Burt Reynolds (1936–2018)

“B.L. Stryker is an ex-cop who lives on a broken-down houseboat in West Palm Beach. The boat was just a shell, no heart, no guts — just like Hollywood.” — Burt Reynolds


Not an autobiography but a memoir of reminiscences about the people in his life, the people he’s worked with and known, But Enough About Me is immensely enjoyable. Refreshingly candid, tempered by Burt Reynold’s charm and the wisdom that only comes with age, this is simply marvelous. Not only will anyone like myself, who is a big fan of Burt and his films enjoy it, but those who aren’t as familiar with the iconic star’s films and career will discover a genuine and likable person between these reminiscences. The stories and recollections reveal as much about Burt himself as they do about those he recalls. In that way, this is almost better than a bio, because the reader gets a sense of Burt himself, and we like him.

While this is by no means some salacious tell-all, he is candid. Even when on occasion it’s obvious Burt had issues with someone, however, he doesn’t try to belittle their achievements or talent, and tries to be fair, realizing that perhaps he only experienced one side, and we are all more than just one thing. No one knows this more than Reynolds, whose career and life has been somewhat of a rollercoaster, much of it played out in the public eye. “Kind” and “thoughtful” are two words which come to mind when you finish reading this memoir. “Honest” is another one, and he’s glaringly honest about his own life, mistakes of youth or temperament. You come away wishing this guy was your friend, and maybe that part of him came across on screen.

There are some wonderful stories and reflections on people Burt has known and occasionally some true insight. He’s picked delicious — not unsavory — moments at times to give you a sense of that person. Most often, it paints them in a good light, and when it doesn’t, he leaves it there, just relating his experiences without forcing his assessment of the person onto the reader. The names in this memoir range from great in stature to people you may not have ever heard of, but all of them are interesting. While you do get some sense of Burt’s youth, especially his relationship with his father, and even a moment of fate — a ticket for speeding as a teenager perhaps saved his life because of what happened up the road — this is mostly the adult Burt, and the star Burt, and all those great people.

Some of the memories are bittersweet, as in his recollections of Dinah Shore. A moment when he’s gifting a house to Charles Nelson Riley, then can’t bring himself to go inside because he suddenly realizes how much time he spent there with Sally Field (the great regret of his life, apparently) is quite telling. In the actors and movie stars section near the end of this memoir there is a very brief but incredibly illuminating Marilyn Monroe story that shows without doubt that there was much more to her than people realized, and she knew exactly what she was doing. There is a lot of humor here, not just from Burt, but also those he recalls, sometimes with great affection. Here’s a guy who feels bad that he didn’t stand up more for the lovely Catherine Deneuve, who he thought was splendid, when a director on a film they were making was giving her a rough time for no apparent reason.

Though there is never anything mean-spirited here, the discerning reader will come away not liking a few people — or perhaps liking them less than before. This is because it’s near impossible not to like Burt, and you can really tell he’s being honest here, rather than lashing out. If anything, he’s perhaps too fair. Mostly though, this is a book with warm, kind reminiscences of those who passed through Burt’s life, especially the ones who stayed, even through the lean years, the illnesses and other issues. It’s the kind of book that’s a pleasure to experience on your own. I walked away with a much different picture of the great Jim Brown after reading this, for example. Because it’s best not to ruin the experience of reading this, I’ll only share a couple of quotes. The first has been around, but it will be new to many. It involves Burt and Clint Eastwood being canned by Universal on the same day. The executive told Clint that his adam’s apple stuck out too far, and told Burt that he couldn’t act. As they are walking out of the studio, unemployed, this happens:

“You’re in a lot of trouble.” — Burt

“Why’s that?” — Clint

“Because, I can learn to act.” — Burt

One of the longest sections about anyone is the memory Burt has of Johnny Carson. It’s really terrific, and it shows just how much Burt hates these salacious tell-all, one-sided biographies that are written when a man or woman is no longer around to defend themselves:

“Since his death, things have been written portraying Johnny as a monster. That’s not the man I knew. I think he was a national treasure, and his contribution wasn’t fully appreciated until after he was gone. Only then did we begin to realize that he was a bigger part of our lives than we’d thought. Off-camera he may have been difficult at times, but I didn’t see that side of him. I saw a generous, loyal friend.”

You get a little of the films in this memoir, but a lot of impressions of the people who starred in them, made them, or were just around Hollywood. If you didn’t like Burt Reynolds before you read this, you might after finishing it. Maybe Johnny isn’t the only national treasure, after all…… (mer)

Funnyman, television host, football star, legit member of the stuntman's union, actor in television, movies, and theatre, and acting teacher. Not to mention frequently being a little boy in a man's body.

I can say that this is, without a shade of doubt, mostly true but with a heavy dollop of legacy-building Vaseline on the lens. I get it. He's building that legacy, hoping to be remembered for his accomplishments, his friendships, and the good things he's done for others. And there are so many of those, that this is likely to actually BE his legacy.

Cool.

I don't even mind that he simply glossed over the times he was a bad boy, or selfish, or an idiot. That's for others. I can't say that I would have expected Burt Reynolds to expose the warts... I can't say that I really wanted him to. It was pleasant and all-round enjoyable to take a spin through Burt's (yes, I feel we're on a first name basis, now) life.

He has given me much enjoyment through my life and I'm glad that, in his later years, he had come to get such satisfaction from teaching acting.

Rest easy, Bandit.… (mer)

I live near Jupiter Florida and Burt was definitely Jupiter's favorite son. After seeing that he recently passed away I wanted to read his memoir. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It came across as warm and sincere. I especially loved his recollections of growing up in South Florida. The book was equal parts personal stories and stories about famous people he knew. I think he let Loni Anderson off pretty easily. Even though there was a lot of acrimony she actually did host his funeral along with their son.

My girlfriend and I went on a Burt Reynolds field trip. He lived across the street from the park he fondly recounted swimming in with the alligators but where he lived is in a gated community so we couldn't see the house. His ranch where Smokey and the Bandit was filmed has been sold for a housing development. The closest we got was taking our picture in front of the sign at Burt Reynolds Park. Burt gave a lot back to the community of Jupiter. He will be sorely missed.… (mer)