Betty Garrett - Betty Garrett and Other Songs: A Life on Stage and Screen

A Life on Stage and Screen

BETTY GARRETT
WITH RON RAPOPORT

Copyright 1998, 2000 by Betty Garrett and Ron Rapoport

First paperback printing 2000

All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
or by any electronic or mechanical means, including
information storage and retrieval systems, without written
permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who
may quote passages in a review.

Published by Madison Books
4720 Boston Way
Lanham, Maryland 20706

12 Hids Copse Road
Cumnor Hill, Oxford OX2 9JJ, England

Distributed by National Book Network

The hardback edition of this book was previously catalogued
by the Library of Congress as follows:

Garrett, Betty.

Betty Garrett and other songs: a life on stage and screen /
Betty Garrett with Ron Rapoport.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Garrett, Betty. 2. ActorsUnited StatesBibliography.
I. Title.

PN2287.G388A3 1997

792.028092dc21 97-24714

CIP

ISBN: 978-1-56833-133-1

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials. ANSI/NISO Z39.481992.
Manufactured in the United States of America.

For my mother, Octavia

My husband, Larry

My kids, Andrew, Garrett, and Karen

and Madison Claire

If they run you out of town, be sure youre just ahead of them so it looks like a parade.

Sally Stanford, famous San Francisco
madam and later mayor of Sausalito

It aint what happens to you, its how you handle it.

Anonymous

I would like to express my gratitude to a number of people who have been helpful in writing this book.

Robert E. Kimball, the eminent musical comedy historian, provided invaluable help with the musical references as did Edgar Bullington of the International Al Jolson Society, Jo Sullivan Loesser, Eric Blau, and Hilary Masters.

For their enthusiasm, encouragement, and help, thank you to Robin Adler, Deirdre Mullervy, Jon Sisk, and Glenn Popson at Madison Books. They made me feel as if I were actually doing something worthwhile. Thanks, too, to agents Mark Levin and Mike Hamilburg, who were instrumental in getting the book started and drawing up the contracts.

I am also grateful to Milo Mandel, my manager, and his wife, Isabel, for taking the time to plow through the manuscript and for offering their gentle suggestions and pats on the back.

Robert Culliver, my daughter-in-laws father, was the first to read the manuscript and made many good non-show-biz comments and suggestions.

To my son, Garrett Parks, I owe eternal thanks for his remarkable perception about the things that are important in this book and for his valuable suggestions. And to my younger son, Andrew Parks, Garretts wife, Karen Culliver, and my granddaughter, Maddy Clairethank you for bringing such joy into my life that it made me want to write this book.

Last but not least, monumental thanks to Ron Rapoport, my collaborator, who sat morning after morning and listened to my ramblings, then went home and tried to make sense of them. (And thanks to his wife, Joan, who had the tedious job of transcribing the tapes. I suggested hiring a secretary, but she would have none of it. She said she was having too much fun listening to me talk. Bless her!)

I am most grateful to Ron for how he kept my voice, my way of expression, even when it was not so hot. He prodded me, kept me remembering and talking, then checked the dates and details. My memory, even of events from many years ago, turned out to be quite good, he tells me. What is nice is that we not only came up with a book but also with a warm, wonderful friendship Im sure will last for the rest of our lives.

Betty Garrett
Studio City, California
August 1997

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material:

Allan Roberts Music Co.: Humphrey Bogart Rhumba, by Allan Roberts and Lester Lee. Copyright 1949 (Renewed) by Allan Roberts Music Co., administered by Music Sales Corporation and George Simon Music Co., administered by Len Freedman Music. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by Permission.

Beachaven Music Corp.: Okl Baby Dokl, by Sidney Miller and Inez James. Copyright 1946 by Beachaven Music Corp. Reprinted by permission.

Blitzstein Music Co.: Come Dance The Carmagnole, by Marc Blitzstein. Copyright Blitzstein Music Co. Reprinted by permission.

Donaldson Publishing Co.: It Made You Happy When You Made Me Cry, song by Walter Donaldson. 1926; Copyright Renewal 1954 Donaldson Publishing Company. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

Ellen C. Masters: Lines from Hannah Armstrong and Lucinda Matlock from Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters. Originally published by the Macmillan Company. Permission by Ellen C. Masters.

Eric Blau: Youre Not Alone. An adaptation of Jacques Brels Jef by Eric Blau from the musical Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris. Permission by Eric Blau.

Frank Music Corp.: Baby, Its Cold Outside, by Frank Loesser. Copyright 1948 by Frank Music Corp. Copyright renewed 1976 by Frank Music Corp. Used by permission.

Herald Square Music, Inc.: Im Still Here, by Stephen Sondheim. Copyright 1971 by Range Road Music Inc., Quartet Music Inc., Rilting Music, Inc. and Burthen Music Co., Inc. All rights administered by Herald Square Music, Inc. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.

Irving Berlin Music Co.: Lyric excerpts of Whatll I Do? by Irving Berlin. Copyright 1924 by Irving Berlin. Copyright Renewed. International Copyright Secured. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.

MCA Music Publishing: Mary C. Brown And The Hollywood Sign, by Dory Previn. Copyright 1971 MCA Music Publishing, A Division Of Universal Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Used by permission.

The Pussy Cat Song, by Dick Manning. Copyright 1947 MCA Music Publishing, A Division Of Universal Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Used by permission.

Scrub Me Mama (With A Boogie Beat), by Don Raye. Copyright 1940 MCA Music Publishing, A Division Of Universal Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Used by permission.

The Songwriters Guild of America: Louella, by Harold Adamson and Jimmy McHugh. Harold Adamson Music (ASCAP) c/o The Songwriters Guild of America, Cotton Club Music (ASCAP) c/o The Songwriters Guild of America. All Rights Reserved.

Warner Bros. Publications U.S. Inc. Cycles, by Gayle Caldwell. 1968 (Renewed) Irving Music, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission. Warner Bros. Publications U.S. Inc., Miami, FL 33014.

Im In Love With A Soldier Boy, by Cole Porter. 1943 Chappell & Co. Renewed, Assigned to John F. Wharton, Trustee of the Cole Porter Musical & Literary Property Trusts. Chappell & Co. owner of publications and allied rights throughout the world. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Warner Bros. Publications U.S. Inc., Miami, FL 33014.