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Summary
Summary
Happy Days, The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Ben--these shows captivated millions of TV viewers in the '60s and '70s. Join award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and audience-favorite actor Clint Howard as they frankly and fondly share their unusual family story of navigating and surviving life as sibling child actors.
"What was it like to grow up on TV?" Ron Howard has been asked this question throughout his adult life. in The Boys, he and his younger brother, Clint, examine their childhoods in detail for the first time. For Ron, playing Opie on The Andy Griffith Show and Richie Cunningham on Happy Days offered fame, joy, and opportunity--but also invited stress and bullying. For Clint, a fast start on such programs as Gentle Ben and Star Trek petered out in adolescence, with some tough consequences and lessons.
With the perspective of time and success--Ron as a filmmaker, producer, and Hollywood A-lister, Clint as a busy character actor--the Howard brothers delve deep into an upbringing that seemed normal to them yet was anything but. Their Midwestern parents, Rance and Jean, moved to California to pursue their own showbiz dreams. But it was their young sons who found steady employment as actors. Rance put aside his ego and ambition to become Ron and Clint's teacher, sage, and moral compass. Jean became their loving protector--sometimes over-protector--from the snares and traps of Hollywood.
By turns confessional, nostalgic, heartwarming, and harrowing, THE BOYS is a dual narrative that lifts the lid on the Howard brothers' closely held lives. It's the journey of a tight four-person family unit that held fast in an unforgiving business and of two brothers who survived "child-actor syndrome" to become fulfilled adults.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Actors and brothers Ron and Clint Howard reflect on growing up in Hollywood in this fascinating dual autobiography. Born in the 1950s to actors Rance Howard and Jean Speegle, the two were groomed for the big screen as soon as they could walk, with Ron landing his first role at age 4. Like his older brother, Clint also found a home in the "world of lights, cameras, and boom mics." Both starred in popular 1960s TV shows--Ron as Opie in The Andy Griffith Show and Clint as Mark in Gentle Ben--and in lighthearted prose, they fondly recall the years they spent in friendly competition ("I love Ron, but I friggin' wanted Gentle Ben to top the charts," writes Clint), as well as the differences that led Ron, "the kid always on the straight and narrow," and Clint, "the mischievous little guy," down their own paths. As a teen, Ron began making short films on his 8mm camera, eventually leading him to attend film school at the University of Southern California. While the memoir focuses on the brothers' coming-of-age--and the close relationship that saw them through the joys and challenges of stardom--it also offers glimpses into their later work, especially Ron's career as a successful director. Candid, humorous, and entertaining, this intimate account will be a hit with the brothers' fans. (Oct.)
Kirkus Review
Brotherly coming-of-age reflections from a storied life in show business. The glowing foreword, by Bryce Dallas Howard, sets the tone for this forthright memoir from her father, Ron, and his younger brother, Clint. Both were primed for the entertainment industry from a young age by beloved Oklahoman parents Rance Howard and Jean Speegle, self-proclaimed "sophisticated hicks" who relocated to New York City in their youth and embarked on a "rich and strange" journey to realize their own showbiz aspirations. Written in alternating segments, the brothers offer crisp, mostly interesting insights into their separate trajectories into the entertainment business. Ron writes about being diligently prepped for screen tests near his fourth birthday by his father, who taught both sons to "understand a scene in an emotional language," while Clint notes that both were spared becoming "Hollywood casualties" due to the values their parents instilled in them. The authors chronicle the ups and downs of lifetimes in acting--early on, Ron in the Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, and Clint in an episode of Star Trek before Gentle Ben--as well as belonging to a household fully ensconced in the entertainment industry. Despite a competitive edge between them--which still remains, as Clint acts in many of Ron's directorial productions--as they struggled up the Hollywood ladder, their familial bond remained strong. Both brothers add some behind-the-scenes snippets; for example, Ron discusses his newfound adulthood appreciation for Andy Griffith while he shot isolated scenes for Return to Mayberry. For the most part, the binary autobiographical approach works, with the alternating commentaries and interpreted memories from each author offering divergent yet complementary perspectives. A treat for movie and TV buffs, this dual memoir is wholesome and satisfying. Fans of the Howards will revel in the details of their young ascents into the Hollywood spotlight. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
