On Reflection: An Autobiography

by Helen Hayes, Sandford Dody (Primary Contributor)

In addressing her grandchildren in the foreword to this autobiography, Helen Hayes writes: 'It is no longer fashionable to have faith; but your grandmother has never been famous for her chic.' It is, in fact, because of her tenacious faith in the world that Helen Hayes decided to write this book as a legacy for her grandchildren; to be read one day when they are grown. In setting down all the family stories, the backstage anecdotes and her recollections of spiritual struggle, she has produced a legacy for all of us. After years of unwillingness to discuss her private world which even her bestselling book A Gift of Joy did not do she has looked beyond her legend and directly at life s lessons as she was forced to learn them. Deeply moving and affectionately witty, her autobiography is an affirmation of the faith that first gave it impetus. All the Helens are here: the unrehearsed child and her shy but ambitious mother; the young actress who so appealed to such luminaries as John Drew and William Gillette; the young woman who forged a marriage with a brilliant renegade named Charles MacArthur; the mother of Mary and Jim; the keeper of an endless procession of hilariously tyrannical poodles; the friend of Fitzgerald, Harpo Marx and Dietrich; the lady who became out First Lady of the Theater; the mature woman, looking forward; and still, and always, the actress. On Reflection is in every sense, an unforgettable book."

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Poetry, Media Tie In, Biography

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Helen Hayes Brown (October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress whose career spanned almost 70 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of the American Theatre" and was one of eleven people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award. Hayes also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, from President Ronald Reagan in 1986. In 1988, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. The annual Helen Hayes Awards, which have recognized excellence in professional theatre in the greater Washington, D.C. area since 1984, are her namesake. In 1955 the former Fulton Theatre on 46th Street in New York City's Broadway theater district was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre. When that venue was torn down in 1982, the nearby Little Theatre was renamed in her honor.

Hayes wrote three memoirs.

"We rely upon the poets, the philosophers, and the playwrights to articulate what most of us can only feel, in joy or sorrow. They illuminate the thoughts for which we only grope; they give us the strength and balm we cannot find in ourselves. Whenever I feel my courage wavering, I rush to them. They give me the wisdom of acceptance, the will and resiliance to push on." - Helen Hayes

Reviews

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen Hayes' autobiography offers a candid look into her sometimes tumultuous but ultimately fulfilling life, from her early years in the theatre to her marriage and great career success. Hayes does not varnish the difficulties of her life with a sheen of unbelievability, though her outlook is charmingly optimistic despite the trials, both personal and professional. A nicely balanced picture of a life, complete with tales of interactions with lions of entertainment history as well as adventures in the social world, marriage, children, and pets, Hayes' book does not shy away from the tragedy but presents it as eloquently as it does the humor. Hayes has a charming way with words, and her story is as engaging to read as I imagine it must have been to see her onstage.

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fame is so fleeting. I remember Helen Hayes as an old lady, the quintessential grandmother on the silver screen. There was much more I had heard about her so the book intrigued me.
The book is a memoir written for Helen Hayes' grandchildren. It was a way to tell them about people in their family who were gone before they were born. It was a history of her time in the theater and in movies.
So many of the people written about were only names I had never heard. In their day these people were famous drawing large audiences. Others were people whose names I had heard and perhaps had seen pictures of but they too were part of the long ago.
Helen Hayes was born about 1900 and started acting in 1908. She was famous on the stage around 1910. She grew up around the stars of the day and later the early stars in movies. She acted up into the 1960's.
Another side of Helen Hayes surrounded the personal tragedy when her 19-year-old daughter dies from polio. The loss killed her husband. She immersed herself in the Mothers' March of Dimes.
I remember the cards with slots for dimes at grocery stores. I remember pictures and stories of the rows of iron lungs inhabited by those paralyzed by polio. A friend of my mother's had a withered hand.
Polio is gone in this country now. It is gone because school children lined up at school for the vaccination, first a shot and later the sugar cubes. No vaccination is perfect but the few affected were a fraction of those killed and crippled by the disease.
This book was interesting and easy to read. It would be a good read for those who remember some of the old stars or movie and theater buffs.
Fame is fleeting. This book is a victim of passing time and short memories.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

You get a sense of the real woman behind the famous actress in this reminiscence. Much of the book is remembering how she started in show business, with a mother who really wanted to be an actress. Hayes started young, with a show by Lew Fields and developed a crush on dancer Vernon Castle. Her Irish heritage is stressed, something that I hadn’t realized was so much a part of her identity. The intended audience is her grandchildren, the children of her adopted son Jamie (actor James MacArthur). Hayes also had a daughter Mary, who died of polio before she turned 21. The great love of Hayes’s life was writer Charles MacArthur, a noted wit and successful playwright. He was also at times depressed and alcoholic, which placed great stress on their marriage, but she still writes of him with great affection. Since the book doesn’t go over her whole career, it’s not really an autobiography, but it does give us a good sense of what Helen Hayes was like.

[Ginny Thurston · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is always interesting to see an amazing life written by the person who lived it. The writing of it seemed a bit disjointed at times, and it never really delved deeply into any of the amazing people and subjects that were dropped in. There was a great deal of time spent on Helen’s crazy poodles but little on her children .... especially Mary, who I wanted to know in more depth. Some of the incidents would have been more interesting with specific dialogue and description. Regardless, it is worth reading just for the breadth of an amazing life.