Product Description

“'You will do foolish things' said the great writer Colette, 'but do them with enthusiasm!' And that, my darlings, I have done! So put your feet up, relax, and let me take you on one woman's journey through the beguiling, bewildering wilderness of romantic encounters, replete with puppy love, Latin love, smoldering lust, stardust, obsession, high comedy, high camp, and all manner of peccadilloes and misadventures. A rollicking, madcap ride through the wide-open countryside of love. Just watch out for land mines.”
--From My First Five Husbands . . . And the Ones Who Got Away


People always ask me if I'm like Blanche. And I say, 'Well, Blanche was an oversexed, self-involved, man-crazy, vain Southern Belle from Atlanta -- and I'm not from Atlanta!’” -- Rue McClanahan

Who can forget Rue McClanahan as the sexy Southern vixen, Blanche Devereaux, on the Emmy-award winning series The Golden Girls? With her breezy sex appeal and sharp comedic timing, Rue infused her character with a sassy joie de vivre that captured the hearts of audiences around the world. Now, the actress behind the magic reveals her life in and out of the spotlight in a laugh-out-loud funny memoir about love, marriage, men, and getting older that is every bit as colorful as the characters she plays.

Raised in small-town Oklahoma in a house “thirteen telephone poles past the standpipe north of town,” Rue developed her two great passions—theater and men—at an early age. She arrived in New York City in 1957 with two-weeks worth of money in her pocket, hustled her way into a class with the legendary Uta Hagen, and began working her way up in the acting world against the vibrant, free-spirited backdrop of the sixties. That’s when she met and married Husband #1—a handsome rogue of an aspiring actor who quickly left her with a young son. Still, she was determined to make it on the stage and screen—and in the years that followed, rose to the top of the entertainment world with a host of adventures (and husbands) along the way.

From her roles on Broadway opposite Dustin Hoffman and Brad Davis, to her first television appearances on Maude and All in the Family, to the Golden Girls era and beyond, My First Five Husbands is the irresistible story of one woman’s quest to find herself. Now happily married to Husband #6, Rue is proof that many things can and do get better with age—and that with tenacity, talent, and a little help from Saint Dymphna, even a small-town girl can make it big.

Told with Rue’s saucy wit and Southern charm, My First Five husbands is a deliciously entertaining take on life and love from an irrepressible star.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #137965 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-10
• Released on: 2007-04-10
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The youngest Golden Girls star offers a chatty, thoughtful and effervescent tour of her surprisingly turbulent professional and private life. Like her TV alter ego Blanche Devereaux, McClanahan charts her experiences through the men in her life (and isn't shy about assigning ratings to the life in her men—she gives enthusiastic "A"s to Benson's Robert Guillaume and Brad Davis, who at the time was nine years older than her son). Days after giving birth, she was abandoned by her first husband and pushed into a second marriage (before her divorce was final). She remembers a photo taken of the event: "We looked happy. Much like smiling travelers waving from the deck of the departing Titanic." Both men continued to play large roles in her life as she navigated through numerous affairs and six marriages. After much stage work, she found success in her late 30s on TV's Maude. Later, "languishing in Love Boat limbo," she was rescued by The Golden Girls, which brought her an Emmy and financial security. Fans will relish her sweet and tart memories of friendships and tensions filming that show. A breast cancer survivor, she ends the book happily celebrating an active career and a decade with husband number six. Photos. (Apr. 10)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“McClanahan’s unpretentious candor and wit reveal an irrepressible personality full of vitality and determination.” —BookPage

“Fans will relish her sweet and tart memories” —Publishers Weekly

“Like a night out with the Golden Girls.” —Library Journal

About the Author

Rue McClanahan was born in Healdton, Oklahoma, and graduated cum laude in theater from the University of Tulsa. Most noted for her role as Blanche on The Golden Girls, McClanahan has had a number of well-known starring roles in television and on Broadway. In addition to her work as an actress, McClanahan speaks regularly for breast cancer awareness and prevention of cruelty toward animals. She lives in New York City with her husband, Morrow Wilson, and her cat, Bianca.

Customer Reviews

more blanche for your buck
rue mcclanahan writes her life story with a lot of style, verve and flair.

she gets honest and reveals a great deal about her personal life without being vainglorious or salacious. and considering some of the men in her life, that is no easy feat.

but once we get past the men, and boy does this woman's taste run the gamut, we get this great story of what it is like to dream and work hard to make one's dream come true. mcclanahan was not going to rest easily until she became a working actor in new york city and her ambitions far eclipsed her dreams as she charmed her way in to many hearts as dumb vivian on 'maude' and later and more famously as blanche devereaux on 'the golden girls'.

she also, in true belle fashion, keeps the spotlight on herself and doesn't any thing about anyone that has touched her life in a less than sympathetic light. even her first husband gets some compassion. and whether or not desrves it is a matter of discussion.

this is the perfect summer beach read. and it is also a lovely gift idea for someone that is a devoted fan of mcclanahan's work as an actress and animal rights activist.

oh ruesy, we hardly knew ye!
This book was chock-full of information on a woman most of us think of as Blanch Devereux. I will now view her differently after reading this. She regales us with tales of ups and downs, triumphs and defeats. Rue is a very driven woman, who had to go through a lot to further her career. She had to leave her son in the care of her beloved parents quite often as she struggled to make a go of her career in the fickle world of show business. That must have been very hard on her. But, she persevered and has a close relationship with her son Mark, who turned out just fine! I'm glad to see that she has found the happiness that remained elusive to her in her early years. You deserve it Miss Rue! Thanks for the wonderful entertainment.

From the lips of Blanche!
Ms. McClannahan has written a terrific book, and I couldn't help but think of her character from the Golden Girls many times while reading it. This is a very witty, fun, emotional rollcoasteresque novel which I finished in just a few days of receiving it as a gift. I found myself both laughing out loud one moment, and with tears in my eyes the next. My admiration for her has increased 10 fold, and I only wish there were more professional actors like her nowadays. 3 Cheers for Rue McClannahan!!!