DEAR ME, BY PETER USTINOV, AUTOBIOGRAPHY,1977, HCDJ

DEAR ME

BY

PETER USTINOV

AN ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS BOOK

LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY

BOSTON - TORONTO

1977

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"PETER USTINOV'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY, DEAR ME, SPARKLES WITH THE SATIRICAL PANACHE OF HIS BEST PERFORMANCES AND THE COSMOPOLLITAN SOPHISTICATION THAT SCINTILLATES IN HIS PLAYS, NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES."

"WHETHER TRACING HIS ANCESTRY--A WONDERFULLY IMPROBABLY MELODRAMA-COME -TRUE INVOLVING PERILOUS BORDER CROSSINGS IN SEARCH OF MISSING RELATIVES, SOCIETIES IN THE THROES OF REVOLUTION, SUITCASES STUFFED WITH MONEY, FATEFUL RENDEZVOUS, PASTRYCOOKS, ECCENTRIC BEHAVIOR, AND EXTRAVAGANT COINCIDENCES THAT WOULD GOGGLE A DICKENS--OR RELIVING THE DEVASTATIONINGLY CUTTING CRITICISMS OF HIS JOURNALIST-BOULEVARDIER-SPY FATHER, "KLOP", OR RECREATING THE EGO JOUSTS OF A DISTINGUISHED CAST FILMING A BIG BUDGET, SWORD AND SANDAL EPIC, USTINOV MAKES DEAR ME AT ONCE INTRIGUING, VARIED AND HUGELY ENTERTAINING."

"WE SEE THE AUTHOR AS THE ONE CHILD CABARET OF VOCAL MIMICRY, SCATTERING PEDESTRIANS WITH HIS SUDDEN, BLARING "HORNS AND BRAKES"..MANNING THE OAR FOR WESTMINSTER SCHOOL, PUNCTURING THE HULL BY ACCIDENT, AND WITH THE REST OF THE CREW, SETTLING GENTLY DOWN INTO THE WATER INDIAN FILE...TAKING HIS FIRST STEPS INTO ACTING, WHERE HIS UNIMPRESSED CLASSROOM TEACHERS FORESEEE A FUTURE LIMITED TO SHAKESPEAREAN CLOWNS..BUTTONHOLED BY CHARLES LAUGHTON WHO, IN A FIT OF GENROSITY, TREATS HIM TO A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF A DEMILLE POTBOILED (STARRING LAUGHTON AS NERO THAT THE UNFORTUNATE USTINOV HAS JUST SAT THROUGH...AS THE BLUNKERKIND OF THE BRITISH ARMY STORMING MAIDSTONE ALMOST SINGLEHANDEDLY...DISCOVERING HIS VOICE AS A PLAYWRITHT, EXHILARATED BY HIS FIRST SET OF FINE NOTICES AND, EMBARKING FULL SPEED AHEAD ON A BRILLIANT INTERNATIONAL CAREER.'

"INTO HIS MANY STORIES ABOUT THE VICISSITUDES OF WRITING AND PRODUCING SUCH HITS AS THE LOVE OF FOUR COLONELS, ROMANOFF AND FULIET, AND PHOTO FINISH AND HIS EXPERIENCES ON LOCATION WHILE SHOOTING LOLA MONTES, SPARTACUS, QUO VADIS, TOPKAPI AND BILLY BUDD, USTINOV WEAVES HIS DELIGHTFUL PLAYFULLY NUANCED APPRAISALS OF LAURENCE OLIVIER, EDITH EVANS, JOHN GIELGUD, RALPH RICHARDSON, DAVID NIVEN AND OTHERS."

"A TOUCHING PORTRAIT OF HIS MOTHER'S TROUBLED MARRIAGE, HIS EDGE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FATHER, HIS THOUGHTS ON THE PROGRESS OF A CIVILIZED INDIVIDUAL BESET BY THE PROBLEMS OF CHANGING SOCIAL MORES, NEW GENERATIONS, AND A FRACTIOUS, RATHER CRAZY GLOBAL COMMUNITY, AND HIS EDGY COLLOQUY WITH A NETTLING ALTER EGO ADD DEPTH TO THIS SPLENDIDLY VIVACIOUS MEMOIR."

"PETER USTINOV IS A PLAYWRIGHT, ACTOR, DIRECTOR, NOVELIST, ESSAYIST, SHORT STORY WRITER, MIMIC, FILM DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER, TV STAR, CARTOONIST, AND OPERA DIRECTOR.  HIS WORK HAS EARNED HIM TWO OSCARS, THREE EMMYS, A GRAMMY, A GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD, PLUS A NEW ORK DRAM CRITICS "BEST PLAY" AWARD FOR THE LOVE OF FOUR COLONELS. 

THIS BOOK IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.  THE DUSTJACKET IS LIGHTLY SOILED, WITH EDGE CREASES AND SMALL RIPS ALONG THE EDGES.  THE COVER IS LIGHTLY SOILED WITH SOME EDGE FADE, EDGES AND CORNERS GENTLY BUMPED AND SCRAPED. THE BINDING IS TIGHT AND ALL PAGES CLEAN AND INTACT.  THERE IS SOME PENCILED WRITING INSIDE THE COVER.  THERE ARE 374 PAGES AND ILLUSTRATED WITH BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS.