalls Sammy Davis asking her, after the shoot, “How in the hell do you work with him, Barbara? He is an a*shole”. Sammy burst off the set saying, “if I ever have to see that – again I will kill him.” Gene Nelson, a costar of the first season was out the door because of Larry Hagman’s insistence. Despite all his tirade against the guests and crew and Barbara, he delivered the scripted dialogue in a professional manner. That is how we saw him; bright and happy astronaut in love with a Jeannie.
Eden has been much news lately, at 86, she appeared at the Hollywood Beauty Awards, where she proved that age certainly hasn't affected her grace and beauty. In 1990, she was honored by the University Of West Los Angeles School Of Law with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. This is a memorable piece of literature; I am fascinated with her life. I recommend this book to fans of Barbara Eden, and “I Dream of Jeannie.” This book debuted at #14 on the New York Times Best Seller List.
This is an intimate account of Barbara Eden's early childhood, and her work on stage, TV, movies and live concert performances. Her personal life is portrayed in detail, especially her work with Larry Hagman on “I Dream of Jeannie” for which she is known and very well liked. Her emotional breakdown following the death of her only son, Matthew left her in grief and deep distress. His long addiction to controlled substances was devastating. She learns her son’s death from a late-night call from police who found him slumped over the steering wheel of his parked car at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles, CA. He had injected himself with pure cocaine.
Eden has beauty in words when she is describing key events in her life. She makes the narratives come to life and fascinates us, the lows and highs of her life, with a sense of humor. The book is deeply engrossing and her style of writing is exemplary.
Two chapters stands out in my mind, Chapter 8 - All about Larry, and Chapter 9 - Viva Las Vegas. Working with Larry Hagman on “I Dream of Jeannie” was not exactly a bubbly happy picture. Larry was extremely moody and heavily into alcohol. He was a troubled young man. The storms and conflicts regularly raged on the set and the only way for Eden was to hide in her dressing room. He was openly rude to his television crew and co-stars. Guests of the show were treated with insult and rudeness. Jackie Cooper, Groucho Marx, Sammy Davis Jr, and Milton Berle appeared on her show; Hagman exhibited his worst behavior at them. Eden recalls Sammy Davis asking her, after the shoot, “How in the hell do you work with him, Barbara? He is an a*shole”. Sammy burst off the set saying, “if I ever have to see that – again I will kill him.” Gene Nelson, a costar of the first season was out the door because of Larry Hagman’s insistence. Despite all his tirade against the guests and crew and Barbara, he delivered the scripted dialogue in a professional manner. That is how we saw him; bright and happy astronaut in love with a Jeannie.
Eden has been much news lately, at 86, she appeared at the Hollywood Beauty Awards, where she proved that age certainly hasn't affected her grace and beauty. In 1990, she was honored by the University Of West Los Angeles School Of Law with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. This is a memorable piece of literature; I am fascinated with her life. I recommend this book to fans of Barbara Eden, and “I Dream of Jeannie.” This book debuted at #14 on the New York Times Best Seller List.
November 29, 2023
I enjoyed this book cover-to-cover. I didn’t want a book with 20 pages on why stealing pears is wrong, or how we feel as we watch gladiatorial games, I didn’t want the author to go beyond what she felt like she had to do to share with the reader.
I wanted mostly to be distracted from the humdrum day-to-day nonsense around me while having Barbara Eden explain her world and name-drop 100 or more Hollywood types for which I was familiar with all of them, and for who I basically grew up with, I wanted her to gossip about her TV show, movies, and the world that I grew up with albeit only in background with my ever-present family’s TV in the on position.
There was one thing that struck me how very often old successful men (Burl Ives!, e.g.) would try to force themselves on to her, and there could be a whole sociological book dedicated to that topic alone, but as I said, I’m mostly appreciate the distraction that Barbara Eden brought to my life by telling her story.
For those who want depth and psychoanalytical truths revealed through autobiography just re-read Augustine’s “Confessions,” as for me I have, and sometimes I just like to sit back and read an entertaining story about an entertainer's life that offers reflections of the quotidian life that I have lived. The book is called "Jeannie out of the bottle" for a reason.
I wanted mostly to be distracted from the humdrum day-to-day nonsense around me while having Barbara Eden explain her world and name-drop 100 or more Hollywood types for which I was familiar with all of them, and for who I basically grew up with, I wanted her to gossip about her TV show, movies, and the world that I grew up with albeit only in background with my ever-present family’s TV in the on position.
There was one thing that struck me how very often old successful men (Burl Ives!, e.g.) would try to force themselves on to her, and there could be a whole sociological book dedicated to that topic alone, but as I said, I’m mostly appreciate the distraction that Barbara Eden brought to my life by telling her story.
For those who want depth and psychoanalytical truths revealed through autobiography just re-read Augustine’s “Confessions,” as for me I have, and sometimes I just like to sit back and read an entertaining story about an entertainer's life that offers reflections of the quotidian life that I have lived. The book is called "Jeannie out of the bottle" for a reason.
July 30, 2019
Feeling nostalgic. I used to watch "I Dream of Jeannie" as a child such nice memories. Thought it would be nice to read Barbara Eden's memoir. I enjoyed reading about her career filming I dream of Jeannie. She even shared that Larry Hagman had a difficult time during these years since she was considered the star of the show. I enjoyed reading her memoir she shares the ups and downs of her life. She is honest but not nasty in her writing. Nice to learn a bit about an actress from a childhood show I enjoyed.
November 21, 2017
Interesting to read a book about an iconic comedic actress who is best known for her role as Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie. Recently read a few by Carrie Fisher. They both handled their lives so differently yet so similarly. One was super bitter about losing her identity to Princess Leia and the other capitalized on her fame as Jeannie. Both experienced mental health problems that greatly affected their lives and relationships. Both were very reliant on their mothers. Both wrote tell-all books about their lives and careers. Both revealed stories and tales of Hollywood's sexual predators and culture. One was very shockingly honest...or exaggeratively honest. The other was softly honest...or rather she wrote through rose colored glasses giving only enough to tell a story but not enough to be called real (reminded me of Carol King's autobiography - deceptively dishonest by not really shouldering nor giving blame). Fascinating stuff.
August 21, 2020
I don't know what to think about this book. I kept hoping the best, she seems like a nice person. She's been through a lot of tragedy. Very positive person. She went to church when she started her career, but she doesn't write about what, if anything, she believes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2011
I must have become a fan of "I Dream of Jeannie" pretty early in life, though most likely I did not start watching the show until it went into syndication, years after its original television run—at any rate, I cannot remember when I first saw it. The mixture of science fiction (Major Nelson was an astronaut!) with fantasy, and silliness with sexiness, made an indelible mark on me even as a child growing up in the 1960s and 1970s.
Later on, I came to connect Barbara Eden's bubbly Jeannie with Elizabeth Montgomery's portrayal of Samantha Stevens in "Bewitched." Both characters are supernaturally powerful women, who voluntarily take subservient roles to men who are neurotic in the extreme, authoritarian at home while being browbeaten by bosses at their work, and, frankly, not worth the trouble. This is a common thread in '60s sitcoms, actually. I see it as a reaction by Hollywood's mostly male hierarchy to the rise of overt feminism in that same decade. You need view no more than the title sequence of the bucolic "Green Acres" for a similar, if more mundane, example.
Eden explicitly dismisses such notions, by the way, claiming that "I Dream of Jeannie" was nothing more than a fantasy, with no intended connection to any real-world policies or events... although she herself notes that a brief experiment with a "stronger" and more assertive Jeannie failed with test audiences.
The prose in Jeannie Out of the Bottle is extremely simple, and conversational in tone. I got the feeling that co-author ("with") Wendy Leigh was working directly from recorded interviews. This is of course not uncommon with Hollywood memoirs, and it is to Eden's credit that her collaborator receives acknowledgement on the cover. The narrative is roughly chronological, though Eden frequently digresses, using the term "Jeannie blink" to indicate when she's going to talk about a different time. This is charming the first few times, but grates mightily after a dozen or so appearances.
Although Eden herself comes across as more than a little prudish, she does share some fairly salacious gossip about the many Hollywood figures (most of them having predeceased her) she met or with whom she's worked over her long career—Elvis Presley; Marilyn Monroe; Sammy Davis, Jr.; Warren Beatty... and of course Larry Hagman and her other costars on "Jeannie." These tidbits are inserted judiciously, at intervals. The effect, which I'm sure is intended, is that if you're just looking for the dirt, you'll keep reading through her other reminiscences to get to it. And those other reminiscences are worth reading... Eden's life has not been an entirely idyllic one, and her perseverance in the face of career setbacks and significant personal tragedy makes for a creditable and, yes, even inspiring story.
A celebrity autobiography like Jeannie Out of the Bottle is not my usual sort of thing, and I must admit I did not think it was wonderful... but if your upbringing included as many of the silly sitcoms of the Sixties as mine did, you'll want to at least pick it up.
Later on, I came to connect Barbara Eden's bubbly Jeannie with Elizabeth Montgomery's portrayal of Samantha Stevens in "Bewitched." Both characters are supernaturally powerful women, who voluntarily take subservient roles to men who are neurotic in the extreme, authoritarian at home while being browbeaten by bosses at their work, and, frankly, not worth the trouble. This is a common thread in '60s sitcoms, actually. I see it as a reaction by Hollywood's mostly male hierarchy to the rise of overt feminism in that same decade. You need view no more than the title sequence of the bucolic "Green Acres" for a similar, if more mundane, example.
Eden explicitly dismisses such notions, by the way, claiming that "I Dream of Jeannie" was nothing more than a fantasy, with no intended connection to any real-world policies or events... although she herself notes that a brief experiment with a "stronger" and more assertive Jeannie failed with test audiences.
The prose in Jeannie Out of the Bottle is extremely simple, and conversational in tone. I got the feeling that co-author ("with") Wendy Leigh was working directly from recorded interviews. This is of course not uncommon with Hollywood memoirs, and it is to Eden's credit that her collaborator receives acknowledgement on the cover. The narrative is roughly chronological, though Eden frequently digresses, using the term "Jeannie blink" to indicate when she's going to talk about a different time. This is charming the first few times, but grates mightily after a dozen or so appearances.
Although Eden herself comes across as more than a little prudish, she does share some fairly salacious gossip about the many Hollywood figures (most of them having predeceased her) she met or with whom she's worked over her long career—Elvis Presley; Marilyn Monroe; Sammy Davis, Jr.; Warren Beatty... and of course Larry Hagman and her other costars on "Jeannie." These tidbits are inserted judiciously, at intervals. The effect, which I'm sure is intended, is that if you're just looking for the dirt, you'll keep reading through her other reminiscences to get to it. And those other reminiscences are worth reading... Eden's life has not been an entirely idyllic one, and her perseverance in the face of career setbacks and significant personal tragedy makes for a creditable and, yes, even inspiring story.
A celebrity autobiography like Jeannie Out of the Bottle is not my usual sort of thing, and I must admit I did not think it was wonderful... but if your upbringing included as many of the silly sitcoms of the Sixties as mine did, you'll want to at least pick it up.
August 23, 2013
I'm not usually one for autobiographies, but I'm a huge fan of I Dream Of Jeannie and so Mum got this book for me for Christmas. And reading the account of the lovely Barbara Eden was, to put it simply, an absolute joy! The book is written in such an entertaining way, making frequent references to the show I Dream of Jeannie which makes it even easier (for a fan like me) to read. It’s a good non-fiction book for the fiction reader because, (as I assume many autobiographies are) it is just a series of stories. Light-hearted, fun, interesting, provocative, hilarious, surprising, heartbreaking and tragic stories. Right through her life, Barbara Eden is the kind of girl I can imagine being very good friends with. I could relate to her well numerous times, particularly on the subject of men and having been brought up with sensible Christian views. I respect her so much because of her values, morals and standards that never cracked even when temptations were coming at her left, right and centre.
If you’re a huge I Dream of Jeannie fan, you may get mixed emotions about reading about her time on the set though. On one hand, Barbara looks back on Jeannie (the character and the show) with great affection and we are also given interesting short histories of each of the other main actors on the show. On the other hand, if you are easily disheartened, you might want to skip the chapter about Larry Hagman. I won’t watch the show in quite the same way again, but this is okay for me. Because I love it so much, and LOVE Larry Hagman’s performance in it, I’m not going to let what I’ve now been told about him decay my enjoyment of the show.
As for everything else talked about in Barbara Eden’s career, all this was equally enthralling to read. Emotionally, I remain very close to Barbara throughout, because I am let in on her inner most feelings and thoughts. I feel like a close friend she’s confiding in about all her joys, and all her sorrows. Usually I have to be in a quiet room to really get into a book, but when Barbara remembers the moment she discovered her son had died, I was sitting in a take away place waiting for my order number to be called out... in tears. I am still so sad to think what she went through and even though I’m not yet a mother myself, I can feel the weight of her sadness, (but I know that must be merely a slight portion of what she would have felt and would still be feeling today).
I’ve always loved Barbara Eden as an actress, and now I love her even more. She seems like a wonderful woman, with her faults, flaws and mistakes like any other human being. I would love to meet her one day. Thank you for the amazing read.
If you’re a huge I Dream of Jeannie fan, you may get mixed emotions about reading about her time on the set though. On one hand, Barbara looks back on Jeannie (the character and the show) with great affection and we are also given interesting short histories of each of the other main actors on the show. On the other hand, if you are easily disheartened, you might want to skip the chapter about Larry Hagman. I won’t watch the show in quite the same way again, but this is okay for me. Because I love it so much, and LOVE Larry Hagman’s performance in it, I’m not going to let what I’ve now been told about him decay my enjoyment of the show.
As for everything else talked about in Barbara Eden’s career, all this was equally enthralling to read. Emotionally, I remain very close to Barbara throughout, because I am let in on her inner most feelings and thoughts. I feel like a close friend she’s confiding in about all her joys, and all her sorrows. Usually I have to be in a quiet room to really get into a book, but when Barbara remembers the moment she discovered her son had died, I was sitting in a take away place waiting for my order number to be called out... in tears. I am still so sad to think what she went through and even though I’m not yet a mother myself, I can feel the weight of her sadness, (but I know that must be merely a slight portion of what she would have felt and would still be feeling today).
I’ve always loved Barbara Eden as an actress, and now I love her even more. She seems like a wonderful woman, with her faults, flaws and mistakes like any other human being. I would love to meet her one day. Thank you for the amazing read.
May 19, 2011
I enjoy autobiographies and Barbara’s is no exception. I listened to the book on audio and Barbara is the reader, which made it more enjoyable. She has a distinctive pleasant voice with a tinkling laugh. Everything about her exudes “nice person.” She found her talent as a singer at a young age and was able to make a living in the performing arts all her life; something only a few are able to do. She dishes nicely about some of the personalities she’s worked with and tells some funny stories. Larry Hagman apparently was a holy terror on the set of “Jeannie,” but Barbara talks about his antics in the most loving way. She and Larry have worked together since “Jeannie” so Larry’s behavior was not aimed at Barbara. Unlike some other stars who hate being identified with a role, Barbara embraces Jeannie and the opportunities Jeannie brought her, even though she has long stopped receiving residuals. Barbara also talks about her personal life and her marriages, including one to the wrong man. Her first marriage to Michael Ansara who she calls the love of her life produced her only son Mathew. Mathew died in his thirties of a heroin overdose. You could hear the tears in Barbara’s voice when she read about Mathew. Wealth and fame could not prevent this tragedy in her life. My sister worked for a catering firm in Chicago during the time that Barbara was married to the “wrong” man and my sister worked with Barbara on some events. Sis says Barbara was lovely to work with. I will probably never meet Barbara Eden, but I put her in the group of celebrities that I would probably like if I met her. At any rate, if you like bios and if you were a fan of “I Dream of Jeannie,” you will likely enjoy this book. I see where Barbara has an earlier biography; I’ll try to read that as well.
December 15, 2011
I'm an incredibly forgiving consumer of celebrity autobiographies. Really. Perhaps its because they remind me of my first years as a reader, when I discovered the local Bookmobile and a traveling librarian who let a grade schooler check out Hedy Lamarr's racy autobiography, and more, even more inappropriate, materials.
At any rate, I expect self-serving memory lapses, an avalanche of fudged details and little white lies, and a gauzy overlay of Rebecca-of-Sunnybrook-Farm on even the most debauched of Hollywood stories. Kinda like the chiffon-over-silk harem pants of one Jeannie Nelson.
And there's a ton of gauze over this celebrity memoir by Barbara Eden, understandably so, since the unfortunate author lost her only son to a serious drug problem. I don't expect to know the painful details of her son's tragic life.
I don't even expect to get much detail about a star's own love life, at least not the nitty-gritty detail. So the quick summation of her three marriages and one long live-in relationship was OK with me. The amount of dish about co-stars was of the expected kind, and in just the right amount.
So far, so good. But twice--for absolutely no reason--the author makes a point of attacking unions. Unions! Couple that with the author's admitted penchant for taking every paying job she could get, and her frequent mentions of money and how she (sigh!) had to spend so much time away in order to earn more and more and more money, and this reader got an unpretty picture she couldn't blink away.
At any rate, I expect self-serving memory lapses, an avalanche of fudged details and little white lies, and a gauzy overlay of Rebecca-of-Sunnybrook-Farm on even the most debauched of Hollywood stories. Kinda like the chiffon-over-silk harem pants of one Jeannie Nelson.
And there's a ton of gauze over this celebrity memoir by Barbara Eden, understandably so, since the unfortunate author lost her only son to a serious drug problem. I don't expect to know the painful details of her son's tragic life.
I don't even expect to get much detail about a star's own love life, at least not the nitty-gritty detail. So the quick summation of her three marriages and one long live-in relationship was OK with me. The amount of dish about co-stars was of the expected kind, and in just the right amount.
So far, so good. But twice--for absolutely no reason--the author makes a point of attacking unions. Unions! Couple that with the author's admitted penchant for taking every paying job she could get, and her frequent mentions of money and how she (sigh!) had to spend so much time away in order to earn more and more and more money, and this reader got an unpretty picture she couldn't blink away.
May 7, 2012
Having always been a fan of I Dream of Jeannie, I was really keen to read Barbara Eden's autobiography. Right from the first page it drew me in and kept me interested through an easy to read writing style and simple language.
It was interesting to read of Barbara's early years in San Fransisco and how her early ambition in life was to be a singer, rather than an actor. You get the sense that she was very well brought up and is a "lady" (in the old-fashioned sense). In fact her life has been fairly scandal free, which is pretty good going considering her heyday was in the 1960s/70s when Hollywood was a pretty wild place.
I must admit I would have liked more detail about the I Dream of Jeannie days - maybe some more anecdotes from the set, even technical details about how they created the special effects. She is quite constrained when mentioning the behaviour of co-star Larry Hagamn (whose wild behaviour has been well documented elsewhere). But still it was good to hear what she did disclose, especially how she filmed the first series while pregnant by use of the very old fashioned camera tricks.
Barbara's personal life has certainly had its ups and downs. It was devastating to read of the stillbirth of her second, much longed-for child and how it resulted in the breakdown of her marriage. To hear that her only son died in his 30s from a drug overdose was also really sad and gave a new appreciation for what Barbara has been through.
Overall an enjoyable, engaging book that most fans of I Dream of Jeannie would enjoy.
It was interesting to read of Barbara's early years in San Fransisco and how her early ambition in life was to be a singer, rather than an actor. You get the sense that she was very well brought up and is a "lady" (in the old-fashioned sense). In fact her life has been fairly scandal free, which is pretty good going considering her heyday was in the 1960s/70s when Hollywood was a pretty wild place.
I must admit I would have liked more detail about the I Dream of Jeannie days - maybe some more anecdotes from the set, even technical details about how they created the special effects. She is quite constrained when mentioning the behaviour of co-star Larry Hagamn (whose wild behaviour has been well documented elsewhere). But still it was good to hear what she did disclose, especially how she filmed the first series while pregnant by use of the very old fashioned camera tricks.
Barbara's personal life has certainly had its ups and downs. It was devastating to read of the stillbirth of her second, much longed-for child and how it resulted in the breakdown of her marriage. To hear that her only son died in his 30s from a drug overdose was also really sad and gave a new appreciation for what Barbara has been through.
Overall an enjoyable, engaging book that most fans of I Dream of Jeannie would enjoy.
April 18, 2011
I grew up watching “I Dream of Jeannie” and was mesmerized by it. I always wanted to be able to cross my arms and blink just like Jeannie. However, try as I might, I was never successful.
Barbara Eden has written a beautiful and honest autobiography. From her work as an actress, to her three marriages, to the death of her beloved son, Matthew, Barbara has spoken openly with honesty and integrity.
She talks about the “hungry years” when she was struggling as a chorus girl; the famous and not so famous actors she worked with; and her relationship with Larry Hagman.
Barbara reflects on the challenges she faced in both her personal life and working life and about the great joys she experienced.
There are also sixteen pages of photographs that every fan of Barbara’s will love to see! I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one sitting.
Barbara Eden has written a beautiful and honest autobiography. From her work as an actress, to her three marriages, to the death of her beloved son, Matthew, Barbara has spoken openly with honesty and integrity.
She talks about the “hungry years” when she was struggling as a chorus girl; the famous and not so famous actors she worked with; and her relationship with Larry Hagman.
Barbara reflects on the challenges she faced in both her personal life and working life and about the great joys she experienced.
There are also sixteen pages of photographs that every fan of Barbara’s will love to see! I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one sitting.
February 14, 2020
I listened to her audiobook because Barbara Eden narrates the unabridged version. I love her voice. She is a wonderfully talented and beautiful person with such a tragic life. I am so glad I read this book. I knew her as Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie but to hear her life was really eye opening. Larry Hagman definitely sounded egotistical if you ask me. I won't go into much because I don't want to spoil it but I am very pleased that I read this book. There was laughter and tears mixed with thought provoking moments. Definitely a book worth reading and sharing.
April 11, 2011
Jeannie Out of the Bottle by Barbara Eden was just the book I was waiting to read. I loved I Dream of Jeannie when I was little and still do. Ms. Eden discusses her life in film and TV as well as life on the Jeannie set with her costars. Her personal life was not so wonderful as she struggled with many marriages and a son who was addicted to drugs. All in all I loved this book.
December 30, 2014
This is the autobiography of the actress Barbara Eden. Interesting (to a point), but hardly outstanding. I read it because I watched plenty of "I Dream of Jeannie" whilst growing up. Don't really recommend it, but you could do worse.
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