Most Remarkable Fella, A: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life: A Portrait by His Daughter

by Susan Loesser

Composer, lyricist and driving force behind such songs and stage productions as “Heart and Soul ” “Baby, It's Cold Outside ” Guys and Dolls and The Most Happy Fella , Frank Loesser left an indelible mark on American music. In this rich and revealing biography, his daughter profiles this prolific musical mastermind, piecing together her own memories with those of singers, songwriters, producers, friends and family members. The result is an accurate account of what it was like to know Frank a very funny man with a fiery temper whose ferocious commitment to his art drove singers out of their minds – and to their best. This comprehensive account of Loesser's life and career includes photos, drawings, lyrics and an index.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

322 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1993

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite genres, bios or memoirs about composers and lyricists this is a book that I owned for twenty five years before I began reading it. Susan Loesser spares no descriptions of her mother's erratic behavior, strange family dynamics, her father's explosive temperament, and yet their creativity rises to the surface. On the outside a privileged upbringing in Hollywood and New York City didn't compensate for feeling a neglected childhood where her cherished nanny was the only affectionate adult in her sphere.
I enjoyed every page and am so grateful that even delayed, I finally selected A MOST REMARKABLE FELLA from the shelf.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a remarkably long title, for a remarkably meh sort of book. Susan Loesser isn't a bad writer, but she's not really all that good either. Methinks she was cashing in on the successful 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls. What I came away with from the memoir is that Frank Loesser was a remarkable dicksmack - he sounds awful. Still, the book has some behind the stage Broadway gossip, some of which was new at least to me. So it wasn't all bad.

[Alecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

After attending a delightful "musical talk" on Frank Loesser recently, I decided to purchase this book and read it. Susan Loesser, the author and Frank's daughter, was part of the talk, and she had brought along some of her books to inscribe and sell. I found it to be an honest and engaging tribute to her beloved, brilliantly talented and difficult father.

[D. George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. The good & the bad, the great and the awful -- and wonderfully comprehensive.

[Maryellen Cyr · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book makes the case that children of the subject of a biography may not necessarily be the best authors.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life: A Portrait by His Daughter by Susan Loesser (Donald I. Fine Inc. 1998) (780.92) is the story of a remarkable lyricist and songwriter who is personally responsible for the creation of some of my favorite music from Broadway. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1949 for "Baby It's Cold Outside." He won two Tony Awards for the musical "Guys and Dolls," and he wrote the music and lyrics for the show "Hans Christian Anderson." Remarkably, he also won in 1962 a Pulitzer Prize for drama and two more Tonys for the music and lyrics to "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." He really was a most remarkable man! My rating: 6.5/10, finished 2/7/14.