Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds' rugged good looks helped propel him into a successful acting career, but young Buddy (as he was known to family and friends) had other ambitions in high school and college. Raised in South Florida, Buddy was a 'wild kid', frequently disciplined by his father Burton Reynolds Sr. - a war hero and cop.
Buddy and his friends got into fights; took dangerous joyrides on a homemade zipline; misbehaved in school; regularly dove fifty feet into the Boynton Beach inlet; went out on airboats to harass deer (which the author admits was cruel and stupid); swam in the vicinity of gators; and more. Buddy also channeled his energy into sports - playing football, baseball, and basketball through high school.
Burt Reynolds in high school
Buddy went to Florida State University on a football scholarship, hoping to join the pros. However a football injury and car accident dashed Buddy's sports dreams and he wound up at Palm Beach Junior College. There an English professor named Watson Duncan pushed Buddy into acting - and the rest is history.
Burt Reynolds played football in college
Burt Reynolds isn't shy about his youthful antics, which included dating lots and lots of girls (and a few 'older women') who apparently found him irresistible. 🙂 In fact much of Burt's life was driven by his eye for the ladies, and he admits that he often did movies because of the leading lady rather than the script. Burt admits this left him with a less than stellar oeuvre, but he has few regrets and says "Nobody had more fun than I did."
'But Enough About Me' is structured by topic rather than chronologically, and Burt writes about his family; friends; career; television shows; movies; romances; Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre; Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre (which housed his acting school); and more. Burt's father didn't approve of his acting career, thinking it was a job for sissies. However Burt carried on regardless, always striving to get an attaboy from his dad. Finally, towards the end of his life, Burt Sr. said "I'm proud of you"....and that was enough.
Burt Reynolds' mother and father
Like many young actors, twenty-year-old Burt headed for New York, where he got small parts on Broadway, 'said no' to Greta Garbo, and was roommates with the actor Rip Torn.
Greta Garbo
Rip Torn
Burt then went to Hollywood, where he starred in television shows like 'Riverboat' and 'Gunsmoke' before he made it big in movies, especially thrillers, westerns, and adventure films.
Burt Reynolds on 'Riverboat' with Darren McGavin (left)
Burt Reynolds in 'Gunsmoke' with James Arness (left)
Burt's role as outdoorsman Lewis Medlock in 'Deliverance' drove his career into high gear, and the actor relates many tales about the film's production and stars. Burt was a major box office attraction during the late 1970s and 80s, and his comedies - 'Smokey and the Bandit' and 'Cannonball Run' - did very well and garnered sequels. Burt received a single Academy Award nomination, for his role as a porn-film producer in 1997's 'Boogie Nights.'
Burt Reynolds in 'Deliverance'
Burt Reynolds in 'Smokey and the Bandit'
Burt Reynolds in 'Cannonball Run' with Dom Deluise (right)
Burt Reynolds in 'Boogie Nights'
At the height of his career Burt forewent a number of good opportunities. He could have been TV's 'Batman' and was offered starring roles in 'Die Hard', 'Pretty Woman', 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', and 'Terms of Endearment.' Burt admits he was more interested in having a good time than doing the best movies, and his career had its ups and downs. The actor muses: "When you're on top, you knows there's only one way to go, but you can't prepare yourself for it, in the same way you know your mother and father are going to die but it still comes as a shock when it happens."
Burt was ill-served by carelessness with money and people who took advantage of him, and he suffered through a humiliating bankruptcy. Burt recalls "There are people who kicked me when I was down, but I don't want to get even." (He doesn't mention who these people were.)
Burt Reynolds' career had ups and downs
In the 'major romance' department, Burt was briefly married to the British actress Judy Carne, known as the "Sock-It-To-Me Girl" on 'Laugh-In.' Burt also had a long-term relationship with the singer, actress, and television personality Dinah Shore, and implies that he broke up with her because he wanted to play around. Later, Burt got involved with Sally Field, but the love affair fizzled out after five years. Burt says "I'm sorry we couldn't make it work. It's the biggest regret of my life."
Judy Carnes was Burt Reynolds' first wife
Burt Reynolds had a long relationship with Dinah Shore
Burt Reynolds had a serious romance with Sally Field
Finally, Burt married Loni Anderson and they adopted a son Quinton, who Burt cherished. Still, Burt says he 'never liked' Loni and apparently married her with very cold feet. After the inevitable divorce, Loni made Burt sell off his personal memorabilia to pay off the divorce settlement.
Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson married and adopted a son named Quinton
During his career Burt met lots of show business people and those he knew best get a brief biography and a few reminiscences. For example:
• Spencer Tracy - Tracy gave Burt valuable acting advice: "Do what you want. F**k the director" and "Acting is great profession as long as nobody catches you at it." (In other words, don't look like you're acting.)
Spencer Tracy
• Darren McGavin - Burt recalls "He was an ornery son of a bitch and he threw his weight around. He went out of his way to make me look bad on camera."
Darren McGavin
• Bette Davis - "She loved to gossip about the people she worked with and she hated Joan Crawford. Bette would call people terrible names and if a director was incompetent she'd roll right over him." Burt says "I think part of the reason that we got along was that I wasn't intimidated by her."
Bette Davis
• Frank Sinatra - Burt notes "Frank could be so charming and thoughtful, it was scary. But he could also be unbelievably cruel. You could tell pretty quickly if it was a bad day, and you left him alone."
Frank Sinatra
• Johnny Carson - Burt writes "Almost everything good that happened in my career started with Johnny Carson. After my appearances on 'The Tonight Show' my public image went from a constipated actor who never took a chance to a cocky, wisecracking character."
Johhny Carson
• Clint Eastwood - Burt opines "As a director Clint knows what he wants and how to get it. He saves the studio more money than ten directors because he's good with actors." Burt recalls "One Christmas I gave Clint a basset hound. He fell in love with it and named it Grunk. They were perfect together."
Clint Eastwood
The book has additional observations about Burt's acting and directing career as well as his regrets about posing nude for 'Cosmopolitan' and doing his own stunts - which left him hurting and damaged in the end. Burt also relates lots more stories about people he knew - most of whom he talks about with affection. For people who 'did him wrong', Burt generally has few or no words.
Burt Reynolds posed nude for 'Cosmopolitan' (I cropped the photo to avoid offending anyone, though his hand covers his privates.)
Burt Reynolds did many of his own stunts
Towards the end of the book Burt discusses his dinner theatre in Jupiter, Florida - which put on stage shows for reasonable prices, and his acting school - where he taught until the end of his life. Sadly, Burt passed away in 2018 at the age of 82. A fitting epitaph can be taken from Burt's own words: "I'm proud of my accomplishments and disappointed by my failures. I always wanted to experience everything and go down swinging." And he did.
Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre
Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre
Burt Reynolds
I enjoyed the book, which is written in straightforward prose without a lot of flourishes. Burt had a story to tell, and - with the help of his co-writer Jon Winokur - he told it well. I'd recommend the book to fans of the actor and readers who like celebrity memoirs.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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