The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family

This book kept me infront the very first page to the ending credits. It does my heart good to know that during the tumultuous times up to our trying times, the Howard’s were able to keep true to each other and held each other up with kindness, love and understanding. Thank you Ron and Clint for sharing.

You have to have been a fan to appreciate this life story of a special family that’s given so many years of enjoyment to the public. These people defied the odds of having a family that’s stayed so close and supported each other through good times and bad.

My wife’s reading group had selected this book and gave it a very positive review. I had just read three recent new Non-fiction books that I found exceptional. What to read next? I began a couple and thought about re-reading some past favorites when I remembered it might be fun to read the Howard brother’s memoir of growing up child actors—Ron in THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW and Clint in GENTLE BEN. The book is a warm, funny, and surprisingly interesting homage to their parents. Some might call both failed actors who managed to create a life full of interest and good parenting. (They were not stereotypical show business parents.) Along the way, we get stories from each brother about famous actors they meet or work with along their journey. And Clint’s years long addiction to drink and drugs. It seems the ideal family is not perfect although Ron Howard’s seems damn close. I found it interesting that while Opie and later on in say Happy Days Ron Howard found a lot of well known character actors sweat a lot. His turn in the movie THE MUSIC MAN required high-voltage lighting (causing high heat) to bring out the brilliant colors of the film. Makeup melting off the actors' faces. If you like show business bios and family stories told with heart and apparent honesty this might be a warm fuzzy book for an evening read by the fire.

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County. Just a stone’s throw from the Hollywood studios, Hollywood Blvd, Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills and Malibu Beach. I’m a few years older than Ron Howard. Burbank, where he grew up is about a 15 min. drive from where I grew up. Over the years I’ve had occasion to spot a number of actors, whether at restaurants near my home or who have lived in my neighborhood and even on the golf course. And speaking of golf courses, now that I’m a retired person, I do some volunteer work which has included a few celebrity charity golf tournaments, where I’ve had the opportunity to chat briefly with many actors and sports figures. Once as a volunteer black jack dealer at the Malibu Country Club I had the opportunity to chat with Charles Martin Smith, who has been mentioned several times in this book. I wish that I could have read this book prior to meeting him so i would had much more to talk with him about. When I was younger I dated a girl whose entire family worked in some aspect of the movie industry. From adolescence through early adulthood, my primary care physician was the father of a very well known comedic actor. My nephew currently works as a “grip” for a movie company. What I’m trying to say is, because of where I live you can’t help but be exposed to this industry in some way. I only mention all this because I probably have a different appreciation for the events and familiarity of locations in this book than many readers. I’ve actually seen, and in some cases spoken to some people mentioned in the book. Though I’m hardly a Hollywood insider and I’m not a working actor, once when I was giving an out-of-town guest a tour of Hollywood, we stopped to observe a “location shooting” for a movie. We were approached and asked if we were interested in doing a small “walk-on”, without pay of course. That was fun and exciting for my friend. Ok, i apologize for going on so long about myself. What impressed me most about the Howard family was their work ethic and family bonds. While that had a lot to do with their respective successes, it was also the many connections made on the way up which included those with successful actors, directors and producers. This business is built on connections. It’s the ultimate cronyism and nepotism business. To become the success that he is today, Ron Howard was privileged to work with top talent in the industry and get invaluable advice. While it’s somewhat of a cliche that actors jokingly say “What I really want to do is direct”, Ron knew early on that’s where he belonged. And, since he has achieved that goal, he has created some of history’s most memorable movies. I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the Howard family. It’s refreshing to know that it’s possible for a child actor to achieve success as an adult in the movie industry untainted by drugs and recklessness. I want to thank Ron and Clint for their forwardness and honesty in the writing of this memoir.

I love this book for many reasons. It was like looking through a window of the lives of a special family. I knew very little about thevHowards before this book. Now I have an even greater appreciation for the hardship they went through that molded them into who they became. This book was a joy to read.

The Boys follows the careers of Ron and Clint Howard, when they were two of the biggest child stars in Hollywood (Ron for Andy Griffith, of course, and Clint for Gentle Ben), and through Ron's role as Richie Cunningham in Happy Days and his directorial debut for Grand Theft Auto. This memoir had a difficult task, in that the lives of Ron and Clint are not that dramatic or sensational. They had terrific parents who were actors themselves (albeit less successful and somewhat frustrated), and whose midwestern sensibility and values guided them through the challenges of being very young and successful child actors. Clint does struggle with substance abuse, but for the most part there are not huge meltdowns or scandals. Yet the book manages to be compelling, for a number of reasons. The love of family is an obvious one. The brothers also spend a lot of time talking about the craft and business of being an actor, which is perhaps the most interesting and enlightening part of the book. For example, in Chapter 1, "The Accidental Actor", Ron describes how his father fashioned a fake boom microphone out of a bucket and a string, in order to get Ron acclimated to being around a real boom mic and not get thrown during an audition. The instruction: "Don't look at the bucket." But the best part (or design decision) of the memoir is that the brothers take turns writing different sections of the book. They have different voices and sensibilities, and different writing styles. So there's an energy to the book as they talk to each other and react to each other across the pages, and they both write with an honesty and humility that is refreshing and appealing. Of course, Ron has the more interesting career, given his roles in Andy Griffith, American Graffiti, and Happy Days, and his later career as a director. And he writes well. But Clint is the better writer. He has a strong voice and style that is straightforward and non-fussy and non-breezy, but still funny and interesting. Together, the dueling narratives push the story along and keep it always entertaining, while grounding their stories in the values that their parents fostered.

No, this is not the Amazon Prime series about corrupt superheroes. This is the biography of Ron Howard and Clint Howard, two boys who have been in the Hollywood scene since they got out of diapers. If you're my age, you should already know who these people are from the reruns on daytime TV you watched when you were sick from school. Ron Howard is the cute little red-haired boy from The Andy Griffith Show, then Happy Days, then became a director of good movies, like Splash, Cocoon, Willow, The Grinch, then great movies like Apollo 13, Cinderella Man, and A Beautiful Mind. It was from my wife's book club, and I picked it up intending to read just a sample, just to get a taste for what she's reading. But damn, I just fell in love with their voices, the kindness of their parents, their family strength. This is not the kind of story you hear about from Hollywood. You hear about the Judy Garlands, the Debbie Reynoldses, the Faye Dunaways. How nice to finally read something positive and wholesome. About a family that loves each other and works together and loves acting. Not worrying about who was on cocaine and who was gay and who was having an affair. Not even megalomaniacalism or crazy parents. Ron and Clint are good workers. They're diligent, they love the craft, they know what they're worth, and they're not afraid to state so. They're always boosting and supporting each other, putting each other in roles. It's like one lifts someone on a pedestal, then use their station to a higher pedestal, like Chained Together. It ends when Ron leaves Happy Days to become a director and Clint resolves his place in Hollywood as an actor. Which is kind of disappointing--I wanted more. I wanted to hear about Splash and Willow and A Beautiful Mind and raising Bryce and what it's like to be a second generation in Hollywood, raising a third. And from Clint I wanted to hear about Ice Cream Man and voice acting and being a bad movie player akin to Bruce Campbell. He must have tons of stories from working on productions that range from ten to zero stars. It's not the typical story of a star, like Leonardo DiCaprio or Scarlett Johansson. It may not appeal to everyone if you're not into the Hollywood scene. Me, I listen to old radio broadcasts like Screen Director's Playhouse and The Red Skelton Show so I know a little about the people they're talking about. The Howards are like an old stove or refrigerator that keeps working and working and working and never breaks. The Howards are here to show us how far you can go when you have stability and love and support. I have a new role model.

I didn't get this when it first came out and then forgot about it. Seeing in at discount I picked it up, wanting to revisit Mayberry with Ron and learn more about Clint. I very much enjoyed it and hated to finish it. It was like walking with them through the years. Ron has a healthy ego and was brought up very well by his parents and Clint also seems to be very honest and funny about his ups and downs in life. I liked learning more about his parents and how they handled (or didn't handle) their careers. It was done with humor, seriousness and introspection. I wish Henry Winkler also did one, but I'm glad they are still such close friends now.

I really appreciate the way this book was written - using both Ron and Clint's perspective on their life growing up. I have always loved Ron Howard's acting and it was fascinating getting a glimpse into the realities of child actors and those who continue on into their teens and beyond. I loved the refreshing honesty from both Ron and Clint. Their skill in telling their story shines through the pages of the book.

I loved this book so much that I didn’t want it to end. Wonderful writing and a very interesting read.

This book was a surprisingly pleasant experience to read. Enjoyed very page. The Howard brothers have done their parents proud by their brotherly love.

I’ve never read a book that covers the birth of family Tv and the challenges in Hollywood so well. A fascinating family who you grow to really admire as the book progresses

I watched Andy Griffith growing up, didn’t care for happy days as much. But everything Ron was in he did great. I love his movies he makes. Clint I am sorry to say I never watched Gentle Ben but I saw him in Star Trek. I learned more about him in this. I enjoy Clint in Ron’s movies. You’re entire family life sounds wonderful. Awesome for Ron and Cheryl to be high school sweethearts still happily married with their four children. God Bless You all. Thank you for your years of your entire family for the entertainment we have enjoyed.