My Mother Was Nuts

A Memoir

By: Penny Marshall

Narrated by: Penny Marshall

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Most people know Penny Marshall as the director of Big and A League of Their Own. What they don’t know is her trailblazing career was a happy accident. In this funny and intimate memoir, Penny takes us from the stage of The Jackie Gleason Show in 1955 to Hollywood’s star-studded sets, offering up some hilarious detours along the way.

My Mother Was Nuts is an intimate backstage pass to Penny’s personal life, her breakout role on The Odd Couple, her exploits with Cindy Williams and John Belushi, and her travels across Europe with Art Garfunkel on the back of a motorcycle. We see Penny get married. And divorced. And married again (the second time to Rob Reiner). We meet a young Carrie Fisher, whose close friendship with Penny has spanned decades. And we see Penny at work with Tom Hanks, Mark Wahlberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, and Whitney Houston.

Throughout it all, from her childhood spent tap dancing in the Bronx, to her rise as the star of Laverne & Shirley, Penny lived by simple rules: “try hard, help your friends, don’t get too crazy, and have fun.” With humor and heart, My Mother Was Nuts reveals there’s no one else quite like Penny Marshall.

©2012 Penny Marshall (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“There's as much practical, hard-won advice here as there is Hollywood gossip, and Marshall's boundless energy and no-nonsense attitude make for a fun read.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Hollywood aficionados will get a kick out of Marshall’s anecdotes about her circle of friends, including Albert Brooks, John Belushi, and Carrie Fisher, all told in a funny, down-to-earth manner.” (Booklist)

“Penny Marshall is a fascinating woman who has lived a life few of us could survive. Did you know she gave me two of the best jobs I’ve ever had? Of course not, because when she talks she is barely comprehensible. Read her memoir and you’ll come to love her as much as I do.” (Tom Hanks)

Like Comfort Food Read By a Friend

What's not to like? The book just wouldn't be the same if it weren't read by Penny Marshall but it took me a bit to get used to her voice. By the end of her book I still wanted to hear more, so maybe my ears were the problem. I'm just glad I came across My Mother Was Nuts. Penny Marshall is so much more than LaVerne. She shares her ups, downs and adventuring all arounds, with honesty and heart. My Mother Was Nuts is like a visit from an old friend. I hope Penny stops by again soon.

loved it

If you could sum up My Mother Was Nuts in three words, what would they be?

pure Penny Marshall

What about Penny Marshall’s performance did you like?

I loved that she was reading her own words--cannot fake that voice & accent.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

you can overcome your mother's raising

Any additional comments?

thoroughly enjoyable

Refreshing Alternative

Would you consider the audio edition of My Mother Was Nuts to be better than the print version?

Listening to Penny Marshall read this book is like listening to a friend (albiet from the New York part of the country) talk to you. Don't expect a slick read. That isn't this book and I dont think that that is Ms. Marshall. Sometimes fast. Sometime gravily. All the time Bronx.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Mother Was Nuts?

The example she displayed in her support of the NYC firefighters (as well as NYC itself) after 9-11.

What does Penny Marshall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her. If I read the book I would be hearing my voice, my pauses, my emotion .. not hers. Her reading is classic Laverne.

Any additional comments?

I usually read history books so this book was a stretch for me. I had an extra credit so "what the heck" I thought. I remembered enjoying her tv show, so why not buy the book.

In a way this was a history lesson of sorts. The people she has known; the relationships and loyalty she extended to so many and the way she lived her chronicled 4 decades made me think that her life is indeed a well lived one.

Unlike a lot of public figures, I think she has shown us thru her book that working hard and being responsible and respectful - done with a good dose of honesty and humor -that life ends up working out. Maybe her mama wasn't all that nuts .......

Well Done Penny

What did you love best about My Mother Was Nuts?

Her truthfulness.

What other book might you compare My Mother Was Nuts to and why?

Wish I knew one.

What does Penny Marshall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her humor & how she felt about her life experiences.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Everyone's lucky Penny

Any additional comments?

Thoroughly enjoy listening to this book...sorry it is over.

FUNNY...POIGNANT...WONDERFUL

Where does My Mother Was Nuts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 5...delightful.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Mother Was Nuts?

Penny scattering her mother's ashes from Lorne Michael's office and singing the song her mother wrote for her dancing class students.

What about Penny Marshall’s performance did you like?

Her honesty...refreshing and engaging

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both! Sometimes at the same time...sign of a good book and and even better reader

Any additional comments?

I have always been a fan of Penny Marshall. She's a magnificent director and a very talented woman. This book is worth its weight in gold...don't hesitate.

Funny, poignant and very "Lavern"<br />

A very good biography. No over sharing, just the highlights and interesting moments. A few emotional moments, very real. Felt like I was being told personally.

Enjoyable

Her voice share more of the story, then just the words. The experiences are human and welcoming.

So that's how that came about!

I have always enjoyed Penny Marshall's characters and have seen most if not all of her movies, but what was so great about this book is that Penny Marshall tells HER story...all the ups, downs, good, the bad and the probably not pretty stuff. She introduces her family- all of them and how she became who and what she is. Who she is is truly impressive and an incredibly intelligent, caring person, someone I would like to have l as a trusted friend.

Ms. Marshall impresses me as a very real, nothing hoity toity Hollywood, but practical and not only very street wise, but has a great deal of common sense. Listen to the book and find out that she uses those qualities as a director of movies.

As much as I love knowing everyone's story, it was great to know about how one really deals with what seemed a pretty interesting family-certainly a very successful one and one that continues still today. Why again do I feel like I missed something not having grown up in a New York borough? I loved hearing the details of the TV series "Laverne and Shirley" like the whole wearing of the L on her clothes, or the sing-song: " Schlamiel, Schlamazel.." or the whole Pepsi and milk thing. It was all the details included-nothing seemed to leave you wondering, she answered what seemed like any question you may have of her life. It's definitely an open book..book.

Mind you, Penny Marshall has a very distinctive voice and I wouldn't (no offense intended Ms. Marshall) suggest she narrate any other stories but her own, but her voice is the best in telling her story, inuendos and all. It was wonderful to hear how she developed in life, and what she learned, I take away the thought that she is out there as she learned from her mother:"to entertain people" and that Ms. Marshall has been thoroughly living life as it is and taking full advantage of all that is offered.

One of those books you have to listen to

When I first saw this book on Amazon I knew it would be a joy to read and something to make me laugh. However, when I saw that the author narrated it, I immediately got it and listened. This is one of those books where you need to hear the author tell her story. If you know anything about Penny Marshall, you know that she has such fabulous comedic timing and such a specific way she talks that reading her story without hearing her tell it is losing out on half the fun. I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook to anyone who likes autobiographies and behind the scenes stories of TV's Golden Age.

A Moveable Feast

Penny Marshall's stories rival those of Ernest Hemmingway. She was a modern Gertrude Stein. I loved this book.