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Angela Lansbury: A Biography
A biography of the star of the television series, "Murder, She Wrote," looks at Angela Lansbury's acting career and numerous roles from Auntie Mame and Mama Rose, to Mrs. Lovett and Jessica Fletcher
225 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1987
3 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Wander Bonanno
35 books46 followersMargaret Wander Bonanno was an American science fiction writer, ghost writer and small press publisher. She was born in New York City. She wrote seven Star Trek novels, several science fiction novels set in her own worlds, including The Others, a collaborative novel with Nichelle Nichols, a biography, and other works.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 6, 2016
I have an interesting reaction to celebrity biographies. More often than not, if I like the work of the person being profiled, I look forward to the book with great anticipation. Sometimes, it lives up to my expectations. Quite often, though, I come away wishing I hadn't wasted my time. Over the past year or so, I've been thinking a great deal about what I like and don't like about these books in the hope that I'll be able to know from reviews whether it's worth spending time with them and I've actually come to some helpful conclusions. As I review this, I'll share those with you both because doing so might help you make your own decisions and because I'd love to know what criteria others use when evaluating this very popular genre.
My earliest memories of Angela Lansbury harken back to the late 1960's when WVNJ used to broadcast a theater music show every night at 8:00. I, of course, absolutely loved it and couldn't wait for each night's installment. Usually, they played complete cast recordings which proved to be a fabulous way to learn about the American musical and to develop a deep appreciation for the art form. Sometimes, though, they would spend the hour playing random tracks from different shows. One selection they frequently aired was a song called "If He Walked into my Life," from the musical MAME. I absolutely loved everything about it; (it's still one of my favorites.) However, one day, as I was riding in the car with my father, a song came on the radio which sounded quite familiar, though it took me a moment to figure out why. It was that fabulous tune from MAME, but, while it was pleasant enough, it didn't really capture my heart; in fact, it seemed sort of bland. Why? Well, partly because of the rather perfunctory orchestrations, but largely because of the singer. Eydie Gormé had a nice voice, but, for me, her rendition didn't hold a candle to The Lansbury original. Years later, I heard Streisand say that she views each song as a short theater piece and I realized that it's that approach which causes me to prefer the Broadway versions of songs to their popular counterparts.
At any rate, that was my introduction to Angela Lansbury.
In around 1975, my parents took me to the Westbury Music Fair to see GYPSY, a show whose score I loved, but which I had never before seen. Rose Hovick, the lead character, was played by ... you guessed it, the incomparable Angela Lansbury! GYPSY is one of the finest musicals ever written. It is extremely entertaining, and, if well performed, it also leaves the audience with a great deal to think about. With that said, I've seen some truly awful productions of it. When GYPSY bombs, it's because the actress playing Rose can't handle this extremely complex role. Lansbury's performance was so powerful that it haunted me for months and months!
As a result of these experiences, I have followed her career with great interest. And she never disappoints me. I have not had another chance to see her perform live, but I've heard all of her subsequent recordings and I'm always amazed by her incredible talent and by the truth she brings to the roles she plays.
Nowadays, most people probably know her as Jessica Fletcher in the popular TV series "Murder, She Wrote." I loved, loved, loved that show and I still catch reruns whenever I can. A couple of years ago, I learned that there were also books featuring Jessica Fletcher and I was surprised to find that, while they were sort of entertaining, I didn't especially like them. Here again, I think that Lansbury provided that extra something that made the character work so well for me.
With that as background, I'll finally get back to the book in question, (smile.)
This biography is comprised of a bunch of rather short sections separated by quotes from a variety of sources. It is presented in chronological order and is extremely comprehensive. To the author's credit, it never seems to get bogged down in detail, though from what I can tell, just about every movie or show is at least mentioned. I was very happy to see that both ANYONE CAN WHISTLE and the less important Prettybell, two unsuccessful musicals in which Lansbury appeared, are given their due. I was fascinated to read about Lansbury's early movie career since I was not aware of just how many movies she made. I knew nothing of the numerous television performances she gave in the 50's, often on anthology shows such as "Playhouse 90."
I knew next to nothing about Angela's personal life and it was interesting to learn a bit about that. I admire her for taking her role as a mother so seriously and for the effort she made to be sure that her career didn't negatively impact her children. Both her son and daughter had serious drug problems and I admire the way she dealt with that.
With that said, you won't find pages and pages about her private life. And for me, that's a definite strength. I've come to the conclusion that what I am looking for when I read such books is to get to know the subjects in the same way as I know the people who work in my office. I want to know a bit about their lives outside of their careers, but I really don't care about the minute details unless those details impact their work in an important way. If you are looking for a "tell all" book, this isn't the biography for you.
If you are extremely familiar with all of Lansbury's work, you will probably find that this book doesn't give you much to think about. You'll probably enjoy it for the many happy memories you'll have while reading it.
This was written in 1987; so it stops with "Murder she Wrote."
My research shows that Ms. Bonanno is primarily known for writing science fiction. I'd love to know what propelled her to write this celebrity biography and what it was like for her to switch genres.
The catalog annotation for this book describes it as "an appreciative look at the life and career" of this phenomenally talented performer and that is exactly what it is. If that's the sort of biography you like, I would urge you to give this a try. I absolutely loved it and I'm glad to have gotten to know a bit more about one of my favorite performers.
My earliest memories of Angela Lansbury harken back to the late 1960's when WVNJ used to broadcast a theater music show every night at 8:00. I, of course, absolutely loved it and couldn't wait for each night's installment. Usually, they played complete cast recordings which proved to be a fabulous way to learn about the American musical and to develop a deep appreciation for the art form. Sometimes, though, they would spend the hour playing random tracks from different shows. One selection they frequently aired was a song called "If He Walked into my Life," from the musical MAME. I absolutely loved everything about it; (it's still one of my favorites.) However, one day, as I was riding in the car with my father, a song came on the radio which sounded quite familiar, though it took me a moment to figure out why. It was that fabulous tune from MAME, but, while it was pleasant enough, it didn't really capture my heart; in fact, it seemed sort of bland. Why? Well, partly because of the rather perfunctory orchestrations, but largely because of the singer. Eydie Gormé had a nice voice, but, for me, her rendition didn't hold a candle to The Lansbury original. Years later, I heard Streisand say that she views each song as a short theater piece and I realized that it's that approach which causes me to prefer the Broadway versions of songs to their popular counterparts.
At any rate, that was my introduction to Angela Lansbury.
In around 1975, my parents took me to the Westbury Music Fair to see GYPSY, a show whose score I loved, but which I had never before seen. Rose Hovick, the lead character, was played by ... you guessed it, the incomparable Angela Lansbury! GYPSY is one of the finest musicals ever written. It is extremely entertaining, and, if well performed, it also leaves the audience with a great deal to think about. With that said, I've seen some truly awful productions of it. When GYPSY bombs, it's because the actress playing Rose can't handle this extremely complex role. Lansbury's performance was so powerful that it haunted me for months and months!
As a result of these experiences, I have followed her career with great interest. And she never disappoints me. I have not had another chance to see her perform live, but I've heard all of her subsequent recordings and I'm always amazed by her incredible talent and by the truth she brings to the roles she plays.
Nowadays, most people probably know her as Jessica Fletcher in the popular TV series "Murder, She Wrote." I loved, loved, loved that show and I still catch reruns whenever I can. A couple of years ago, I learned that there were also books featuring Jessica Fletcher and I was surprised to find that, while they were sort of entertaining, I didn't especially like them. Here again, I think that Lansbury provided that extra something that made the character work so well for me.
With that as background, I'll finally get back to the book in question, (smile.)
This biography is comprised of a bunch of rather short sections separated by quotes from a variety of sources. It is presented in chronological order and is extremely comprehensive. To the author's credit, it never seems to get bogged down in detail, though from what I can tell, just about every movie or show is at least mentioned. I was very happy to see that both ANYONE CAN WHISTLE and the less important Prettybell, two unsuccessful musicals in which Lansbury appeared, are given their due. I was fascinated to read about Lansbury's early movie career since I was not aware of just how many movies she made. I knew nothing of the numerous television performances she gave in the 50's, often on anthology shows such as "Playhouse 90."
I knew next to nothing about Angela's personal life and it was interesting to learn a bit about that. I admire her for taking her role as a mother so seriously and for the effort she made to be sure that her career didn't negatively impact her children. Both her son and daughter had serious drug problems and I admire the way she dealt with that.
With that said, you won't find pages and pages about her private life. And for me, that's a definite strength. I've come to the conclusion that what I am looking for when I read such books is to get to know the subjects in the same way as I know the people who work in my office. I want to know a bit about their lives outside of their careers, but I really don't care about the minute details unless those details impact their work in an important way. If you are looking for a "tell all" book, this isn't the biography for you.
If you are extremely familiar with all of Lansbury's work, you will probably find that this book doesn't give you much to think about. You'll probably enjoy it for the many happy memories you'll have while reading it.
This was written in 1987; so it stops with "Murder she Wrote."
My research shows that Ms. Bonanno is primarily known for writing science fiction. I'd love to know what propelled her to write this celebrity biography and what it was like for her to switch genres.
The catalog annotation for this book describes it as "an appreciative look at the life and career" of this phenomenally talented performer and that is exactly what it is. If that's the sort of biography you like, I would urge you to give this a try. I absolutely loved it and I'm glad to have gotten to know a bit more about one of my favorite performers.
October 13, 2013
Fascinating book about a fascinating lady with so many tales and stories about Broadway and the career of a woman that has spanned decades.
February 23, 2026
Una buona biografia, ricca di spunti interessanti! Non è facile da reperire comunque... Io infatti l'ho comprata di seconda mano. Per chi fosse interessato alla Lansbury, lo consiglio.
Want to Read
February 22, 2009I believe I haven't read this one. But have heard about it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews