Rating: 
Summary: Curiously uninvolving
Review: Some of the best-loved and best-remembered reads of my early adolescence were the books of Patrick Dennis. "Auntie Mame" left a nearly indelible impression, while its sequel, and the novels "The Joyous Season," "Tony," and "Little Me" were as eagerly devoured if not quite as unforgettable. On the recommendation of a friend I picked up a copy of "Uncle Mame" certain that I was going to be wildly entertained, but alas it was not so.I don't really know why this book didn't capture my imagination, though I do know that throughout, Dennis (nee Edward Everett Tanner III, aka, Pat Tanner) remains a somewhat shadowy figure, aloof and unapproachable. Myers never closes the gap between Tanner and his readers or indeed, between Tanner and himself. I had the impression that for all the delving into Tanner's life, particularly the facts of his sexuality, Myers is no more familiar with the subject of his book than is the reader. I don't necessarily blame the author; it's clear he's done his legwork on this book, interviewing those friends and family members who survived Tanner. It's just that the information as presented casts no revealing light on the man. We're told over and over again that Pat Tanner is a charming, gracious man, but see little evidence of it. We're told of his process of self-discovery, in re. his sexuality (And I give points to Myers for the way he handles it, unfolding the facts slowly rather than making it a primary issue from page one.) but I never got a real feel for either his conflict or the blunt reality of his homosexuality. Oddly, the book comes alive when Myers is discussing the other people in Tanner's life. In particular, his crazy aunt Marian lends herself to some very vivid narrative. Marian always claimed she was the original inspiration for Mame Dennis, though Pat always denied this absolutely. Either way, she's an unforgettable character, and Myers is at his best when writing about her misadventures. Also fascinating is the material about two of Pat's best friends, Cris Alexander and Shaun O'Brian. Cris in particular comes across as a vivid, creative, funny man, and I found myself wishing that the book had been about him and his partner, O'Brian, rather than Tanner. To be fair, I think Meyers was constrained by Tanner's personality. He seems a creature of opposites. Over and over, it's said that he was a kind, generous, gentleman, but his own words are cool (even cold), sardonic and frequently waspish, and paint a very different picture. His children adored him, we are told, but in the same chapter we learn that he ruled them with an iron will, often shamed them into good behavior, and preferred to teach them to play bridge or mix martinis for his guests, than to do parent-type things with them. We're told that he and his wife, Louise, loved one another deeply, but see scant evidence that they were more than just buddies who produced two children together before she and Pat separated when he felt the need to be more honest about his sexuality. We're told that he was generous to a fault to crazy aunt Marian, but his letters to her are cold and self-justifying, explaining that he has very little money himself (hardly true; he lived extremely well) and can't spare any more for her. And certainly while there was no reason for him to continue to support her, the tone he takes with her made me uncomfortable in light of all the praise that had been sung on his sweet nature. Over and over, we're told one thing and shown another. In the end, Tanner comes across as a sad, eccentric man who was easy to like but hard to know. I suspect that the force of his personality is not something that can be captured in print. I would recommend this book with reservations. If you're a huge fan of Tanner's work or interested in post-war New York, this might be just the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Uncle Mame
Review: The challenge of a biography is to balance the facts with interest - from carefully placed words, to relaying the pathos of situations - and to maintain readability. I found the story engaging - and humorous - both of situation and fact. Amazed at how meticulous the research must have been (Living in Patrick Dennis' area) and also having published a modest amount myself, what kept my attention was the way all the parts flowed to complete the whole. While Dennis himself was a rather 'backgroiund' fellow compared to the popularity of his works - anybody should be encouraged to see how the realities of ones life affects the work one produces. Biograhies of the atypical make the world more interesting - and this is a worthy example of something unusual - and well done.
Rating: 
Summary: The Heart of a Clown
Review: The heart of a clown, the saying goes, is a sad one. So, too, with Edward Tanner, better known as Patrick Dennis, at least according to Eric Myers. Myers has written the long-overdue biography of Tanner, who is best remembered for having written AUNTIE MAME. This is a peculiar work: While Myers' research and writing both are first-class, his subject unexpectedly turns out to have been a sad little man. As interesting as Tanner's life undeniably was, there can be no mistaking that he turned his back on his family in the pursuit of his own fulfillment. Tanner's late wife sounds saintly, accepting as she was of his bi-sexuality. Inevitably, this book could not help becoming a treatise on mid-Century homosexuality and how closeted it then was. In the end, Myers' scholarship could not transcend the sadness of his subject matter. "Pat" Tanner is a man who should have had it all--yet he managed to blow most of it. Still, this was a story worth telling and Myers told it well.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the real 'Mame'...and not the real 'Patrick Dennis'
Review: The real talent of "Patrick Dennis" was living. Living with his bi-sexuality in an age of repression. Living with bi-polar disorder in an era with few treatment options. Living with alcoholism and loneliness as he grew older. But these central factors are merely afterthoughts in the painfully shallow biography "Uncle Mame." In the first 100 pages alone, "Dennis" attempts suicide twice. The discussions of each are surprisingly brief. Instead, we're treated to rounds of details about endless parties, loads of anecdotes about how funny the guy really was, and an uninspired presentation of basic biographical facts. The entire (slim) volume is really nothing more than a repetition of this weak formula. The only attempt at analyzing the title character's personality comes in the form of the most rudimentary pop psychology. (Try: "Overtly masculine father can't deal with somewhat effeminate son. Son is scarred for life." Or: "Writer jilted by his gay lover and never recovers.") Those are the kinds of psychiatric platitudes we are expected to embrace as Deeply Meaningful in "Uncle Mame." Furthermore, the author's style is chatty and gossipy in a way that further undermines the book's credibility. Overall, "Uncle Mame" seems rather thoughtless. Perhaps even unfair. (It's a shame that Dennis is considered a lightweight writer unworthy of further consideration. Dennis' life story and his work certainly lend themselves to scholarly examination; this glossy treatment is more like a feather-light movie star bio. An academic's version would certainly give us something more substantial.) Finally, the author makes a strange attempt to define "camp" as a sort of literary or artistic genre. He doesn't seem to understand that "camp" is simply an adjective, not a art form. Hopefully, there will one day be a meaningful, respectful biography of this much-loved author. "Uncle Mame" certainly isn't that book. If you want to find out about the real "Auntie Mame" or the real "Patrick Dennis," you'll have to look elsewhere. Or just keep waiting...
Rating:
Summary: Humor, Genius and a Vanishing America.
Review: The title "Uncle Mame," the biography of comic author Patrick Dennis, can be taken two ways. It is not only a pun on Dennis' bestselling book "Auntie Mame" but also a sly allusion to this American comic genius's conflicted sexuality and how it formed the subtext of (and perhaps directly impacted) his career and personal life. Dennis grew up in Evanston, Illinois in the 1920s and 1930s with a Puritanical taskmaster of a father, a more understanding mother, and the conservative upper-middle-class lifestyle so commonly associated with Evanston. He comes across as one of those intuitive geniuses who just couldn't help creating--and stirring up as much fun as possible in that staid suburb. (The section on his gang's conga line alone is worth the price of the book!) As a boy and youth, Dennis loved the theater and pretty soon was writing, designing sets for and frequently directing homemade plays in which he developed a subtle, yet penetrating satirical wit. (One of his shock-the-bourgeoisie confections made a young boy unwittingly mention from the stage someone named "Master Bates"). His generosity is legendary: while helping out the thespians at Evanston Township High School, and whipping up amateur theatricals of his own, he nonetheless found time to help the Boy Scouts stage skits and comedy bits--even after he dropped out of the Scouts. There can be no doubt about Dennis' integrity and bravery. He served with distinction in an ambulance corps during World War II and was frequently exposed to more danger than even a line soldier might expect. During this period he discovered the joy of light comic novels like "Barefoot Boy with Cheek" and realized that his pervasive persiflage might well be put to use in writing his own comic novels. Postwar, Dennis set out on the accepted route to becoming a published author--he edited for a Manhattan book publisher and developed a coterie of similar literary friends who would love and support him all his life. But Dennis was a compulsive envelope-pusher and risk-taker; he chose to switch jobs to a conservative think tank where he was a standout in job efficiency, took a stand-up attitude toward his employers--and continued to exhibit the pervasive, outrageous behavior. During this period Dennis married, had children, and nested in Manhattan with a reasonable standard of living. He wrote and wrote, with increasing proficiency, until "Auntie Mame" hit in the mid-1950s and tossed him into the American celebrity machine. Dennis' extravagance and daring was well reflected in his expensively decorated apartment, his love of fine food--and, some would say, his staunchly remaining part of his children's life even after he and his wife broke up. But Dennis' behavior went from amusing to outrageous to exasperating and finally borderline-pathological. To liven up a boring board meeting, it wasn't unusual for Dennis to excuse himself--and return to the table stark naked. Cute among theater people, but it's a wonder Dennis didn't get fired by his conservative employer. Dennis continued to write well into the 1960s but he never topped the explosive popularity of "Auntie Mame," which was made into a movie starring Rosalind Russell, and was the inspiration for the immensely successful Broadway musical "Mame" (and in 1974 limped its way to the screen with a too-old Lucille Ball playing the title role). Partly to escape New York's hurly and partly (one suspects) to get a handle on his alcoholism and unpredictable behavior, Dennis settled in Mexico City for a number of years but continued to write and drink. The guy was just automatically witty--in one letter to his soon he complains that his landlord, Mr. LeCoq, is a priq. Such tossed-off literary humor abounds in this book. In the Sixties, a more issue-oriented society and the impact of television as a time-passer eventually spelled doom for the kind of American light comic novels that were Dennis' mainstay. He took that distinctive genre to its peak but unfortunately lived to see his comic and satiric gifts become passe. Well into middle age, he had his first homosexual relations and in his typical warts-and-all manner did nothing to hide it (but felt guilty nonetheless). Patrick Dennis was a cultural treasure, but frequently an unhappy and misunderstood one. It is interesting to ask whether Dennis was a heart a manic/depressive with a taste for outrage--or was his creativity largely due to a sublimated homosexuality? Myers sympathetically gets into the man's mind as much as possible and lets us make our own decisions. If Dennis had been born 30 years later into a more permissive society, would he have become an "out and proud" gay man or would he be put on Zoloft to counter his depressions and limit his euphoric outbursts (or maybe both?). It's difficult to answer these questions even hypothetically when speaking of such a complicated creature as Mame's creator, but we feel for him nonetheless. My only criticism of this book--a mild one--is that sometimes Myers' description of Dennis' outre behavior gets repetitive. At the same time, I respect Myers' ability to show Patrick Dennis warts-and-all and not sink into the bathos of tossing automatic accolades. Anyone intrigued by the makeup of the man who created Auntie Mame and other comic diversions should read the well-researched, comprehensive and sympathetically told "UNCLE MAME."
Rating:
Summary: Humor, Genius and a Vanishing America.
Review: The title "Uncle Mame," the biography of comic author Patrick Dennis, can be taken two ways. It is not only a pun on Dennis' bestselling book "Auntie Mame" but also a sly allusion to this American comic genius's conflicted sexuality and how it formed the subtext of (and perhaps directly impacted) his career and personal life. Dennis grew up in Evanston, Illinois in the 1920s and 1930s with a Puritanical taskmaster of a father, a more understanding mother, and the conservative upper-middle-class lifestyle so commonly associated with Evanston. He comes across as one of those intuitive geniuses who just couldn't help creating--and stirring up as much fun as possible in that staid suburb. (The section on his gang's conga line alone is worth the price of the book!) As a boy and youth, Dennis loved the theater and pretty soon was writing, designing sets for and frequently directing homemade plays in which he developed a subtle, yet penetrating satirical wit. (One of his shock-the-bourgeoisie confections made a young boy unwittingly mention from the stage someone named "Master Bates"). His generosity is legendary: while helping out the thespians at Evanston Township High School, and whipping up amateur theatricals of his own, he nonetheless found time to help the Boy Scouts stage skits and comedy bits--even after he dropped out of the Scouts. There can be no doubt about Dennis' integrity and bravery. He served with distinction in an ambulance corps during World War II and was frequently exposed to more danger than even a line soldier might expect. During this period he discovered the joy of light comic novels like "Barefoot Boy with Cheek" and realized that his pervasive persiflage might well be put to use in writing his own comic novels. Postwar, Dennis set out on the accepted route to becoming a published author--he edited for a Manhattan book publisher and developed a coterie of similar literary friends who would love and support him all his life. But Dennis was a compulsive envelope-pusher and risk-taker; he chose to switch jobs to a conservative think tank where he was a standout in job efficiency, took a stand-up attitude toward his employers--and continued to exhibit the pervasive, outrageous behavior. During this period Dennis married, had children, and nested in Manhattan with a reasonable standard of living. He wrote and wrote, with increasing proficiency, until "Auntie Mame" hit in the mid-1950s and tossed him into the American celebrity machine. Dennis' extravagance and daring was well reflected in his expensively decorated apartment, his love of fine food--and, some would say, his staunchly remaining part of his children's life even after he and his wife broke up. But Dennis' behavior went from amusing to outrageous to exasperating and finally borderline-pathological. To liven up a boring board meeting, it wasn't unusual for Dennis to excuse himself--and return to the table stark naked. Cute among theater people, but it's a wonder Dennis didn't get fired by his conservative employer. Dennis continued to write well into the 1960s but he never topped the explosive popularity of "Auntie Mame," which was made into a movie starring Rosalind Russell, and was the inspiration for the immensely successful Broadway musical "Mame" (and in 1974 limped its way to the screen with a too-old Lucille Ball playing the title role). Partly to escape New York's hurly and partly (one suspects) to get a handle on his alcoholism and unpredictable behavior, Dennis settled in Mexico City for a number of years but continued to write and drink. The guy was just automatically witty--in one letter to his soon he complains that his landlord, Mr. LeCoq, is a priq. Such tossed-off literary humor abounds in this book. In the Sixties, a more issue-oriented society and the impact of television as a time-passer eventually spelled doom for the kind of American light comic novels that were Dennis' mainstay. He took that distinctive genre to its peak but unfortunately lived to see his comic and satiric gifts become passe. Well into middle age, he had his first homosexual relations and in his typical warts-and-all manner did nothing to hide it (but felt guilty nonetheless). Patrick Dennis was a cultural treasure, but frequently an unhappy and misunderstood one. It is interesting to ask whether Dennis was a heart a manic/depressive with a taste for outrage--or was his creativity largely due to a sublimated homosexuality? Myers sympathetically gets into the man's mind as much as possible and lets us make our own decisions. If Dennis had been born 30 years later into a more permissive society, would he have become an "out and proud" gay man or would he be put on Zoloft to counter his depressions and limit his euphoric outbursts (or maybe both?). It's difficult to answer these questions even hypothetically when speaking of such a complicated creature as Mame's creator, but we feel for him nonetheless. My only criticism of this book--a mild one--is that sometimes Myers' description of Dennis' outre behavior gets repetitive. At the same time, I respect Myers' ability to show Patrick Dennis warts-and-all and not sink into the bathos of tossing automatic accolades. Anyone intrigued by the makeup of the man who created Auntie Mame and other comic diversions should read the well-researched, comprehensive and sympathetically told "UNCLE MAME."
Rating:
Summary: A Biography Worth the Wait
Review: This biography of the mysterious Patrick Dennis, who has kept us delighted for nearly half a century with "Auntie Mame," is big news, even bigger since it's been announced that Kelsey Grammer has bought the film and TV rights and plans to star as Patrick Dennis himself. I spent all day with this wonderful book and could not put it down until I finished. And I even woke up the next morning after some vivid Patrick Dennis-esque dreams. A terrific read! Myers has done a marvelous job, and a wonderful service of rescuing Patrick Dennis from oblivion's dustbins. The book has even left me struck by the muse of song: MYYYYYYY-ERS (apologies to Jerry Herman) Who coaxed confessions out of Louise?/ Myers/Who shied away from gossip and sleaze?/Myers/ Who's given us the skinny on characters who showed us how to live?/Who has, in my opinion, rescued Patrick Dennis from obliv-?/ Your work is recherche with a "bent"/Myers/You made me want to light up a Kent (Guy Kent, that is)/Myers/ You suffered Acapulco with noble perseverance that inspires!/Your book's the perfect "Auntie"-dote/Deserving ev'ry money quote/We love each goddam word you wrote! Myers! Myers! Myers!
Rating:
Summary: Stranger than Fiction
Review: This is an excellent biography of someone who was larger in life than his most famous creation. If you wrote it as a novel, no one would ever believe it, especially the denouement. The writing is droll and wise. This is well worth reading by anyone who loves farce or the theatre.
Rating:
Summary: Poignant at times, but otherwise hilarious!!!
Review: What a life!! Mr. Edward Everett Tanner (a.k.a. "Pat"...Patrick Dennis...Virginia Rowans) did EVERYthing, wasn't afraid of ANYthing. From the experiences of his deep and lifelong commitment to friends, to wife and children, sprang all of the side-splitting laughter he has left us---"Auntie Mame", though definitely his chef-d'ouvre, is nonetheless only a small part of the body of his extensive work. Too bad it took him the better part of his life to come out to himself---maybe it would have made a difference in his literary output, since so much of his comedy was tied to then-clandestine camp. But who knows or cares? Any man who can find humor even in the penury of his last years is a creative genius on any level. You'll laugh often, and out loud, and get some great lines for cocktail conversation!!
Rating:
Summary: Poignant at times, but otherwise hilarious!!!
Review: What a life!! Mr. Edward Everett Tanner (a.k.a. "Pat"...Patrick Dennis...Virginia Rowans) did EVERYthing, wasn't afraid of ANYthing. From the experiences of his deep and lifelong commitment to friends, to wife and children, sprang all of the side-splitting laughter he has left us---"Auntie Mame", though definitely his chef-d'ouvre, is nonetheless only a small part of the body of his extensive work. Too bad it took him the better part of his life to come out to himself---maybe it would have made a difference in his literary output, since so much of his comedy was tied to then-clandestine camp. But who knows or cares? Any man who can find humor even in the penury of his last years is a creative genius on any level. You'll laugh often, and out loud, and get some great lines for cocktail conversation!!
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