Act One: An Autobiography

As a rule, I don't like autobiographies. They are often not well written. But I found this one very gripping and very nicely written. It's a rags to riches story, one that would be enjoyed by anyone who likes to read about the pursuit and capture of the American Dream. Here are the things I enjoyed the most: the description of his collaborative process with George S. Kaufman; the ups and downs of the writing and staging of "Once in a Lifetime," his first Broadway hit; the ending, which was deeply satisfying; his concern and affection for his brother and aunt; the humor that infuses so much of the descriptions of his struggles. What I wished was different: Oh my goodness, were there typos and formatting problems in this Kindle edition! I reported a lot of them, so I'm hoping they will be fixed. Most of the time I could figure out what was meant to be said: many times the word "die" appeared when the word "the" was wanted and many times a paragraph was broken in the middle and a few times the first word was truncated from the opening sentence of a paragraph. I also wished that he had described the plot of the play "Once in a Lifetime." And for me, the times he spent as a camp director were agonizing because they were agonizing for him. I know a lot of people found these passages very funny, and I understand that, but it was all too real for me. But these are very minor quibbles. The book was uplifting, inspiring and written by a man who made his living writing. It gives you insight into the world of the theater and some of the things that come with it--parties, eccentric personalities, soaring triumphs and smashing defeats. It is a very enjoyable, accessible and fun read. I also recommend "At Random," Bennett Cerf's autobiography about the publishing business, and "The Name Above the Title," Frank Capra's autobiography. They are both as gripping as this one.

When we talk about theater books, there is Moss Hart's Act One and then there are all the other books. Hart's memoirs about his early days as a struggling playwright absolutely bursts with humor, energy, sharply drawn anecdotes and human portraits. Hart was a talented writer and can make chapters about being the social director of summer camps at the Catskills sound way more interesting than it probably was. This is a wonderful memoir. Moss Hart was the son of a rather impoverished cigar-maker and lived in a poor neighborhood in the Bronx. As a child he had an eccentric Aunt Kate who instilled in the boy a love of theater. But Hart sounds like he was meant for theater anyway, for as he observes, "Theater is the inevitable refuge of the unhappy child." He describes his journey from a joyless childhood to a shiftless adulthood as a social director of summer camps until he meets playwright and director George Kaufman. Hart describes their difficult first collaboration together (a satire of Hollywood called "Once in a Lifetime"), and the book ends with Hart and Kaufman's play's triumphant opening night on Broadway. Afterwards Hart goes home to his family, tells them to gather their few possessions and leave their old apartment forever. They are no longer in poverty anymore. When George Kaufman first read Act One he said wryly, "Act One is fiction." And indeed one does suspect that quite a few facts go by the wayside and that Hart takes some creative license in telling his own story. But the core of Act One has a deep emotional truth. I don't know of another playwright who wrote with such honesty about his own insecurities and failings and describes the often excruciating "creative process" with such detail. This humility and genuine love for the the theater is what makes Act One such a page-turner so many years later. One huge moment in Act One is after the premiere of "Once in a Lifetime" George Kaufman goes before the audience and says "80% of this play is Moss Hart." In Act One I think 80% of the book might be fact, the other 20% fiction, but it's still a damned great book. If you love theater this book is the place to start.

New York DJ Johnathan Schwartz used to read a heartbreaking Christmas story from Act One and, years later, I tracked down the book. This is the autobiography of playwright Moss Hart and tells his story of growing up desperately poor in the Bronx of the 1910s, dazzled by the lights of Broadway. It follows his early efforts to enter the theater and ends with the production of his first hit, the play Once in a Lifetime. The first 2/3s are an excellent portrait of life in New York in early days of the 20th century. Early on we get the story I remembered, a Christmas Eve trip to the pushcarts where his father checked the prices at each one until they reach the end unable to find anything he could afford as a gift. Hart's account of simultaneously feeling disappointed but also closer than ever to his father is just heartbreaking. Later stories detail the now-lost tradition of adult summer camps in the mountains as an escape from the oppressive, pre-air conditioning, heat of the city. We also learn about his early days as an office boy to a producer and desperate quests to make ends meet. Throughout the book are peeks at the culture of Broadway, the Algonquin Roundtable, and larger-than-life stars and producers. As a New Yorker I feel a bond of brotherhood when, after his show is a hit, he vows never to take the subway again and leaves his Brooklyn apartment with a triumphant bit of vandalism. But still the last portion of the book bogs down with a prolonged account of writing, rewriting and revising Once in a Lifetime with his collaborator George Kaufman. While hearing the ins and outs of the creative process can be interesting it's just not very well told. He mentions changing scenes and dialogue but offers few concrete examples of what the changes are so if you're not familiar with the play (I am not) it becomes repetitive. And of course it's hard to say how accurate the book actually is. Wikipedia helpfully points out that Hart gives his aunt a happier ending than real life ever did, and certainly we must assume that some incidents and dialogue were consolidated or punched up for the readers. But the book is certainly a great window into the New York, and especially the Broadway of a century ago and if you have an interest in that subject you'll find a lot to enjoy.

This book is very well written that the author brings into his world. It should be in schools to improve learning vocabulary.

An absolute delightful autobiography by playwright Moss Hart. He grew up in poverty but had an early love for the theatre. He worked as a social director at summer camps, building himself up to the most in demand director for all of the camps. He had written several plays during this time, none of which were produced but finally had one called Once in a Lifetime that was produced. The book tells of his early childhood and times as a social director but more important, the collaborative effort with George S. Kaufman and getting Once in a Lifetime produced. His writing in the book describes Kaufman in such detail that you feel you know him. The work done during this collaborative effort is also discussed as well as the re-write process after out of town tryouts. The reader was so elated when the play finally turned out to be a success and his family was able to escape poverty. A great look at life on Broadway in the early part of the 20th century. My only criticism would be there are no photos in the book.

Like many I just reread this wonderful memoir after 30 years. For me it remains must reading for any of us who once walked listen smelled and felt the magic of the Broadway Theater. Highly recommended.

This is a very entertaining autobiography written in the 1920s and early 30s. It’s all about making it on Broadway.

There is no question that Moss Hart is to Broadway as Einstein is to Science. I am sure that everyone connected, in a real way, to the Broadway sector has read this book. It's the Bible for these folks. Moss Hart's story is compelling and captivating. On top of this, he happens to have been a good writer, which is what his beginnings were. So the story is written well....................it's now being put into play form and appearing, as a limited engagement at Lincoln Centre. The story will hold your interest..........it moves a bit slowly is my only issue............it's not Angels and Demons, in other words, but the story is good and real.