Dancing on the Edge

February 12, 2024
In this rollicking debut memoir, actor and dancer Tamblyn recounts his storied screen career with the aid of journalist Tomlinson (Good Girl). Born to actor parents in 1934 Los Angeles, Tamblyn resolved at an early age to join them on the silver screen. He began to study dance and acting at age 11; two years later, he landed his first role in a play written by actor Lloyd Bridges. His success in that show led to film offers, and before Tamblyn was 20, he’d signed an MGM contract. His breakout screen role came in 1954’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, in which he garnered attention for his dancing prowess. From there, Tamblyn went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for his performance in 1957’s Peyton Place. Throughout the narrative, Tamblyn drops big names and amusing anecdotes: he once gave Howard Hughes $10 for gas when the millionaire forgot his wallet, and gave Paul Newman a ride in the trunk of his car. But what sets this account apart is Tamblyn’s sunny disposition (“Whenever I’ve had the urge to do something, instead of worrying about what could go wrong or what people might think, I’ve just done it”) and frankness about his transgressions, including habitual adultery during his second marriage. This is one of those rare Hollywood memoirs whose appeal stretches far beyond its subject’s star power. Agent: David Dunton, Harvey Klinger Literary. (Apr.)Correction: An earlier version of this review misidentified the film for which Tamblyn received an Academy Award nomination.

March 1, 2024

Best known for his acrobatic dance style in the movie-musical classics Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and West Side Story, along with his unforgettable shovel dance in The Fastest Gun Alive, actor Tamblyn, with the help of former music journalist Sarah Tomlinson (The Last Days of the Midnight Rambler) joyfully reflects on his decades-long career in a fascinating memoir filled with anecdotes about Hollywood royalty. Born into a show business family, Tamblyn seemed destined for the movie roles that soon came fast and furious. He attended school with Elizabeth Taylor, loaned Howard Hughes gas money, and taught some dance moves to Elvis Presley. In the '60s, he developed a passion for creating fine art and 8mm films; he also took solace in lifelong friendships with Neil Young and Dennis Hopper. The book is forthcoming about Tamblyn's substance-use disorder, his first two marriages, and his brief time spent in an unconventional living arrangement with six women. He says he found redemption and love with his third wife and two daughters. VERDICT With his role in the Twin Peaks reboot and his numerous dance numbers finding new life online, Tamblyn, his engaging memoir, and his stories will be of high interest.--Lisa Henry

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2024
A handsome star of Hollywood's classic era recalls celebrity days and wilderness years. "The breadth of my career practically spans the history of cinema itself," writes Tamblyn (b. 1934) in this genial if sometimes defensive memoir. The son of vaudeville performers, as a child actor in the 1940s he sometimes absorbed abuse--e.g., he recalls getting an earful from Cecil B. DeMille on set when he was 14. As a contract actor with MGM, Tamblyn had steady work, culminating in his starring role as Riff in West Side Story and an Oscar nomination for his role in Peyton Place. By the early 1960s, though, he began to tire of the limelight. With friend and fellow actor Dean Stockwell, he began to dabble in the world of abstract art, Beat poetry, and looser norms around sex and drugs. Tamblyn passed on roles in TV shows like Gilligan's Island for being too square; instead, he sought out "the kind of thoughtful, cultural conversations I craved." A shortcoming of the book is that Tamblyn doesn't go very deep into his cultural interests. He celebrates his bacchanals with artists and musicians as freedom seeking while leveling judgment on an ex-wife's drinking; he eventually compromised his artistic values, taking roles in B movies in the '70s to make ends meet. However, his quirks worked in his favor: He caught the eye of camp-friendly directors like David Lynch (who cast Tamblyn in Twin Peaks) and Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained). Like all good Hollywood memoirists, the author has entertaining stories: helping Elvis Presley with his dance moves, describing a brief, curious affair between John Wayne and Marlene Dietrich, shooting pool with Janis Joplin, making a shaggy-dog film with Neil Young. Ultimately, Tamblyn emerges as a fun but enigmatic figure. A personable, off-beat Tinseltown memoir.

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