I Got Rhythm: The Ethel Merman Story

by Bob Thomas

A noted reporter of the Hollywood scene provides a candid, close-up study of the life of the great Ethel Merman, Queen of Broadway, who introduced the biggest hit songs of Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, and Sondheim

Genres: Music

239 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Robert Joseph "Bob" Thomas was an American Hollywood film industry biographer and reporter who worked for the Associated Press from 1944.

Born in San Diego, he grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a film publicist. He attended UCLA. He lived in Encino with his wife, Patricia. They have three daughters. Thomas, aged 92, died on March 14, 2014 at his home.

Thomas made his mark by engaging celebrities in activities that brought out their personalities, whether by measuring their waistline after childbirth (as he did with Betty Grable) or testing just how tall a leading lady needed to be by kissing her himself (as he did with June Haver). Acclaimed as the dean of Hollywood reporters, Bob Thomas wrote about the movie business for the Associated Press since the days when Hollywood was run by the men who founded it: Jack Warner, Darryl F. Zanuck, Harry Cohn and Louis B. Mayer.

During his long history of reporting for the AP, Thomas authored at least 30 books. Many in the film industry credit his 1969 biography of producer Irving G. Thalberg as sparking their interest in pursuing a career behind the scenes. Other Thomas biographies include Joan Crawford, Marlon Brando, David O. Selznick, Walter Winchell, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Howard Hughes, Abbott & Costello, Walt Disney, and a children's book, Walt Disney: Magician of the Movies. - Wikipedia

Reviews

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nowadays, even people who love Broadway musicals don't seem to appreciate Ethel Merman. Those who host radio shows and podcasts devoted to the genre give her some attention, but make it clear that the only reason they do so is because she played a major role in its history.

I, on the other hand, have always enjoyed her work. She was one of the very first Broadway performers I could identify by name, partly because "The Girl That I Marry" (from ANNIE, GET YOUR GUN), was the song my parents referred to as "their song" and partly because I frequently heard her on the theater music shows I regularly enjoyed. Her bold, brassy delivery, as well as her tender side (which is often downplayed), attracted my attention and I well recall her many TV appearances during the late 1960's and early 70's. So I was interested to learn more about her.

This is a well researched, thorough, and extremely readable biography of the legendary star. Even though it is quite short (I started it yesterday and finished it today), it covers Merman's life and personality in great detail.

I will admit that I preferred the sections which told of Merman's theater work and recounted the many anecdotes surrounding the shows in which she appeared. (I've heard most, if not all of them before, but that didn't take away from my delight in reading them.) I became rather tired of the sections about Merman's personal life, largely because the author made the same points about her personality over and over and over again. Anecdote after anecdote illustrated how rude and self absorbed she could be and how she made sure that she was the center of attention. My other problem is that the portrayal of Merman lacks nuance. This may be because she was not a particularly complex person; if that's the case, the author may not have had much to work with. Those who follow my reviews will recall that, earlier in the year, I gave a glowing review to David Kaufman's biography of Mary Martin, "Some Enchanted Evenings." As I read, I found myself wondering if the results would have been more interesting had Kaufman written the book.

despite what appears to be the case here, I actually read an audio version of the book prepared for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. I'm awfully glad Ray Hagen was chosen to narrate this. Hagen clearly has a deep knowledge of Merman's work which influences the choices he makes as a narrator. It's too bad not all goodreads fans can hear his brilliant work on this one.

If you have a strong interest in the musical theater or in Merman, this is definitely a book you won't want to miss. It's not the most interesting biography I've seen, but I am awfully glad I read it.

[Katie Cotter]

Autobiographies are tricky. But she didn't overestimate her talent and was frank about her struggles.

[Howard Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skips a lot of data along the way but anything about THE MERM is welcomed.