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My Mother Was Nuts
Most people know Penny Marshall as the director of Big and A League of Their Own. What they don’t know is her trailblazing career was a happy accident. In this funny and intimate memoir, Penny takes us from the stage of The Jackie Gleason Show in 1955 to Hollywood’s star-studded sets, offering up some hilarious detours along the way.
My Mother Was Nuts is an intimate backstage pass to Penny’s personal life, her breakout role on The Odd Couple, her exploits with Cindy Williams and John Belushi, and her travels across Europe with Art Garfunkel on the back of a motorcycle. We see Penny get married. And divorced. And married again (the second time to Rob Reiner). We meet a young Carrie Fisher, whose close friendship with Penny has spanned decades. And we see Penny at work with Tom Hanks, Mark Wahlberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, and Whitney Houston.
Throughout it all, from her childhood spent tap dancing in the Bronx, to her rise as the star of Laverne & Shirley, Penny lived by simple rules: “try hard, help your friends, don’t get too crazy, and have fun.” With humor and heart, My Mother Was Nuts reveals there’s no one else quite like Penny Marshall.
My Mother Was Nuts is an intimate backstage pass to Penny’s personal life, her breakout role on The Odd Couple, her exploits with Cindy Williams and John Belushi, and her travels across Europe with Art Garfunkel on the back of a motorcycle. We see Penny get married. And divorced. And married again (the second time to Rob Reiner). We meet a young Carrie Fisher, whose close friendship with Penny has spanned decades. And we see Penny at work with Tom Hanks, Mark Wahlberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, and Whitney Houston.
Throughout it all, from her childhood spent tap dancing in the Bronx, to her rise as the star of Laverne & Shirley, Penny lived by simple rules: “try hard, help your friends, don’t get too crazy, and have fun.” With humor and heart, My Mother Was Nuts reveals there’s no one else quite like Penny Marshall.
349 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2012
1787 people are currently reading
7463 people want to read
About the author
Penny Marshall
19 books49 followers Penny Marshall was an American actress, director and producer. She found ‘70s sitcom success on “Laverne and Shirley” before stepping behind the camera for Hollywood hits like “Big” and “A League of Their Own".
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January 11, 2019
Growing up I thought that the movie A League Of Our Own was made just for me. A film about the members of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1940s with some filming done in Wrigley Field, I saw the movie three times in theaters. The movie starring among others Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Geena Davis, and Tom Hanks still ranks among my favorites of all time. It grossed over $100 million at the box office and was directed by a woman, only the second movie directed by a woman ever to hit that magical mark. The first female directed movie to reach that mark: Big, another of my childhood favorites. Both movies had been directed by Penny Marshall of Laverne and Shirley fame. Marshall was one of Hollywood’s funny people and all around good person. My Mother Was Nuts is her take on the life she lived. As expected it was a hilarious journey of the who’s who in Hollywood and comedic interpretation of her life.
Carole Penny Marshall was born in 1943, the surprise third child of Tom and Margorie Marshall of the Bronx. Tom had shortened his surname from Masciarelli to Marshall in hopes of sounding more American to potential employers on Broadway sound stages. Yet, Marshall’s father was for the most part out of the picture. She was raised by her mother Marjorie and her grandparents. Sharing an apartment, the three generations were one happy family, something common during the era. Marjorie ran the Marjorie Marshall School Of Dance and took all the girls in the building as students. She took her act everywhere in the city that she could, even to Radio City Music Hall as an opener for the Rockettes. Penny detested dance and looked forward to summers away at camp, experiences that she reminisced fondly of decades later. By the time it was time to choose a college, Penny selected the University Of New Mexico in Albuquerque, a school as far away from the Bronx and her parents as possible, forging her own identity in life.
Penny earned the Mrs degree, becoming a mother to Tracy at age nineteen. She married Tracy’s father Mickey, but the couple divorced after less than two years of marriage, having little in common. Penny made her way to Los Angeles where her older brother Garry was a young writer and director, and went to work making a niche for herself in Hollywood. At first, Penny landed bit work thanks to her brother’s name, but eventually she earned her first big break on a sitcom about two female workers at a Milwaukee bottling plant titled Laverne and Shirley. By then Penny had married Rob Reiner and gotten custody of Tracy despite detesting mornings and having a personal driver shuttle her to and from the television studios. With her networking including Rob and her brother Garry and his writing partner Jerry Belson, Penny and Rob’s home became a sought after spot in Hollywood. It was the late 1970s. Recreational drug use was en vogue, and the couple hosted parties, intimate gatherings of friends, and everything in between. Playing Laverne on television, Penny had truly made it in Hollywood, something few people can dream of.
Despite being best friends with Carrie Fisher, dating Art Garfunkel, and listing cosmetics mogul Ronald Perelman as a personal friend, Penny didn’t vault into the upper echelons of Hollywood until she started directing. Until independent films took over the movie business, Penny directed many of Hollywood’s famous actors including Tom Hanks, Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington, and launching the career of Mark Wahlberg. Like her crazy mother, Penny realized that her movies left people feeling better about themselves and were good entertainment. During the 1990s, these were the films that dominated Hollywood, and Penny and Garry Marshall were at the forefront of the industry, always good for comedy, rarely winning awards, yet giving people the opportunity to laugh. I know that I still laugh at lines from A League of Our Own and am still quoting them more than twenty five years later. Penny Marshall, a trailblazing female director, is the one who brought these ball playing women to life, and I am forever grateful.
Besides directing some of the best known films of the 1990s and starring in one of the best known sitcoms of the 1970s, Penny Marshall leant her name to various causes over the years, among them supporting survivors of brain trauma. One time Marshall sat next to a Major League Baseball star court side at a basketball game. The athlete asked her if she ever envisioned as a young person having the means to sit on the floor of an A-List event. Marshall answered in the negative because after all her mother was nuts, running a dance studio, shipping her off to a Jewish camp when the family wasn’t even Jewish. Marshall would have been happy to simply get out of that crazy home. Yet, directing comedic films and letting people laugh, Marshall came to the realization later in life that maybe her mother wasn’t so nuts after all. Penny Marshall passed away this past December. I know that there is no crying in baseball, but a light has gone out in Hollywood, and she will definitely be missed. My Mother Was Nuts allows readers to reminisce on a funny life well lived.
4 stars
Carole Penny Marshall was born in 1943, the surprise third child of Tom and Margorie Marshall of the Bronx. Tom had shortened his surname from Masciarelli to Marshall in hopes of sounding more American to potential employers on Broadway sound stages. Yet, Marshall’s father was for the most part out of the picture. She was raised by her mother Marjorie and her grandparents. Sharing an apartment, the three generations were one happy family, something common during the era. Marjorie ran the Marjorie Marshall School Of Dance and took all the girls in the building as students. She took her act everywhere in the city that she could, even to Radio City Music Hall as an opener for the Rockettes. Penny detested dance and looked forward to summers away at camp, experiences that she reminisced fondly of decades later. By the time it was time to choose a college, Penny selected the University Of New Mexico in Albuquerque, a school as far away from the Bronx and her parents as possible, forging her own identity in life.
Penny earned the Mrs degree, becoming a mother to Tracy at age nineteen. She married Tracy’s father Mickey, but the couple divorced after less than two years of marriage, having little in common. Penny made her way to Los Angeles where her older brother Garry was a young writer and director, and went to work making a niche for herself in Hollywood. At first, Penny landed bit work thanks to her brother’s name, but eventually she earned her first big break on a sitcom about two female workers at a Milwaukee bottling plant titled Laverne and Shirley. By then Penny had married Rob Reiner and gotten custody of Tracy despite detesting mornings and having a personal driver shuttle her to and from the television studios. With her networking including Rob and her brother Garry and his writing partner Jerry Belson, Penny and Rob’s home became a sought after spot in Hollywood. It was the late 1970s. Recreational drug use was en vogue, and the couple hosted parties, intimate gatherings of friends, and everything in between. Playing Laverne on television, Penny had truly made it in Hollywood, something few people can dream of.
Despite being best friends with Carrie Fisher, dating Art Garfunkel, and listing cosmetics mogul Ronald Perelman as a personal friend, Penny didn’t vault into the upper echelons of Hollywood until she started directing. Until independent films took over the movie business, Penny directed many of Hollywood’s famous actors including Tom Hanks, Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington, and launching the career of Mark Wahlberg. Like her crazy mother, Penny realized that her movies left people feeling better about themselves and were good entertainment. During the 1990s, these were the films that dominated Hollywood, and Penny and Garry Marshall were at the forefront of the industry, always good for comedy, rarely winning awards, yet giving people the opportunity to laugh. I know that I still laugh at lines from A League of Our Own and am still quoting them more than twenty five years later. Penny Marshall, a trailblazing female director, is the one who brought these ball playing women to life, and I am forever grateful.
Besides directing some of the best known films of the 1990s and starring in one of the best known sitcoms of the 1970s, Penny Marshall leant her name to various causes over the years, among them supporting survivors of brain trauma. One time Marshall sat next to a Major League Baseball star court side at a basketball game. The athlete asked her if she ever envisioned as a young person having the means to sit on the floor of an A-List event. Marshall answered in the negative because after all her mother was nuts, running a dance studio, shipping her off to a Jewish camp when the family wasn’t even Jewish. Marshall would have been happy to simply get out of that crazy home. Yet, directing comedic films and letting people laugh, Marshall came to the realization later in life that maybe her mother wasn’t so nuts after all. Penny Marshall passed away this past December. I know that there is no crying in baseball, but a light has gone out in Hollywood, and she will definitely be missed. My Mother Was Nuts allows readers to reminisce on a funny life well lived.
4 stars
June 18, 2021
3.5 stars
I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by the author in her unmistakable deep voice and New York accent.
Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall was born to Marjorie and Tony Marshall in 1943. Her show business career started in Marjorie's dancing school in the basement of their Bronx, New York apartment building. Young Penny, who wanted to run around the neighborhood and do her own thing, grumbled mightily about the mandatory dance lessons. However the numerous performances staged by Marjorie gave Penny confidence and stage experience.
Penny Marshall as a child
Though Marjorie Marshall loved doing shows Penny didn't become a child actress. She drifted through school and graduated with less than stellar grades. After searching for a suitable college Penny chose the University of New Mexico, which had a very lenient acceptance policy. Penny was surprised by her mom's acquiescence to this distant school....but came to realize that her mother thought all the "New" states (New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico) were clustered together. Ha ha ha. In any case, Penny headed west.
Penny liked college, especially partying and hanging out with the football team. Before long Penny - who was a little naive about sex - was pregnant. Soon afterward she was married and living in a cramped apartment with her husband Mickey and baby girl Tracy.
Penny Marshall and her baby daughter Tracy
The marriage soon foundered and twenty-year-old Penny lit out for Los Angeles, where her brother Garry Marshall was becoming a successfully writer/producer/director and her sister Ronny was a producer and actress.
Garry Marshall
Ronny Marshall
Penny Marshall (right) with her sister Ronny and brother Garry
Penny was an indifferent mother and left little Tracy with Micky and his parents in Albuquerque. I was put off by Penny's casual attitude about her child.....but mother and daughter grew closer when Tracy grew up.
Penny Marshall with her grown up daughter Tracy
In Los Angeles Penny, helped by her brother Garry, got small parts in various movies and TV sitcoms. Penny married Rob Reiner (star of "All in the Family") in 1971 and they bought a nice home where they entertained family and friends - including many Hollywood bigwigs and celebrities.
Penny Marshall and Rob Reiner
Penny Marshall and Rob Reiner got married
Over the course of her career Penny seems to have met almost everyone in show business (she names names.....lots and lots of names), and many of these folks became her close friends. People were always welcome to drop by Penny's house to eat, drink, do drugs, and sleep over....and some guests stayed for months (or even years). I thought this was very generous.
In 1976 Penny landed a role in "Laverne and Shirley" - she played "Laverne" and Cindy Williams played "Shirley."
Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams starred in 'Laverne and Shirley'
The program became a runaway success and Penny talks about the scripts, cast, crew, filming, locations, etc.
Cast of 'Laverne and Shirley'
She also mentions how pleased she was to be able to hire friends who needed a job. Cindy Williams left the show in Season 8, after which the two women didn't speak for 15 years. Penny was bewildered by Cindy's actions and suggests that Cindy's husband, Bill Hudson (Goldie Hawn's ex), wanted her to quit.
Cindy Williams and Bill Hudson
It's not clear exactly what happened but Penny never badmouths her co-star. In fact this isn't a 'tell-all' book at all and Penny doesn't 'dish the dirt' on anyone.
Penny and Rob divorced in 1980, a few years before "Laverne and Shirley" ended. This was a difficult period in Penny's life. Afterwards she turned to directing movies. Penny goes into great detail about each movie she helmed, including who auditioned for the leading roles, how the stars were chosen, the film crews she selected, and all the nitty gritty of movie making. I found all this very absorbing and these were my favorite parts of the book.
Penny generously acknowledges the professionals (including Steven Spielberg) who helped her learn the craft and expresses no bitterness about being overlooked - again and again - for (well deserved) Oscar nominations.
Steven Spielberg
Penny says she's satisfied doing the work she loves and entertaining people.The movies Penny directed are: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (I love that movie); "Big"; "Awakenings"; "A League of Their Own"; "Renaissance Man";"The Preacher's Wife"; and "Riding in Cars With Boys." Penny also made a documentary about basketball player Dennis Rodman, called "Rodman Rebound."
Penny's personal life was eclectic and intriguing. She talks about flings with various beaus and a long romance with singer/songwriter Art Garfunkel.
Penny Marshall and Art Garfunkel
Penny also traveled all over the world; threw numerous joint birthday parties with Carrie Fisher (featuring fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and a roster of A-list guests);
Penny Marshall and Carrie Fisher
Penny mourned the deaths of friends; welcomed the birth of grandchildren; took care of her aging parents; repeatedly went to the Pritikin Spa to get healthy and stop smoking (the smoking part didn't work); obtained season tickets to the Lakers and the Clippers; and much more. Penny also speaks about her 2010 diagnosis of lung cancer - which spread to her brain. Penny reports that - right after she heard the news - she asked someone to go out and buy her White Castle hamburgers.
The actress glosses over the illness but mentions that she went into remission after treatment.
I enjoyed Penny's book and think it would be fun to join her for pizza (or hamburgers) and beer and hear more stories about television, movies, and Hollywood personalities. This is a fun light book that I'd recommend to fans of celebrity memoirs.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
September 26, 2012
While I enjoy reading biographies of all types because I find it interesting to learn what motivations people had to get to where they are in life, this book simply made me turn away in disgust. Why?
In brief:
Penny complains non-stop about her mother and what a terrible person she was -probably true- but then she leaves her daughter behind to be raised by others. There are brief mentions of the daughter here and there, but no discernible mother-daughter bond.
Drugs, drugs, drugs, more drugs, John Belushi dies of a drug overdose Penny is horrified and then guess what? More drugs, drugs, drugs, drugs.
There were many names dropped throughout the book but that did not make it any more interesting, it was just a repository of names.
I thought that our age of reality t.v. was the most superficial but after reading this tragedy of a book I see that empty, vapid heads came before the current crop of insipid celebrities with nothing to offer.
There's a silver lining to all this, I did not have to pay to read this book because I got to borrow it for free from the Amazon Kindle library. Whew!
Now I must go read a classic to make up for the pain I inflicted on my intellect with this travesty of a book.
In brief:
Penny complains non-stop about her mother and what a terrible person she was -probably true- but then she leaves her daughter behind to be raised by others. There are brief mentions of the daughter here and there, but no discernible mother-daughter bond.
Drugs, drugs, drugs, more drugs, John Belushi dies of a drug overdose Penny is horrified and then guess what? More drugs, drugs, drugs, drugs.
There were many names dropped throughout the book but that did not make it any more interesting, it was just a repository of names.
I thought that our age of reality t.v. was the most superficial but after reading this tragedy of a book I see that empty, vapid heads came before the current crop of insipid celebrities with nothing to offer.
There's a silver lining to all this, I did not have to pay to read this book because I got to borrow it for free from the Amazon Kindle library. Whew!
Now I must go read a classic to make up for the pain I inflicted on my intellect with this travesty of a book.
April 29, 2019
3.5 stars
I didn't realize just how much I liked Penny Marshall until she passed away. The show that made her famous, Laverne and Shirley, aired mainly before I was born so that's not the reason I was bummed to hear the news she had died. I think the reason I was sad is because I feel like she had so much more to share with the world in terms of making movies and honestly just being a strong, female role model for many people.
After reading this book, I'm not sure if I would necessarily call Penny's mother nuts, but I can definitely say she seemed unusual and lacked a filter when talking to people. Their mother-daughter relationship made for some interesting reading as at first you get the sense that Penny hated her mom but as the book progresses you can also see how she leaned on her for support such as when her daughter, Tracy, was born. My only real criticism of the book is I feel Penny was pretty vague when it came to Tracy being raised primarily by her ex-husband and his family during her early years. I also didn't entirely understand why Rob Reiner adopted Tracy when it appears Penny got along well with Tracy's father. Maybe she felt that was more Tracy's story to tell and that's why she didn't really get into it in the book. Not really sure though.
It's pretty well-known Penny's older brother, Garry, was a famous director and writer, and pretty much helped Penny get her start in Hollywood. And Penny freely admitted in the book nepotism gave her some opportunities that others with no family connections might not have had. Her talent though is the reason for her long and successful career in my opinion. Playing Laverne was obviously her breakout role and Penny talks about her time working on the show. There were always rumors of her feuding with her co-star Cindy Williams and while they certainly disagreed about some things, I think Penny is more than fair in regards to discussing Cindy, and you can tell she did value their friendship.
I loved hearing about her work as a director and found it fascinating that so much of it was just on the job learning. I really respect the fact she just wanted to make movies that made people feel good. I teared up when she mentioned how important it was to her to make sure the actual female ballplayers the movie A League of Their Own was based on were included in the movie. She realized this wasn't her movie, it was their story and she wanted to honor that. It made me sad that part of the reason she didn't do much movie directing in the last 15 years or so of her life was because studios just didn't care much about that type of storytelling anymore. I think the film industry underestimated her talent at bringing stories to the screen that audiences really connect with.
Overall, definitely a good read and I recommend especially if you enjoy celebrity memoirs.
I didn't realize just how much I liked Penny Marshall until she passed away. The show that made her famous, Laverne and Shirley, aired mainly before I was born so that's not the reason I was bummed to hear the news she had died. I think the reason I was sad is because I feel like she had so much more to share with the world in terms of making movies and honestly just being a strong, female role model for many people.
After reading this book, I'm not sure if I would necessarily call Penny's mother nuts, but I can definitely say she seemed unusual and lacked a filter when talking to people. Their mother-daughter relationship made for some interesting reading as at first you get the sense that Penny hated her mom but as the book progresses you can also see how she leaned on her for support such as when her daughter, Tracy, was born. My only real criticism of the book is I feel Penny was pretty vague when it came to Tracy being raised primarily by her ex-husband and his family during her early years. I also didn't entirely understand why Rob Reiner adopted Tracy when it appears Penny got along well with Tracy's father. Maybe she felt that was more Tracy's story to tell and that's why she didn't really get into it in the book. Not really sure though.
It's pretty well-known Penny's older brother, Garry, was a famous director and writer, and pretty much helped Penny get her start in Hollywood. And Penny freely admitted in the book nepotism gave her some opportunities that others with no family connections might not have had. Her talent though is the reason for her long and successful career in my opinion. Playing Laverne was obviously her breakout role and Penny talks about her time working on the show. There were always rumors of her feuding with her co-star Cindy Williams and while they certainly disagreed about some things, I think Penny is more than fair in regards to discussing Cindy, and you can tell she did value their friendship.
I loved hearing about her work as a director and found it fascinating that so much of it was just on the job learning. I really respect the fact she just wanted to make movies that made people feel good. I teared up when she mentioned how important it was to her to make sure the actual female ballplayers the movie A League of Their Own was based on were included in the movie. She realized this wasn't her movie, it was their story and she wanted to honor that. It made me sad that part of the reason she didn't do much movie directing in the last 15 years or so of her life was because studios just didn't care much about that type of storytelling anymore. I think the film industry underestimated her talent at bringing stories to the screen that audiences really connect with.
Overall, definitely a good read and I recommend especially if you enjoy celebrity memoirs.
December 29, 2012
This is an excellent autobiography. Despite what some of the reviews would have you believe, Ms Marshall seems completely aware of the mistakes she made, she just doesn't come across as needing to beat herself up publicly to receive public approval for her contrition. Anyone with two brain cells to run together to make a mental spark could tell, while reading the first two chapters, that Ms Marshall did not hate her mother. She saw her mother as flawed, but she didn't see herself as perfect. She doesn't come across to me as ignorant of her own flaws, simply not asking for our forgiveness, just as she didn't offer her own forgiveness to her own mother.
Here's a novel concept for an autobiography. Write about what happened in your life without seeking praise or forgiveness or anything else from the public. If your life is interesting, and your autobiography is well written, then you'll have a great autobiography. I believe that Penny Marshall has written an excellent autobiography. She's not perfect and she not a saint, but she is in no way claiming to be either.
If you liked Laverne and Shirley or her work on The Odd Couple or any of the movies that Penny Marshall has directed, then I think you'll enjoy this book. It's simple. This isn't a masterpiece, but it's funny, laugh out loud in public funny, and I really recommend it.
Here's a novel concept for an autobiography. Write about what happened in your life without seeking praise or forgiveness or anything else from the public. If your life is interesting, and your autobiography is well written, then you'll have a great autobiography. I believe that Penny Marshall has written an excellent autobiography. She's not perfect and she not a saint, but she is in no way claiming to be either.
If you liked Laverne and Shirley or her work on The Odd Couple or any of the movies that Penny Marshall has directed, then I think you'll enjoy this book. It's simple. This isn't a masterpiece, but it's funny, laugh out loud in public funny, and I really recommend it.
July 10, 2025
Authentic and honest, and unapologetically Penny.
April 1, 2017
Honest, compelling, laugh out loud funny, and tender, this audio was excellent. I rarely give an audiobook 5 stars; however, when read by the author about her own life, with sincerity, with actual sorrow in her voice when she spoke of the loss of her loved ones, with real humor at life's funny moments, I felt like Penny Marshall put her entire heart into both writing AND narrating this book. Penny covers it all, from her early life in the Bronx, her quirky parents, her loyal brother helping her enter into the industry, to her love life and lost loves (I never knew she dated Art Garfunkel!), her friendship with Carrie Fisher, to Laverne and Shirley, and to all the movies she has directed. By the the time I watched Laverne and Shirley, it was in syndication. I grew up loving Laverne and Penny, both, for their realness with a big side of silliness. And that's exactly what this audio is- real, funny at times, and always full of heart.
March 25, 2019
This book was published in 2012.
Penny Marshall passed away in December of 2018.
I always thought she was wonderful in Laverne And Shirley, and I remember her as Myrna on The Odd Couple. Myrna and that crazy laugh that made everyone giggle.
I am so glad she wrote this book and shared her life. I finally know a bit more about the very vibrant woman behind those characters.
She was funny and sweet; intelligent yet also much more adventurous than I imagined. Plus she shares behind the scenes tidbits such as the true origins of Laverne's signature drink, milk mixed with Pepsi.
She would have been great fun to sit and chat with, but since that is no longer possible, this book is the next best thing. I loved it.
Thanks for being you, Laverne!
Penny Marshall passed away in December of 2018.
I always thought she was wonderful in Laverne And Shirley, and I remember her as Myrna on The Odd Couple. Myrna and that crazy laugh that made everyone giggle.
I am so glad she wrote this book and shared her life. I finally know a bit more about the very vibrant woman behind those characters.
She was funny and sweet; intelligent yet also much more adventurous than I imagined. Plus she shares behind the scenes tidbits such as the true origins of Laverne's signature drink, milk mixed with Pepsi.
She would have been great fun to sit and chat with, but since that is no longer possible, this book is the next best thing. I loved it.
Thanks for being you, Laverne!
December 9, 2012
I see the majority of reviews on Amazon's were disappointed in this but I felt quite differently. As I've made my way through her audiobook, which is read by her, I sense that hearing her voice provides a sense of depth and sincerity that perhaps others can't possible grasp in a book or on a screen. Her intonation lends tremendous expression and comes off with complete sincerity. Throughout, she notes how important honesty is to her and she certainly seems to mean it given the numerous examples she provides that support this very statement. Penny was a girl who grew up in a very tough home environment; she escaped mentally via her neighborhood friends and activities they shared. I found her as one who is extremely loyal and devoted to her friends, and she has many. She and her siblings remained very close, I believe, due to the instability they shared in their youth at home. They formed a tight bond of psychological survival. This played out in some of the decisions she made, some not so good, perhaps due to lack of maturity (unexpected pregnancy and dependency on the grandparents to help raise her daughter) and other decisions served her well, especially those due to her brother's generosity and good fortune, which essentially opened numerous doors and connections for her. She is blessed with having the type of personality that clearly draws people to her, which helped her enormously in a very competitive Hollywood industry. Yes, she was wild and crazy during her younger years but, in truth, those were the times in which she lived and I can only imagine these were intensified under the Hollywood lights. She shares her regrets, too. I'd say, give this piece a chance on audiobook. I am finding that I don't want it to end. I really have enjoyed hearing some of the "behind the scenes" stories she tells about numerous shows, stars, etc. It really gives an inside look at what a competitive industry she is part of. Also, you get a sense of the young girl who was a bit of jock continuing to live vicariously through sports idols as a diehard fan. Congrats, Penny, on a very interesting piece of work and thanks for sharing it with those of us who appreciate what you've been through and brought us over the years!
August 20, 2024
My Mother Was Nuts
By Penny Marshall
This was a very interesting biography as she describes her life and career. She spends more time on her career and people related to the film industry than her family. She does speak about her brother a bit because he is in that world.
She was certainly a very outgoing person, and her personality probably helped a lot. She rubbed shoulders with so many stars and, as a director, helped get some stars we know today their big breaks.
By Penny Marshall
This was a very interesting biography as she describes her life and career. She spends more time on her career and people related to the film industry than her family. She does speak about her brother a bit because he is in that world.
She was certainly a very outgoing person, and her personality probably helped a lot. She rubbed shoulders with so many stars and, as a director, helped get some stars we know today their big breaks.
April 14, 2019
What an absolutely TERRIFIC book! For someone who's mother told her when she was a young girl that she was an "unfortunate accident," she turned out to be one special lady who never forgot her roots. The entire time I was reading this book, I felt like Penny was sitting right next to me telling me herself her thoughts on her life and what she experienced. It was that authentic, as was the lady herself. And, she knew everybody! There were so many people that became lifelong, close friends. I mean real friends that she genuinely loved and they loved her right back. She was just so charismatic, open, honest and non-judgmental. People like John Belushi, and his brother Jim, Steven Spielberg, Dan Ackroyd, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorne Michaels, Albert Brooks, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel (whom she had a personal relationship with), she was especially close to and oh too many to name and count. Carrie Fischer and Ted Bessell were very close friends of hers that she knew for over 30 years. Penny was also a genuine sports fanatic and also became very good friends with a lot of sport's personalities. She could pick up the phone and, in a minute, one of her many, many friends would be there or vice versa. As she said, friends were her most cherished possession.
She was especially close to her brother, Garry Marshall. He was older than she by a couple of years and they did not see each other when he left for college until she met up with him a few years later in L.A. Garry was already pretty established writing for prominent t.v. shows. However, before he left, he sat Penny and her sister down and explained the facts of life regarding their family. He said that they had to stick together because they would never get the emotional support or any support from their parents. And, Garry kept that promise throughout their lives together. He was a terrific brother to Penny and she was fantastic with him. Garry also taught her early in her career (that he helped her with) that you can give someone a life through their work. She did that too, giving back to others, because she was so very grateful for what she had. Theirs was a special relationship and wonderful to read about here.
There were so many moments in this book that would have rocked others to their core. But, Penny just rolled with the flow. And, there were moments where she was brutally honest about what she did and experienced. But, I admired that honesty so much and her strength and stubbornness. In a business where egos are so fragile, Penny was just down to earth and totally herself.
As far as her mother being nuts, IMHO, she was self-centered (lacked consideration for others), selfish (totally pre-occupied with herself) and cruel. And, it had exactly the opposite affect on Penny. She just went about her business. It was a love/hate thing. Yet, Penny was there for her right to the end. One thing that stuck with Penny was her mother (was taught dance) believed that you should just do the best to entertain people. Both Garry and Penny lived and believed that and I think they both more than succeeded there.
There are so many amazing experiences and momentous things that Penny accomplished in her life. She was so warmhearted and generous. Yes, she never forgot her roots. I am so glad I read this book and learned more about her. She was something else! Certainly a special person to admire for so many things.
A line in the book that stuck out to me is this one: "If you want people to remember you for something, laughter ain't a bad thing to leave behind." There is no doubt in my mind that this lady accomplished that and so much more.
She was especially close to her brother, Garry Marshall. He was older than she by a couple of years and they did not see each other when he left for college until she met up with him a few years later in L.A. Garry was already pretty established writing for prominent t.v. shows. However, before he left, he sat Penny and her sister down and explained the facts of life regarding their family. He said that they had to stick together because they would never get the emotional support or any support from their parents. And, Garry kept that promise throughout their lives together. He was a terrific brother to Penny and she was fantastic with him. Garry also taught her early in her career (that he helped her with) that you can give someone a life through their work. She did that too, giving back to others, because she was so very grateful for what she had. Theirs was a special relationship and wonderful to read about here.
There were so many moments in this book that would have rocked others to their core. But, Penny just rolled with the flow. And, there were moments where she was brutally honest about what she did and experienced. But, I admired that honesty so much and her strength and stubbornness. In a business where egos are so fragile, Penny was just down to earth and totally herself.
As far as her mother being nuts, IMHO, she was self-centered (lacked consideration for others), selfish (totally pre-occupied with herself) and cruel. And, it had exactly the opposite affect on Penny. She just went about her business. It was a love/hate thing. Yet, Penny was there for her right to the end. One thing that stuck with Penny was her mother (was taught dance) believed that you should just do the best to entertain people. Both Garry and Penny lived and believed that and I think they both more than succeeded there.
There are so many amazing experiences and momentous things that Penny accomplished in her life. She was so warmhearted and generous. Yes, she never forgot her roots. I am so glad I read this book and learned more about her. She was something else! Certainly a special person to admire for so many things.
A line in the book that stuck out to me is this one: "If you want people to remember you for something, laughter ain't a bad thing to leave behind." There is no doubt in my mind that this lady accomplished that and so much more.
January 26, 2013
I was disappointed in this book. I decided to read it as I have been a fan of Penny Marshall since her Laverne and Shirley days. I have also noticed she produced a few good movies, so therefore I thought it would be an interesting read.
As I stated previously, I was disappointed. I don't feel she positively portrayed her family, which is her own right. However, I know that I wouldn't think of writing anything for the public to read that would be a bad reflection of my family. I learned her idea of family is very skewed, and it put her in a very different light for me personally.
Having said that, the annoyance of the book to me was her constant name dropping of famous people. After awhile, I felt that the book was just short skits of name dropping that discussed short spans of time she worked with these people. There was honestly no rhyme or reason to the snip its, she put in the book. I was on the verge of not finishing the book, because unfortunately I could not want for it to end.
I would not recommend this book. It is long, drawn out and I didn't feel like I accomplished anything by reading it.
As I stated previously, I was disappointed. I don't feel she positively portrayed her family, which is her own right. However, I know that I wouldn't think of writing anything for the public to read that would be a bad reflection of my family. I learned her idea of family is very skewed, and it put her in a very different light for me personally.
Having said that, the annoyance of the book to me was her constant name dropping of famous people. After awhile, I felt that the book was just short skits of name dropping that discussed short spans of time she worked with these people. There was honestly no rhyme or reason to the snip its, she put in the book. I was on the verge of not finishing the book, because unfortunately I could not want for it to end.
I would not recommend this book. It is long, drawn out and I didn't feel like I accomplished anything by reading it.
April 16, 2016
My first experience with an audio book was terrible so I approached the audio version of Hollywood actress, director and humorist Penny Marshall with weariness, especially when she began her very first chapter, the tale of two ninjas. But it was perfect! I loved her raspy voice, New York accent and deadpan voice. It was like listening to a really long, really in-depth episode of Inside the Actors Studio.
The first half of the book concentrates on her nutty mother. It is a no holds barred approach to her parent's dysfunctional marriage and Penny's difficult childhood. When she was a kid, Penny asked her mother what she wanted for Christmas, and mom replied that her preferred gift would be for Penny NOT to get her father anything he likes. Get the picture? Mom also kept a suicide jar in her closet. She constantly put down her daughter.
This isnt a "mommy dearest" memoir though. Penny is self introspective and fair and recalls both good and bad. Despite her failings, her mother instilled in Penny a love of entertaining people, the necessity of putting heart in your performance, and of course, the importance of being bold. Long after her mother's death, her influence is present in Penny's life as she navigates the stormy currents of Hollywood, fame, drugs, and personal life.
The second half of the book has behind the scenes tidbits on some of her most famous movies, including Big, A League of Their Own, Awakenings, and The Preacher's Wife, which is what I love so much in these types of memoirs. Not only does she share the technical aspects of filmmaking, the odd twists and turns of the casting process (Robert De Niro as the potential lead in Big ???!!!) but she also gives insight into the personal lives of celebrities without resorting to vulgar gossip, speculation or settling scores. Class all the way.
Highly recommend these memoirs for any fans of the movies and people who can appreciate her dry New York style sense of humor.
The first half of the book concentrates on her nutty mother. It is a no holds barred approach to her parent's dysfunctional marriage and Penny's difficult childhood. When she was a kid, Penny asked her mother what she wanted for Christmas, and mom replied that her preferred gift would be for Penny NOT to get her father anything he likes. Get the picture? Mom also kept a suicide jar in her closet. She constantly put down her daughter.
This isnt a "mommy dearest" memoir though. Penny is self introspective and fair and recalls both good and bad. Despite her failings, her mother instilled in Penny a love of entertaining people, the necessity of putting heart in your performance, and of course, the importance of being bold. Long after her mother's death, her influence is present in Penny's life as she navigates the stormy currents of Hollywood, fame, drugs, and personal life.
The second half of the book has behind the scenes tidbits on some of her most famous movies, including Big, A League of Their Own, Awakenings, and The Preacher's Wife, which is what I love so much in these types of memoirs. Not only does she share the technical aspects of filmmaking, the odd twists and turns of the casting process (Robert De Niro as the potential lead in Big ???!!!) but she also gives insight into the personal lives of celebrities without resorting to vulgar gossip, speculation or settling scores. Class all the way.
Highly recommend these memoirs for any fans of the movies and people who can appreciate her dry New York style sense of humor.
February 4, 2020
5 Stars for My Mother Was Nuts (audiobook) by Penny Marshall read by the author. I think the audiobook is extra special because Penny Marshall reads it her self. It’s her words in her voice. She led an amazing life. It was a real treat getting to hear all the behind the scenes details about so many of the great TV shows and movies that she had a part in throughout my life. From the Odd Couple though A League of Their Own. She acted in and directed so many special shows that brought joy into our lives.
December 24, 2012
I should stop reading showbiz memoirs. Invariably, I tend to find them boring and self-serving and the authors self-centered name-dropping control freaks. But probably that's the kind of person that makes it to the top of the showbiz career ladder (Joan Rivers, if you're reading this, you're the exception - I loved your latest book. But then you didn't exactly make it to the very pinnacle of showbiz, did you). In this case, I disliked Penny Marshall and her book even more than usual. Almost every sentence in this book serves either to exonerate her for mishaps to her costars or to indicate that she has been right all along, trying to make the reader believe that her career was a combination of nepotism (she'll admit to that) and sheer luck. I enjoyed the first chapters on growing up in the Bronx with a showbiz mom, but after that the narrative became too sloppy, with its baby boomer navel-gazing and focus on people that were allegedly big in the '70s but have since had little relevance (to me, at least). To avoid.
December 22, 2012
FIFTEEN THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT PENNY MARSHALL FROM HER NEW MEMOIR “MY MOTHER WAS NUTS.”
As a child, Penny Marshall danced on “The Jackie Gleason Show.”
June Taylor told Marshall that she had the potential to become a June Taylor dancer if she took ballet. But she didn’t because she hated ballet.
Her grandfather died while she was at summer camp, but her folks didn’t tell her because they didn’t want to ruin her summer.
Early in her career, she was in a Head and Shoulders commercial with Farrah Fawcett. Penny played the “plain girl.” Fawcett was the “pretty girl.”
She was in a serious relationship with Art Garfunkel.
Paul Simon made Art Garfunkel wear a hairpiece for their 1981 Central Park concert. “Artie” wasn’t pleased.
She knew her relationship with Rob Reiner was getting serious when he announced that he was going to fart in front of her.
When she married Rob Reiner, her wedding vow was: “I’ll love you and try not to make you nervous.”
She dropped acid for the first time with Carrie Fisher. They rode up and down on an elevator at the Ritz Carlton, lying on the floor so they could admire the elevator’s ornate ceiling. Then the doors opened and Eric Idle got on.
Marshall tried heroin once. It made her carsick.
In her heyday, Marshalls drug of choice was the Quaalude.
She once offered Steven Spielberg a Quaalude. He turned it down.
When she had a late-in-life abortion, both her therapist and Carrie Fisher came with her.
Her response when asked about the greatest love of her life? “Pizza and my daughter.”
After being diagnosed with and treated for lung cancer, she continues to smoke.
As a child, Penny Marshall danced on “The Jackie Gleason Show.”
June Taylor told Marshall that she had the potential to become a June Taylor dancer if she took ballet. But she didn’t because she hated ballet.
Her grandfather died while she was at summer camp, but her folks didn’t tell her because they didn’t want to ruin her summer.
Early in her career, she was in a Head and Shoulders commercial with Farrah Fawcett. Penny played the “plain girl.” Fawcett was the “pretty girl.”
She was in a serious relationship with Art Garfunkel.
Paul Simon made Art Garfunkel wear a hairpiece for their 1981 Central Park concert. “Artie” wasn’t pleased.
She knew her relationship with Rob Reiner was getting serious when he announced that he was going to fart in front of her.
When she married Rob Reiner, her wedding vow was: “I’ll love you and try not to make you nervous.”
She dropped acid for the first time with Carrie Fisher. They rode up and down on an elevator at the Ritz Carlton, lying on the floor so they could admire the elevator’s ornate ceiling. Then the doors opened and Eric Idle got on.
Marshall tried heroin once. It made her carsick.
In her heyday, Marshalls drug of choice was the Quaalude.
She once offered Steven Spielberg a Quaalude. He turned it down.
When she had a late-in-life abortion, both her therapist and Carrie Fisher came with her.
Her response when asked about the greatest love of her life? “Pizza and my daughter.”
After being diagnosed with and treated for lung cancer, she continues to smoke.
January 13, 2023
I grew up in the 70s and 80s. Laverne & Shirley was a staple in my childhood TV favorites. So when I happened across My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall as a choice in Kindle Unlimited I decided to give it a go.
I'm not much for memoirs. And I'm not that much into celebrities. So it sat in my Kindle a while until I signed up for a nonfiction reading challenge for 2023. The elements finally aligned to cause me to start this book! I was immediately drawn in with Penny Marshall's introduction about being robbed by sword-wielding ninjas! What?? Only she can turn a terrifying experience into a funny story. They seemed to be less than brilliant ninjas and she handled herself calmly in the whole ordeal. The story was brilliant. So from there I knew I was in store for a good book.
Penny Marshall shares memories of growing up in New York City; her trajectory into show business, directing, and her days after directing. One thing I took away from the book that I don't see in many other reviews is the lesson to never stop playing. Creativity comes from play. If you give up playing, you lose touch with so much potential and growth.
Penny has a dry sense of humor that I loved throughout the book. You either love that type of humor, you hate it ... or it flies right over your head. There are a range of emotions in the book as well. It's not all humor. Throughout her life, Penny Marshall had to make some tough decisions. She said one thing that covers every decision anyone I've ever known has made. People make decisions based on what they're going through at the time. We can't judge them for the decisions they make. We aren't in their situation or have their background. My heart broke for her several times throughout the book.
In the end, I believe Penny Marshall lived a full and rewarding life. In return, she gladly gave of herself for others through charitable acts as well as through her work. Her main priority was a result of something her mother taught her. In all she did, she wanted to make sure she was entertaining. And she certainly was that. I give My Mother Was Nuts four out of five stars.
I'm not much for memoirs. And I'm not that much into celebrities. So it sat in my Kindle a while until I signed up for a nonfiction reading challenge for 2023. The elements finally aligned to cause me to start this book! I was immediately drawn in with Penny Marshall's introduction about being robbed by sword-wielding ninjas! What?? Only she can turn a terrifying experience into a funny story. They seemed to be less than brilliant ninjas and she handled herself calmly in the whole ordeal. The story was brilliant. So from there I knew I was in store for a good book.
Penny Marshall shares memories of growing up in New York City; her trajectory into show business, directing, and her days after directing. One thing I took away from the book that I don't see in many other reviews is the lesson to never stop playing. Creativity comes from play. If you give up playing, you lose touch with so much potential and growth.
Penny has a dry sense of humor that I loved throughout the book. You either love that type of humor, you hate it ... or it flies right over your head. There are a range of emotions in the book as well. It's not all humor. Throughout her life, Penny Marshall had to make some tough decisions. She said one thing that covers every decision anyone I've ever known has made. People make decisions based on what they're going through at the time. We can't judge them for the decisions they make. We aren't in their situation or have their background. My heart broke for her several times throughout the book.
In the end, I believe Penny Marshall lived a full and rewarding life. In return, she gladly gave of herself for others through charitable acts as well as through her work. Her main priority was a result of something her mother taught her. In all she did, she wanted to make sure she was entertaining. And she certainly was that. I give My Mother Was Nuts four out of five stars.
June 23, 2017
"Sometimes you ignored the facts to make life easier."
נתחיל מהסוף, כתיבת אוטוביוגרפיה היא בעיני לפחות אקט יומרני שמחייב הצדקה כמו: חיים יוצאי דופן, תרומה יוצאת דופן, מסר יוצא דופן. משהו שיצדיק את היומרה לספר על החיים ושגם ירתק את הקוראים. לפעמים כותבי אוטוביוגרפיות הם סתם נרקיסיסטיים שאוהבים לחשוב שהם חשובים ולפעמים זו סתם גרפומניה שנועדה לכסות על שעמום וחוסר מעש. במקרה של פאני מרשל, עד מספר פרקים מהסוף חשבתי שזו פשוט גרפומניה, כשחקנית בקומדיית מצבים ובמאית של 3-4 סרטים משפחתיים הביוגרפיה של פאני מרשל לא מצדיקה יותר מערך בוויקפדיה. החיים של פאני מרשל לא מצטיינים בתרומה או במשהו יוצא דופן.
אבל, בפרקים האחרונים גיליתי את המוטיבציה מאחורי הביוגרפיה הזו, היא אובחנה בסרטן ריאות שהגרורות שלו הגיעו למח וניצלה מהמחלה. היא ניצלה לדעתי לא בגלל הטיפולים הרפואיים אלא בגלל הגישה שלה לחיים, החיים הם מה שהם והכל צריך להיות בפורפורציה, כך שגם מצבי משבר לא מטלטלים אותה.
התחלתי לקרוא את הספר בגלל הכותרת שלו. ואכן יכול להיות שאמא של פני מרשל היתה משוגעת או לא שפויה או איך שלא נכנה את זה ויכול להיות שלא. דווקא הפרקים על ילדותה המוקדמת של פני והפרקים שעוסקים במשפחה שלה הם המרתקים ביותר ומלמדים על החופש והמרחב שנתנה להם אימם שניהלה סטודיו לריקוד והיתה ביחסי שינאה אהבה עם אביה. משום שהיתה אם עובדת, הילדים לא זכו לאם סטנדרטית שאז היה מקובל שתשב בבית ותגדל את הילדים, כך שהילדים נאלצו למצוא לעצמם פתרונות במרחב הניו יורקי שבו חיו וכך הם למדו למצוא פתרונות יצירתיים לדוגמא לעבור את הכביש הסואן.
במחצית הספר בערך, היא עוברת לספר על קריירת המשחק והבימוי שלה ועל היכרותה עם אנשים מהתעשיה.
אישית הרגשתי שמחצית הספר הזו חלשה יותר והיא גם לא לגמרי עניינה אותי. כל מעשה המרכבה של מציאת שחקנים ובימוי סרטים ממש לא מזיז לי את האצבע. יחד עם זאת היא שומרת על הומור דק ועל דרך התמודדות המיוחדת שלה עם אירועים שונים.
היא גם לא מרחיבה הרבה בספר על מערכת יחסיה עם טרייסי, בתה מהבעל הראשון שלדעתי זכתה לגדול בדיוק באותה הסיטואציה שבה גדלה אמא שלה. כלומר חיים בבית שבו האם לרוב עסוקה בקריירה ובכלל שנותיה הראשונות היו אצל הסבתא כי פני היתה כל כך ענייה מרודה שהיא נאלצה לקחת כל עבודה. עם זאת ניכר שהיא דאגה לבת שלה וכשהיה לה כסף היא גם דאגה לסייע לה בין אם ברכישת דירה נוספת בניו יורק כדי שתהיה קרובה אליה ובין אם בדאגה שניכרת על החלטותיה של טרייסי.
זה ספר שנראה לי שפחות ידבר לישראלים או לפחות לאנשים כמוני שלא גדלו על הסידרה "לוורן ושירלי" או על "saturday night live" שדי הרבה מסופר עליה. גם חלק מהדמויות שעולות בספר לא מוכרות לי ובין הדמויות המעטות שכן היו מוכרות לי, היא לא הרחיבה הרבה על יחסיה עם ארט גרפונקל.
סה"כ ספר נחמד אם כי היה מקום לקצץ בחלק מהאפיזודות שעוסקות בבימוי סרטים.
נתחיל מהסוף, כתיבת אוטוביוגרפיה היא בעיני לפחות אקט יומרני שמחייב הצדקה כמו: חיים יוצאי דופן, תרומה יוצאת דופן, מסר יוצא דופן. משהו שיצדיק את היומרה לספר על החיים ושגם ירתק את הקוראים. לפעמים כותבי אוטוביוגרפיות הם סתם נרקיסיסטיים שאוהבים לחשוב שהם חשובים ולפעמים זו סתם גרפומניה שנועדה לכסות על שעמום וחוסר מעש. במקרה של פאני מרשל, עד מספר פרקים מהסוף חשבתי שזו פשוט גרפומניה, כשחקנית בקומדיית מצבים ובמאית של 3-4 סרטים משפחתיים הביוגרפיה של פאני מרשל לא מצדיקה יותר מערך בוויקפדיה. החיים של פאני מרשל לא מצטיינים בתרומה או במשהו יוצא דופן.
אבל, בפרקים האחרונים גיליתי את המוטיבציה מאחורי הביוגרפיה הזו, היא אובחנה בסרטן ריאות שהגרורות שלו הגיעו למח וניצלה מהמחלה. היא ניצלה לדעתי לא בגלל הטיפולים הרפואיים אלא בגלל הגישה שלה לחיים, החיים הם מה שהם והכל צריך להיות בפורפורציה, כך שגם מצבי משבר לא מטלטלים אותה.
התחלתי לקרוא את הספר בגלל הכותרת שלו. ואכן יכול להיות שאמא של פני מרשל היתה משוגעת או לא שפויה או איך שלא נכנה את זה ויכול להיות שלא. דווקא הפרקים על ילדותה המוקדמת של פני והפרקים שעוסקים במשפחה שלה הם המרתקים ביותר ומלמדים על החופש והמרחב שנתנה להם אימם שניהלה סטודיו לריקוד והיתה ביחסי שינאה אהבה עם אביה. משום שהיתה אם עובדת, הילדים לא זכו לאם סטנדרטית שאז היה מקובל שתשב בבית ותגדל את הילדים, כך שהילדים נאלצו למצוא לעצמם פתרונות במרחב הניו יורקי שבו חיו וכך הם למדו למצוא פתרונות יצירתיים לדוגמא לעבור את הכביש הסואן.
במחצית הספר בערך, היא עוברת לספר על קריירת המשחק והבימוי שלה ועל היכרותה עם אנשים מהתעשיה.
אישית הרגשתי שמחצית הספר הזו חלשה יותר והיא גם לא לגמרי עניינה אותי. כל מעשה המרכבה של מציאת שחקנים ובימוי סרטים ממש לא מזיז לי את האצבע. יחד עם זאת היא שומרת על הומור דק ועל דרך התמודדות המיוחדת שלה עם אירועים שונים.
היא גם לא מרחיבה הרבה בספר על מערכת יחסיה עם טרייסי, בתה מהבעל הראשון שלדעתי זכתה לגדול בדיוק באותה הסיטואציה שבה גדלה אמא שלה. כלומר חיים בבית שבו האם לרוב עסוקה בקריירה ובכלל שנותיה הראשונות היו אצל הסבתא כי פני היתה כל כך ענייה מרודה שהיא נאלצה לקחת כל עבודה. עם זאת ניכר שהיא דאגה לבת שלה וכשהיה לה כסף היא גם דאגה לסייע לה בין אם ברכישת דירה נוספת בניו יורק כדי שתהיה קרובה אליה ובין אם בדאגה שניכרת על החלטותיה של טרייסי.
זה ספר שנראה לי שפחות ידבר לישראלים או לפחות לאנשים כמוני שלא גדלו על הסידרה "לוורן ושירלי" או על "saturday night live" שדי הרבה מסופר עליה. גם חלק מהדמויות שעולות בספר לא מוכרות לי ובין הדמויות המעטות שכן היו מוכרות לי, היא לא הרחיבה הרבה על יחסיה עם ארט גרפונקל.
סה"כ ספר נחמד אם כי היה מקום לקצץ בחלק מהאפיזודות שעוסקות בבימוי סרטים.
February 9, 2013
Caveat lector. Let the reader beware. Penny Marshall’s memoir, “My Mother Was Nuts,” provides the proverbial “Penny” for your thoughts. She lays bare her life as a child, young adult, mother, actress, and director in this starkly candid first-person account. Much of the narrative’s early chapters adopt a sarcastic attitude that almost verges on indifference but which simultaneously employs humor, which forms a mainstay throughout the book. As Penny herself states, she “didn’t stop for nothing.” Her gregarious, blunt manner—including the rather fluent use of profanity—may require some adjustment on the reader’s part as Penny truly tells it like it is in a very matter-of-fact approach. Although the memoir contains a rather deprecatory tone, there is nevertheless an irrepressible undercurrent of resilience which is augmented by Penny’s reaction to her circumstances, both positive and negative.
Marshall’s memoir combines quirky chapter titles such as “What Did ‘Ya Expect—Hedy Lamarr?” and “Forget the Gas, I Want the Jell-O” with more than forty black-and-white photographs, creating a notable montage. Expect to find the good mixed with the bad as Penny discusses her marriages and subsequent divorces, her recreational drug use, and her rocky relationship with her parents, particularly her mother. Her own motherhood she sums up by saying, “My mother hadn’t been June Cleaver, and I wasn’t Mrs. Brady.” Regardless, there is still much to admire about this well-known Hollywood figure, from her unwavering loyalty and honesty to her uncompromising character. This memoir will introduce readers to the true Penny Marshall, whose philosophy may be best expressed in her own words: “Often the point was to live and see what happened.”
Marshall’s memoir combines quirky chapter titles such as “What Did ‘Ya Expect—Hedy Lamarr?” and “Forget the Gas, I Want the Jell-O” with more than forty black-and-white photographs, creating a notable montage. Expect to find the good mixed with the bad as Penny discusses her marriages and subsequent divorces, her recreational drug use, and her rocky relationship with her parents, particularly her mother. Her own motherhood she sums up by saying, “My mother hadn’t been June Cleaver, and I wasn’t Mrs. Brady.” Regardless, there is still much to admire about this well-known Hollywood figure, from her unwavering loyalty and honesty to her uncompromising character. This memoir will introduce readers to the true Penny Marshall, whose philosophy may be best expressed in her own words: “Often the point was to live and see what happened.”
January 18, 2014
Wow. I'll say right off the bat that I don't know much about Penny Marshall. At least, I didn't before I read this book. I have never seen one episode of Laverne and Shirley. I haven't seen any of the movies she's directed since I was a kid. In fact, I didn't even realize she WAS the director for 'Big' or 'A League of Their Own' until I read the description of this book. Why did I read the book then, you might ask? Well, it was on sale for very cheap. Once I saw she had directed a few classics, I thought hearing about it might be interesting. So I got the book and gave it a chance.
Interesting isn't even the right word. It was crazy.
She starts the book off with a bang describing how she was once robbed by ninjas in her own home. Seriously. Complete with police helicopters right above her dwelling. And it really happened.
In fact, much of her life is insane stuff that sounds made up but actually really happened. She knew virtually everybody you've ever heard of. The story of how she 'broke into' show business is probably enough to make failed actors want to pull their hair out - she never seemed to want to be an actress until she already was one. Throughout this book, I was consistently amazed at the experiences she led and the stuff she has done.
And the people - she mentions so many people in this book it will make your head spin. And, because she was close to so many of them and worked with them closely, it never feels like name dropping. A lot of people couldn't pull that off, but Penny Marshall does.
In short, I sure as hell got my dollar ninety-five out of this book. And then some. It was far more entertaining and interesting than I was prepared for. Recommended.
Interesting isn't even the right word. It was crazy.
She starts the book off with a bang describing how she was once robbed by ninjas in her own home. Seriously. Complete with police helicopters right above her dwelling. And it really happened.
In fact, much of her life is insane stuff that sounds made up but actually really happened. She knew virtually everybody you've ever heard of. The story of how she 'broke into' show business is probably enough to make failed actors want to pull their hair out - she never seemed to want to be an actress until she already was one. Throughout this book, I was consistently amazed at the experiences she led and the stuff she has done.
And the people - she mentions so many people in this book it will make your head spin. And, because she was close to so many of them and worked with them closely, it never feels like name dropping. A lot of people couldn't pull that off, but Penny Marshall does.
In short, I sure as hell got my dollar ninety-five out of this book. And then some. It was far more entertaining and interesting than I was prepared for. Recommended.
March 14, 2019
I finished reading this memoir exactly at the point I arrived at my stop on the subway near where I work. What timing, eh?
On the whole, "My Mother Was Nuts" was a very informative, funny, and engaging memoir. I learned so much about Penny Marshall that I simply had no idea about. I first became aware of her during the early 1970s because of the role she had in the TV sit-com "The Odd Couple" as Oscar Madison's secretary. I thought she was funny and cute. Then, I followed her at a distance when she was on "Laverne and Shirley." By then, it was the mid-1970s, I was a preteen/early teen, and as "Laverne and Shirley" came on Tuesdays at 8 PM, opposite my favorite TV show on NBC at the time (which was "Baa Baa Black Sheep"), I didn't watch much of the goings on with Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney in Milwaukee during the late 1950s.
Penny Marshall was one of those celebrities I grew up with but didn't follow her career closely. I came to know her as an actress, film maker, and director. So, reading her memoir was a very enjoyable and illuminating experience for me. She was gutsy, a rabid sports fan, a big hearted person, and a hard-working pro who valued her family and friendships.
I like to sum up this review by citing a quote from Penny Marshall about a meeting she had with Princess Grace of Monaco in the 1970s. "... I chatted with the Princess, who was as gorgeous as I remembered her in movies when she was Grace Kelly, the star from Philadelphia. When I asked if she missed acting, she smiled and said, 'What do you think I’m doing now?' ”
On the whole, "My Mother Was Nuts" was a very informative, funny, and engaging memoir. I learned so much about Penny Marshall that I simply had no idea about. I first became aware of her during the early 1970s because of the role she had in the TV sit-com "The Odd Couple" as Oscar Madison's secretary. I thought she was funny and cute. Then, I followed her at a distance when she was on "Laverne and Shirley." By then, it was the mid-1970s, I was a preteen/early teen, and as "Laverne and Shirley" came on Tuesdays at 8 PM, opposite my favorite TV show on NBC at the time (which was "Baa Baa Black Sheep"), I didn't watch much of the goings on with Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney in Milwaukee during the late 1950s.
Penny Marshall was one of those celebrities I grew up with but didn't follow her career closely. I came to know her as an actress, film maker, and director. So, reading her memoir was a very enjoyable and illuminating experience for me. She was gutsy, a rabid sports fan, a big hearted person, and a hard-working pro who valued her family and friendships.
I like to sum up this review by citing a quote from Penny Marshall about a meeting she had with Princess Grace of Monaco in the 1970s. "... I chatted with the Princess, who was as gorgeous as I remembered her in movies when she was Grace Kelly, the star from Philadelphia. When I asked if she missed acting, she smiled and said, 'What do you think I’m doing now?' ”
November 2, 2012
I don’t know what compelled me to read Penny Marshall’s autobiography, “My Mother Was Nuts,” as I was not a fan of Laverne and Shirley, and have only seen a handful of the movies that she has directed. Reading her memoir, I learned that she parlayed nepotism (her brother is the television director, Garry Marshall) into a long and satisfying career. There are some charming anecdotes, like when she pitched Jack Klugman, the role of Oscar in “The Odd Couple,” when she let Arlyn Dunetz crash on her floor (Dunetz went off with a guy in a van, moved to a commune, changed her name to Phoenix, and then gave birth to 7 kids, including River, Rain and Leaf), and when she enjoyed an impromptu concert performed by Paul Simon, then dating her best friend, Carrie Fisher, and Art Garfunkel, with whom Penny had a satisfying relationship after her divorce from Rob Reiner. She name drops shamelessly, everyone from talent, such as Albert Brooks, Jim Brooks, John Belushi, Steven Speilberg, Robert De Niro, and Tom Hanks, to suits, such as Barry Diller and Ronald Perelman, but there is no gossip. Everyone is talented and generous in Penny’s world. She is superficial even when recounting her own life. For example, she never addresses her feelings about allowing her former in-laws to raise her only child, nor does she say much about her divorce from Reiner. If you want a laundry list of who’s who in Hollywood without any dirt, this is your book.
July 3, 2015
This is a very gossipy book. Penny Marshall seems to have known everyone who was anyone in television in the 1970's, and over the next thirty years or so, she seems to met everyone else. I enjoyed parts of the book. Other parts just seemed like a little too much name-dropping.
January 4, 2016
What could be better than Penny Marshall reading her own book? Not much :) If you're a fan of her, or her Brother Garry, you know exactly what to expect here. I don't think I would have made it through this book without the Audible edition.
October 13, 2012
I’m not ashamed to say I loved Laverne and Shirley. History may look back on the show as some screwball sitcom that introduced a number of forgotten trends to the pop culture lexicon (milk and Pepsi, anyone?), but I theorize the show was more feminist than people might believe. Think about it: it’s set initially in the fifties and focuses on two women who – unlike other female TV characters from actual 1950s shows – are not well-coiffed housewives rushing to greet Hugh Beaumont at the door after a long day of work. They had jobs, they paid their own rent, and they went out for pizza. A lot.
When I heard Penny Marshall planned her memoirs, I grabbed the book at first opportunity. I’ve always admired her as a creative force in entertainment. She was the first woman to direct a film that grossed over $100 million, and she’s probably one of the few directors to put out consistently good work. Reading her autobiography, you get the sense she is a perfectionist. She surrounds herself with familiar people at work (it’s a common theme throughout Nuts, as Marshall herself benefitted from nepotism in the business), and throughout the book you learn about her progressive second career.
The first part of the book, as I expect with any celebrity memoir, is the rundown of early life and family relationships. Marshall’s style is reminiscent of long ramble, full of stories of living up to parental expectations and living in a tense household where the parents barely tolerated one another. She’s able to escape through connections with older brother Garry, who created an acting role for her on The Odd Couple. The rest of her career seems to fall in place – Marshall makes fame look too easy.
The parts that most interested me – the Laverne and Shirley years didn’t disappoint. I did actually come away learning something new, in particular how the rift in Marshall’s relationship with Cindy Williams happened, and how the show’s success threatened her marriage to Rob Reiner. Other revelations of Marshall’s personal life, including a tryst with Art Garfunkel, are told so casually you can almost see Marshall shrugging as she talks.
Nuts is a quick read. I downed it in two days. As an entertainment autobiography, it has enough substance to keep you interested. I like that it’s not overtly political like a number of recent bios I’ve read. If you like Penny, or Laverne, pick it up.
Claire Stone for Glass House Reviews
(c) 2012 Glass House Reviews
When I heard Penny Marshall planned her memoirs, I grabbed the book at first opportunity. I’ve always admired her as a creative force in entertainment. She was the first woman to direct a film that grossed over $100 million, and she’s probably one of the few directors to put out consistently good work. Reading her autobiography, you get the sense she is a perfectionist. She surrounds herself with familiar people at work (it’s a common theme throughout Nuts, as Marshall herself benefitted from nepotism in the business), and throughout the book you learn about her progressive second career.
The first part of the book, as I expect with any celebrity memoir, is the rundown of early life and family relationships. Marshall’s style is reminiscent of long ramble, full of stories of living up to parental expectations and living in a tense household where the parents barely tolerated one another. She’s able to escape through connections with older brother Garry, who created an acting role for her on The Odd Couple. The rest of her career seems to fall in place – Marshall makes fame look too easy.
The parts that most interested me – the Laverne and Shirley years didn’t disappoint. I did actually come away learning something new, in particular how the rift in Marshall’s relationship with Cindy Williams happened, and how the show’s success threatened her marriage to Rob Reiner. Other revelations of Marshall’s personal life, including a tryst with Art Garfunkel, are told so casually you can almost see Marshall shrugging as she talks.
Nuts is a quick read. I downed it in two days. As an entertainment autobiography, it has enough substance to keep you interested. I like that it’s not overtly political like a number of recent bios I’ve read. If you like Penny, or Laverne, pick it up.
Claire Stone for Glass House Reviews
(c) 2012 Glass House Reviews
June 15, 2014
I'll tell you how forgettable this book is. I started to read it last month and got three chapters in before it started sounding familiar. Suddenly I realised, I had read it not six months before.I never cared for "Laverne and Shirley" (nor yet Happy Days nor any of the other series spinoffs from American Grafitti or Grease Fever). Maybe that's why none of it stayed with me. I re-read books all the time. Even without that, I often find I have committed sentences or whole passages to memory. Not just books--the second time I watched Moonstruck I realised I had internalised most of the script. This one isn't going to make the cut.
Marshall's mother was a self-constituted dance teacher (with apparently little to no formal training). That part of the book reminded me of the mothers I knew in my own small rural town who "put on shows" at school or church and/or taught dance, theatre, etc. Most of them were hard as nails under the big smiles reserved for the parents who wrote the checks to keep their little darlings in class and hopefully in the running for the bigger parts in the annual recital, play or whatever specialty they "taught." To their students they were often demanding, sarcastic, and less than kind to anyone who wasn't their idea of talented. It was all about being in charge. There are unhappy, ugly family dynamics out there--I know, I grew up in one. But I don't feel the need to write about it or want other people to read it. It was bad enough living through it the first time.
I know I've read the rest of this book, but none of it stayed with me. During my second re-read, I realised why. Neither the style nor the story was entertaining, amusing or engaging. If dysfunctional families are your thing, feel free. For myself, I have other things to do. So many books, so little time.
Marshall's mother was a self-constituted dance teacher (with apparently little to no formal training). That part of the book reminded me of the mothers I knew in my own small rural town who "put on shows" at school or church and/or taught dance, theatre, etc. Most of them were hard as nails under the big smiles reserved for the parents who wrote the checks to keep their little darlings in class and hopefully in the running for the bigger parts in the annual recital, play or whatever specialty they "taught." To their students they were often demanding, sarcastic, and less than kind to anyone who wasn't their idea of talented. It was all about being in charge. There are unhappy, ugly family dynamics out there--I know, I grew up in one. But I don't feel the need to write about it or want other people to read it. It was bad enough living through it the first time.
I know I've read the rest of this book, but none of it stayed with me. During my second re-read, I realised why. Neither the style nor the story was entertaining, amusing or engaging. If dysfunctional families are your thing, feel free. For myself, I have other things to do. So many books, so little time.
January 3, 2013
I listened to the Audible download, read by Penny Marshall herself. I was once a big fan of "Laverne and Shirley." This autobiography is truly funny, from its descriptions of her mother's dance studio when she was a kid in the Bronx and sharing a room in a small apartment with her senile grandmother to her hospital stay with a brain tumor and lung cancer, Penny Marshall cannot utter a single sentence without being funny. I have read many books which supposedly were comedies, but few books that are actually humorous. This one succeeds where many have tried.
Yes, it name-drops, but Penny seemed to have been friends with many many people in movies and TV in Hollywood and New York. She is a jet setter who never lacks for traveling companions. Her early years were full of drugs, sex and rock and roll, but again her highs (and lows) are described with humor and self-understanding. She is forgiving of others and shrugs off slights and quirks of other actors.
I never understood that she also wrote scripts and directed movies. I always thought of her as a comedian. Now I hope to seek out some of the movies she directed and watch them. She gave me a new understanding of the crazy life in Hollywood and an appreciation for her comic spirit.
Yes, it name-drops, but Penny seemed to have been friends with many many people in movies and TV in Hollywood and New York. She is a jet setter who never lacks for traveling companions. Her early years were full of drugs, sex and rock and roll, but again her highs (and lows) are described with humor and self-understanding. She is forgiving of others and shrugs off slights and quirks of other actors.
I never understood that she also wrote scripts and directed movies. I always thought of her as a comedian. Now I hope to seek out some of the movies she directed and watch them. She gave me a new understanding of the crazy life in Hollywood and an appreciation for her comic spirit.
June 23, 2013
Published by Brilliance Audio in September of 2012.
Read by the author, Penny Marshall
Duration: 8 hours, 30 minutes.
Unabridged.
Penny Marshall, best known as Laverne DeFazio on the TV show Laverne and Shirley, tells all (or at least a lot) in this name-dropping memoir. If you are offended by frequent use of curse words and references to drug use, this is not your book.
Let me begin with an important point in my review: I listened to it as an audiobook that was read by Penny Marshall. This is important because I think it added immensely to the experience despite Marshall's relatively poor reading style. She mumbles, slurs words throughout and pauses at weird moments to take a breath but that is part of Penny Marshall's style. On top of that, at emotional moments, such as the death of her mother and discussing the 9/11 attacks the listener can hear the emotion in her voice. Add to that her famed New York accent, her great impersonation of her brother Garry (creator of Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley among other shows) Lorne Michaels (creator of Saturday Night Live) and Robert DeNiro and you have an enjoyable experience.
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2013/...
Read by the author, Penny Marshall
Duration: 8 hours, 30 minutes.
Unabridged.
Penny Marshall, best known as Laverne DeFazio on the TV show Laverne and Shirley, tells all (or at least a lot) in this name-dropping memoir. If you are offended by frequent use of curse words and references to drug use, this is not your book.
Let me begin with an important point in my review: I listened to it as an audiobook that was read by Penny Marshall. This is important because I think it added immensely to the experience despite Marshall's relatively poor reading style. She mumbles, slurs words throughout and pauses at weird moments to take a breath but that is part of Penny Marshall's style. On top of that, at emotional moments, such as the death of her mother and discussing the 9/11 attacks the listener can hear the emotion in her voice. Add to that her famed New York accent, her great impersonation of her brother Garry (creator of Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley among other shows) Lorne Michaels (creator of Saturday Night Live) and Robert DeNiro and you have an enjoyable experience.
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2013/...
September 17, 2012
I like Penny Marshall! I've only known her as an actor and director and the sister of Garry Marshall. So when I saw that she'd written an autobiography, I was already inclined to read it and like it. I didn't expect to come away with a real admiration for this multi-talented woman. From her life in New York as the 3rd (and unexpected) child of a mother who was nuts and a father who was boring - her words, not mine - Penny Marshall lived a life of dance classes in the basement studio her mother presided over. Everything revolved around dance - from her mother's point of view. Penny much preferred boys and smoking! Once she was able to do so, she left home for college in New Mexico and ended up in Hollywood where her much older brother, Garry, was making a name for himself in the TV and movie industry. From there, it was nowhere but up for this rising young actor. Surprisingly, I'd never watched her directorial movies, A League of Their Own or Big...until this past weekend, when ALoTO was on TV....having read the book, I more fully understood the story. Quite amazing! Thanks, Ms. Marshall, for a wonderful book....I will continue to watch your amazing career!
December 18, 2015
I love Penny Marshall and have loved her since first seeing her in Laverne & Shirley. This is a very entertaining book read by Penny herself. I thought it might be hard with her thick accent but it wasn't. She read it with passion getting emotional when talking about her Mom's death and 9/11. It was really interesting to hear about the behind-the-scenes of the movies she directed and also the Laverne & Shirley show. If you like Penny then you will enjoy this. I recommend grabbing the audiobook. It will bring Penny directly to you.
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