Helen Hayes, acclaimed “First Lady of the American Theatre,” has been on stage, screen, and television for more than fifty years. In that time she moved among the world’s most famous and talented, including Joan Crawford, William Randolph Hearst, Charlie Chaplin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Richard Burton, Lillian Gish, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Gloria Swanson. She treats us to delightful anecdotes about Ethel Barrymore, John Ford, and Al Capone. She also reflects more seriously on the painful parts of her life: the alcoholism of those close to her; the guilt of having not spent more time with her young children; the remorse about the fact that her success overshadowed her playwright-screenwriter husband, Charles MacArthur; the difficulty of being alone after the deaths of her daughter and husband. An engrossing account of the pleasures and discomforts that go with being a celebrity, and through them all, a rich and productive life.
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Helen Hayes (1900–1993) was an actress whose career spanned almost seventy years. She eventually garnered the nickname “First Lady of the American Theatre” and was one of a mere handful of people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. Hayes also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, from President Ronald Reagan in 1986, and she was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1988. The annual Helen Hayes Awards, which have recognized excellence in professional theater in the greater Washington, DC area since 1984, are her namesake.
James MacArthur (1937–2010) was an American actor best known for his role as Danny “Danno” Williams in Hawaii Five-O. His acting career spanned more than four decades and included appearances in numerous films, television programs, and stage productions.