Shirley, I Jest!: A Storied Life

by Cindy Williams, Dave Smitherman (With), Ed Begley (Foreword by)

Overview

Cindy Williams, half of the comedic duo of Laverne & Shirley, has had a wild and lively career in show business. This book is an engaging and heartfelt journey from Williams’s blue collar roots to unexpected stardom—from being pranked by Jim Morrison while waiting tables at Whisky a Go Go to starring in one of the most iconic shows on television. With wit and candor, Cindy tells stories of her struggles as a child growing up with meager means and dreaming of becoming an actress. She also shares many misadventures and amusing anecdotes about some of the most famous actors in Hollywood. Never taking herself too seriously, Cindy finds humor and irony in the challenging world of show business.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630760137
Publisher:	Taylor Trade Publishing
Publication date:	04/30/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	1,015,351
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Cindy Williams is an actress and comedian who has starred in some of the most notable movies and television programs in entertainment history, including Laverne & Shirley and AmericanGraffiti. She still loves her theater roots and has performed in many shows across the country in addition to starring on Broadway in The Drowsy Chaperone. She lives mirthfully in Southern California.

Table of Contents

Foreword Ed Begley Jr. ix

1 Valley Texas Gal 1

2 Love, Peace, and Happiness 23

3 Back to the Valley 31

4 High Hopes 41

5 Some Enchanted Evening 63

6 Raw Talent 77

7 The Big Show 95

8 The Mirthful Mouse 105

9 The Adventures of Laverne and Shirley 119

10 Outtakes 131

Epilogue 161

Acknowledgments 165

Editorial Reviews

06/22/2015
In this delightfully amusing memoir, Williams, best known for her role as Shirley in the 1970s sitcom Laverne and Shirley, takes readers on a lightning-quick tour of her life and career. She walks readers through her childhood: she was born in 1947 in Van Nuys, Calif., then moved to Dallas where she was raised by her mother, who was a waitress at a high-end restaurant, and her alcoholic father. When she was a teen, her family moved back to California, and at age 21 she begins waitressing at Whiskey-a-Go-Go and then at an IHOP. Soon she meets director Garry Marshall, who directed Happy Days and, later, Laverne and Shirley. Williams recounts her various acting experiences, such working on American Graffiti with George Lucas, but also discusses the lean times before her big break when she nearly quite acting. She provides endearing stories featuring such celebrities as Johnny Carson, Cary Grant, and Bob Dylan, her music idol. Williams presents herself as genuine, witty, and down to earth, and her personality comes across on every page. Unfortunately, this brief and breezy book stops shortly after the end of the sitcom. (July)

Publishers Weekly

What can I say about my best friend? She is hysterically funny, loves dogs, and over-tips. Get ready to go on the wonderful roller coaster ride that is Cindy Williams's life.

Lynne Stewart

Cindy Williams: talented in everything she does. Writing her first book is NO exception. .. get ready to enjoy.

Henry Winkler

Cindy's book brings back a lot of great personal memories, but it also entertained the hell out of me. The lady can write!

Ron Howard

You thought she could act, well, wait and see how well she writes. Great book by a great friend.

Penny Marshall

If you’re a fan of Cindy Williams, one half of the comedic duo, Laverne & Shirley, you will have to wait one month to pick up a copy of Shirley, I Jest! A Storied Life by Cindy with Dave Smitherman, relating her life from her blue collar roots to unexpected stardom.. .. This is a. .. quintessential American story of success and she earned it.. .. What makes her book so delightful is that she never took herself or her fame that seriously, demonstrating throughout her wonderful sense of humor while sharing amusing anecdotes about some of the most famous actors in Hollywood.

Bookviews.Com

Even if you don't know who Laverne and Shirley are, Shirley, I Jest! will. .. capture your interest throughout this read.

Feathered Quill

Cindy Williams has the comedic timing of Lucille Ball and the physical prowess of Dick Van Dyke. She's one of our best!

Suzanne Somers

Shirley, readers will laugh.

Newsday

A great read—I couldn’t put it down. Not a word of it is true. Cindy who?

Harrison Ford

05/15/2015
Versatile actress and comedienne Williams (American Graffiti; The Conversation) had a challenging childhood: strained finances, a hard-working mother, and a father who struggled with alcohol. Her love of acting began early, and while studying and pursuing her career she waitressed at Hollywood's Whisky a Go Go and worked in a bank—each job provides humorous vignettes. Her recollections of auditions and eccentric episodes with film roles and guest TV appearances are equally entertaining. The iconic television series Laverne & Shirley, in which Williams starred with Penny Marshall, is a highlight, with stories ranging from the antics of the superb ensemble cast to the physical comedy to the rise of Boo Boo Kitty. Although Williams was famous and worked with such top names as director George Lucas and actors Ron Howard and Harrison Ford, she emerges here as a trusted friend sharing a funny tale or an embarrassing moment. Those seeking a behind-the-scenes tell-all will not find it. Instead, readers will enjoy an honest memoir penned with comic flair. VERDICT Fans of Williams will certainly enjoy this book. Numerous photographs and an engaging foreword by Ed Begley Jr., enhance the text. For large circulating libraries and entertainment collections.—Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ

Library Journal