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Intermission: A true story
384 pages of excellent text. The true story of Anne Baxter (1923-1985), a major movie star who fell in love and moved to the Australian Outback to be with her "man". First Edition.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 13, 2010
It was so interesting to read this book, given that I had walked away from a life in the US in order to live in London with the man I love. Reading Intermission showed me what a puny "accomplishment" this was.
Anne Baxter fell in love with Randolph Galt in 1959, and moved with him to a sheep station in the Australian bush country. Her isolation was sudden and almost absolute. Making a phone call was an elaborate operation, and she was on a party line with people who would LOVE to hear what the movie star had to say, she was virtually locked into the house with the chores required to keep it going, and had far fewer modern comforts than she had come to expect. It was a sea change, and as you might imagine, a difficult one.
I turned each page thinking "I couldn't have done this." It became even more clear to me as Mr. Galt's personality made itself felt in the pages. With all apologies to his daughters, who I hope have much more positive memories, I had trouble finding what it was Miss Baxter saw in him. This book was released after their divorce, so one should read it with that in mind.
If you've ever had a bad day because your internet connection wasn't working or because the power went out for an hour, read through Intermission. I promise you'll have a different perspective on the inconvenience very shortly.
Anne Baxter fell in love with Randolph Galt in 1959, and moved with him to a sheep station in the Australian bush country. Her isolation was sudden and almost absolute. Making a phone call was an elaborate operation, and she was on a party line with people who would LOVE to hear what the movie star had to say, she was virtually locked into the house with the chores required to keep it going, and had far fewer modern comforts than she had come to expect. It was a sea change, and as you might imagine, a difficult one.
I turned each page thinking "I couldn't have done this." It became even more clear to me as Mr. Galt's personality made itself felt in the pages. With all apologies to his daughters, who I hope have much more positive memories, I had trouble finding what it was Miss Baxter saw in him. This book was released after their divorce, so one should read it with that in mind.
If you've ever had a bad day because your internet connection wasn't working or because the power went out for an hour, read through Intermission. I promise you'll have a different perspective on the inconvenience very shortly.
November 20, 2022
Long ago, I read this book and I loved it. Now, so many years later, I perused the internet trying to find this book, the title of which I had forgotten, and finally found it. I asked a relative to order for me as she was coming over to Europe to visit. She gave it to me in October and I've finally devoted myself to reading and savoring Anne Baxter's life in rough country in Australia when she lived on a ranch called "Giro". Then she shared her life with husband, Ron Galt, an American who grew up in Hawaii, but was a determined rancher in Australia on a primitive sheep farm he had bought. He also flew a single engine plane to make trips to Sydney easier for both of them, where he also had an apartment at which both of them could stay on their forays to buy supplies they needed for Giro or just for relaxation. Anne's daughter Katrina, then about 7 yrs. old, joined them from the US with an old friend who was acting as her babysitter-companion some months after arriving at the ranch.
The "ranch", which Anne saw before she married Mr. Galt, was very de'shabille' and she made extensive notes and measurements about things she would send from the US to dress it up in addition to many gallons of paint acquired in the next town. Only a couple of hours' distant by car over very rough roads. It became clearer that the phrase "opposites attract" was to be seen in this relationship because certainly one couldn't see many similarities in likes or personalities. Trips back and forth to the US, often paid for by Anne, who sometimes acted in a film and got her expenses included in the contracts, were long and complicated but it was in those that she went on her buying trips (in addition to her wedding travels). She chose old favorite chairs, lamps, decorative rugs, a Calder mobile, a Japanese screen in addition to luxurious bed linens and bath accessories. She had curtains made in Los Angeles, and ordered a new washing machine--all to be shipped to Australia. Separately, she consulted with the well-known designer, Edith Head, about additions to her wardrobe. Another lingerie designer supplied her with with all her intimate needs -- satin gowns, tulle pegnoirs..
Music was very important to Anne, and she brought records along of classical pieces she liked. Before she could turn on the record player, she would have to fire up the "electro" and sometimes this was frowned upon by her husband who always had another use in mind of a more utilitarian nature. She herself did huge amounts of physical work there--cleaning ancient floors, ripping out fibreboard, painting room after room. The whole place was literally transformed under and with her wonderful taste, decorative sensitivities. She made a room for Katrina, who then became a horse lover after her new stepfather (who later adopted her) gifted her a pony.
A new pregnancy became very difficult and didn't end well. However, some months later, Anne became pregnant again and by having an injection a week by a dr., she avoided all the setbacks she'd just been through. The result, Melissa, the baby girl beloved by both Anne and apparently Ran. She was a happy "easy" baby, cared for by Anne as well as a nurse, hired to live there for several weeks. She had been born in the US and so once again, this had necessitated several weeks of being away from home, now in Australia.
Loneliness became an intrinsic part of Anne's being in this new part of her life but never forgotten were her experiences while making movies, and the actors therein. She would joyfully meet a director or Hollywood colleague at a lunch in Sydney (arranged with some hardship as Ran was not always helpful). Much better, of course, was when she was back in the US for a new movie she was signed up for -- then, she could more easily have a few days off to meet people or old friends or colleagues.
As time passed, Anne became more used to the "elements" of rustic living. Those included putting up with insects, snakes, and sometimes d0wnright mean huge pigs. She found a couple of places there in all those thousands of acres that she began to love. She envisioned putting up a cabin with many windows to sometimes escape to, as a refuge, at one such spot.
Ran, a man of few words, more of going off by himself to be with the "men", became more remote from her. Anne tried everything she knew to improve their relationship (and this when friends and acquaintances came over and were astounded to see the physical changes she had made to the ranch). She felt as if she was getting nowhere on their togetherness -- he seemed to not want to share any of his ranch business or innermost thoughts.
I do not want to say more so as to keep the denouement intact for those of you who now want to read this marvelous never-to-be-forgotten book. Anne Baxter, an Academy Award-winning actress, who also played in lesser movies, was a very great woman and a talented writer. I was getting nervous while reading the last pages. Up to the very last. I was so sad I was through reading this book, and wishing I could start all over again. Oh, why couldn't there be another volume to sink my teeth into! This is one of my most favorite books--I love it!
The "ranch", which Anne saw before she married Mr. Galt, was very de'shabille' and she made extensive notes and measurements about things she would send from the US to dress it up in addition to many gallons of paint acquired in the next town. Only a couple of hours' distant by car over very rough roads. It became clearer that the phrase "opposites attract" was to be seen in this relationship because certainly one couldn't see many similarities in likes or personalities. Trips back and forth to the US, often paid for by Anne, who sometimes acted in a film and got her expenses included in the contracts, were long and complicated but it was in those that she went on her buying trips (in addition to her wedding travels). She chose old favorite chairs, lamps, decorative rugs, a Calder mobile, a Japanese screen in addition to luxurious bed linens and bath accessories. She had curtains made in Los Angeles, and ordered a new washing machine--all to be shipped to Australia. Separately, she consulted with the well-known designer, Edith Head, about additions to her wardrobe. Another lingerie designer supplied her with with all her intimate needs -- satin gowns, tulle pegnoirs..
Music was very important to Anne, and she brought records along of classical pieces she liked. Before she could turn on the record player, she would have to fire up the "electro" and sometimes this was frowned upon by her husband who always had another use in mind of a more utilitarian nature. She herself did huge amounts of physical work there--cleaning ancient floors, ripping out fibreboard, painting room after room. The whole place was literally transformed under and with her wonderful taste, decorative sensitivities. She made a room for Katrina, who then became a horse lover after her new stepfather (who later adopted her) gifted her a pony.
A new pregnancy became very difficult and didn't end well. However, some months later, Anne became pregnant again and by having an injection a week by a dr., she avoided all the setbacks she'd just been through. The result, Melissa, the baby girl beloved by both Anne and apparently Ran. She was a happy "easy" baby, cared for by Anne as well as a nurse, hired to live there for several weeks. She had been born in the US and so once again, this had necessitated several weeks of being away from home, now in Australia.
Loneliness became an intrinsic part of Anne's being in this new part of her life but never forgotten were her experiences while making movies, and the actors therein. She would joyfully meet a director or Hollywood colleague at a lunch in Sydney (arranged with some hardship as Ran was not always helpful). Much better, of course, was when she was back in the US for a new movie she was signed up for -- then, she could more easily have a few days off to meet people or old friends or colleagues.
As time passed, Anne became more used to the "elements" of rustic living. Those included putting up with insects, snakes, and sometimes d0wnright mean huge pigs. She found a couple of places there in all those thousands of acres that she began to love. She envisioned putting up a cabin with many windows to sometimes escape to, as a refuge, at one such spot.
Ran, a man of few words, more of going off by himself to be with the "men", became more remote from her. Anne tried everything she knew to improve their relationship (and this when friends and acquaintances came over and were astounded to see the physical changes she had made to the ranch). She felt as if she was getting nowhere on their togetherness -- he seemed to not want to share any of his ranch business or innermost thoughts.
I do not want to say more so as to keep the denouement intact for those of you who now want to read this marvelous never-to-be-forgotten book. Anne Baxter, an Academy Award-winning actress, who also played in lesser movies, was a very great woman and a talented writer. I was getting nervous while reading the last pages. Up to the very last. I was so sad I was through reading this book, and wishing I could start all over again. Oh, why couldn't there be another volume to sink my teeth into! This is one of my most favorite books--I love it!
December 10, 2013
OLDIE BUT GOODIE
INTERMISSION
Anne Baxter
An excellent memoir by a wonderful actress who fell in love and followed her Australian husband to a sheep station in the bush country.
Her life as a glamorous movie star was replaced with a deep sense of isolation and very primitive conditions which was quite an adjustment.
This granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright did a very good job writing about her feelings and her challenges.
INTERMISSION
Anne Baxter
An excellent memoir by a wonderful actress who fell in love and followed her Australian husband to a sheep station in the bush country.
Her life as a glamorous movie star was replaced with a deep sense of isolation and very primitive conditions which was quite an adjustment.
This granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright did a very good job writing about her feelings and her challenges.
February 26, 2025
It was so interesting to read this book, given that I had walked away from a life in the US in order to live in London with the man I love. Reading Intermission showed me what a puny "accomplishment" this was.
Anne Baxter fell in love with Randolph Galt in 1959, and moved with him to a sheep station in the Australian bush country. Her isolation was sudden and almost absolute. Making a phone call was an elaborate operation, and she was on a party line with people who would LOVE to hear what the movie star had to say, she was virtually locked into the house with the chores required to keep it going, and had far fewer modern comforts than she had come to expect. It was a sea change, and as you might imagine, a difficult one.
I turned each page thinking "I couldn't have done this." It became even more clear to me as Mr. Galt's personality made itself felt in the pages. With all apologies to his daughters, who I hope have much more positive memories, I had trouble finding what it was Miss Baxter saw in him. This book was released after their divorce, so one should read it with that in mind.
If you've ever had a bad day because your internet connection wasn't working or because the power went out for an hour, read through Intermission. I promise you'll have a different perspective on the inconvenience very shortly.
memoir
Anne Baxter fell in love with Randolph Galt in 1959, and moved with him to a sheep station in the Australian bush country. Her isolation was sudden and almost absolute. Making a phone call was an elaborate operation, and she was on a party line with people who would LOVE to hear what the movie star had to say, she was virtually locked into the house with the chores required to keep it going, and had far fewer modern comforts than she had come to expect. It was a sea change, and as you might imagine, a difficult one.
I turned each page thinking "I couldn't have done this." It became even more clear to me as Mr. Galt's personality made itself felt in the pages. With all apologies to his daughters, who I hope have much more positive memories, I had trouble finding what it was Miss Baxter saw in him. This book was released after their divorce, so one should read it with that in mind.
If you've ever had a bad day because your internet connection wasn't working or because the power went out for an hour, read through Intermission. I promise you'll have a different perspective on the inconvenience very shortly.
memoir
September 5, 2017
This is a memoir of actress Anne Baxter's time is the Australian outback. After leaving Hollywood in the early 60s, Anne fell in love and followed her man to Australia where she made a new home on a cattle station called Giro, in the bush country. Anne tells her story of how she adapted to the Australian way of living and the adjustment to her new home and surroundings. She writes about her sometimes isolation and the primitive conditions she faced.
April 3, 2018
This is one of the most interesting autobiographies I have ever read, since the "plot" seems so implausible. American actor Anne Baxter gives up her highly successful career to marry a rancher and move to his "station" in a remote section of Australia. Her home is primitive, the neighbors are unwelcoming, and generally, conditions are about as far from Hollywood glamour as you can get. And yet she makes it her own and wins over the skeptics. Lots of detail and sharing of emotions.
April 2, 2013
Written with candor and wonderful detail, the actress Anne Baxter (and Frank Lloyd Wright's granddaughter) tells about her few years of living in the Australian bush with her second husband Randolph Galt. She faced primitive conditions and long stretches of isolation, yet faced it all with good humor and energy. It's a wonderful memoir.
February 22, 2025
I read this book when l was a young woman. I will never forget the day my grandmother put this in my hands saying "This is a beautiful story." It really is, and l found her story inspiring. Time to read it again!
November 20, 2025
It's not every day that an Oscar-winning actress packs up and moves to the Australian bush. In 1960, Anne Baxter married Randolph "Ran" Galt and moved to his station outside of Sydney to raise cattle. She went all in, and her story is well-written, humorous and engrossing, with great descriptions of the quirky house, her monumental redecorating efforts, the neighbors who looked at her as an oddity, and the unspoiled country surrounding the ranch. In addition, there's the ever-changing relationship between her and Ran, but I really admired her commitment. There's also a surprising ending, which left me wanting volume two of this unique tale.
October 16, 2021
I should have read the reviews before buying it.It is just about her romance and marriage with her toy boy.Not my sort of book at all.
September 24, 2022
I read this book years ago. Just after it came out. Not only was she a great actress she was a talented story teller.
September 25, 2016
This was not as bad as I expected. It is a memoir of a Hollywood actress in the 1950s who marries an American man and the couple moves together to an Australian countryside "station". It recounts the changes in Baxter's life and how it changed from the luxurious life of Hollywood screens to a less developped town. I have to say that it got boring at a certain point because there isn't anything interesting going on so she would just describe her daily routine over again with more minute details.
3 stars is the best and worst rating I could give this book.
3 stars is the best and worst rating I could give this book.
October 20, 2007
Actress Anne Baxter's 1976 memoir of her time spent in the Australian outback, after leaving Hollywood in the early 60s. Baxter, most famous for her role as Eve Harrington in the classic film, All About Eve (and granddaughter of architect Frank Lloyd Wright), married a rancher in 1959 and emigrated to Australia. She only stayed a short time, but her tale is fascinating, and Baxter's style is down-to-earth and engaging.
July 8, 2010
Read in 1982, I still remember Anne's courage and sense of adventure in leaving the pampered life of a movie star to follow her true love to the Australian outback. Times there were incredibly tough for a woman alone with children much of the time, in a wild and often dangerous environment. True story and a great read for young people as well.
July 15, 2010
I had read this years ago. When we visited Australia a few years back, I looked for a copy, but it's out of print. Finally found one, and enjoyed the book as much now as I had then. An amazing picture of life in the Australian bush.
September 9, 2009
My hardback edition was printed in 1976. This is a book club selection.
October 18, 2011
The actress writes her fascinating autobiography about her brief four year marriage and life in the Australian Bush as a pioneer woman.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews