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A Twist of Lemmon: A Tribute to My Father | 
 enlarge | Author: Chris Lemmon
Publisher: Applause Theatre and Cinema Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 164352
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 194
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 1557837392
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.43028092
UPC: 884088209124
EAN: 9781557837394
ASIN: 1557837392
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
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Product Description
First time in paperback, a very personal portrait of an actor audiences loved, written by his actor son. Jack Lemmon (1925-2001) was one of our most beloved movie stars, a two-time Academy Award winner for Mister Roberts and Save the Tiger. In A Twist of Lemmon, Chris Lemmon shares family tales, intimate father-son conversations, and anecdotes from and about his dad. Joining Chris are first-person tributes from Blake Edwards, Andy Garcia, Julie Andrews, Tony Curtis, Neil Simon, Shirley MacLaine, and Cliff Robertson, among others.
Book Description
Jack Lemmon was arguably one of the most famous film stars of the second half of the twentieth century. In dozens of memorable films, he created characters that millions of moviegoers cheered for and related to, and in the process became a kind of American “everyman.” The human qualities he demonstrated on-screen—with all their complexity and conflict—were part of his persona in real life as well.
Chris Lemmon’s parents divorced when he was very young. Growing up, he knew his father primarily as someone who would visit his home to play with him and who later took him on yearly fishing trips to Alaska. As Chris matured, the bond between them deepened; they shared first their mutual love of music and then their passion for golf—a game at which neither, alas, excelled.
When Jack Lemmon died in 2001, the world lost one of its favorite actors, but Chris Lemmon lost the man he had idolized above all others. In this tribute to his father—as he knew him and loved him—he shares the memories that he treasures most.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 You can hear his father's voice July 1, 2008
When writing about Jack Lemmon's failed aspirations on the celebrity golf classic Chris Lemmon declared that he could clearly imagine his "Pop" winning with his traditional hearty "Isn't that a bit of terrific!" Every time I read that I could hear Jack Lemmon's voice in my head. That's the juice of this story. Jack's voice singing through his son's words.
This is the view of the gifted, charming, incredibly likeable Jack Lemmon through the eyes of his gifted, talented, and seemingly honest son Chris. He is a bit heavy handed on the "beloved father" and "cherished sister" phrases which, although refreshing in a celebrity biography (very un-Mommy Dearest), such affectations were completely superfluous because his adoration of his Pop came through in every word.
It took a bit of getting used to hearing of squeaky clean Jack Lemmon swearing and drinking so much. But he swore in such a funny, enthusiastic, unique way that I ended up adoring that about him. And the drinking? He fixed it. The hero came through in the end.
Some of the players didn't come off as well. I was appalled at the pettiness of Lemmon's wife who had her knickers in a twist over some fight with Walter Matthau's wife and made Jack and Walter's friendship difficult. Chris said of the depth of his father's relationship with Walter "I think if Uncle Waltz had taken up golf, Pop would have married him." But that was not the only time Lemmon's widow got into fights with people. She fought with Jack and nearly killed him in a drunken rage when she threw a heavy glass ashtray at Lemmon's head. That particular drunken brawl was the end of drinking for Jack, but not for his wife. Chris alludes that he and his stepmother were never on good terms and it's admirable that he didn't stoop to airing any of their dirty laundry in this book. Though dirty it certainly would be.
The book takes us on fishing trips to Alaska, sound stages in Hollywood, and on the golf course. Chris' references to the "Lemmon curse" is amusing and so well told that it played in my imagination as clear as a movie. What a great sense of humour Jack had, and how delightfully it was passed down to Chris.
I had such a crush on Jack Lemmon, and still do even now he's gone. I wish he had enjoyed a happier marriage and had taken more time to be a father. But he was true to himself, and did remarkable things. I would imagine being his son to be the most wonderful thing in the world and one of the hardest. What an act to follow!
This was a fascinating tribute to the father, not the actor or the person. Chris Lemmon is a really gifted writer. I hope he continues to write. I will eagerly buy whatever he puts his name to after reading this charming book. I hope he reads these reviews because there is something I'd like to say to him. "Hello Ramhead, go F yourself!" (He said he missed hearing that.)
A Twist of Lemmon and a Touch of Class January 19, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
CL pays the ultimate tribute to his father in this classy portrayal of the supremely gifted father and the somewhat lonely but not lost son trying to sort out a complicated relationship made more complex amidst the mixed fortunes born of fame and celebrity and the tensions and heartaches that always come with divorce. This is a wonderful read that confirms much of the positive image that most people hold of the elder Lemmon while affirming the deep love that father and son were able to share in an environment that has split so many other families apart. Jack Lemmon was without doubt driven in terms of his career, but the measure of the man is that he reserved a part of himself for his son that was theirs and theirs alone.
both tart and sweet, it's Lemmonade December 18, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Recommended: A Twist of Lemmon: a Tribute to My Father, by Chris Lemmon
Chris Lemmon writes as though chatting with a friend, about the father he loved. I was drawn in by the humanity of the man and the honesty of his son, the author. According to Chris, Jack Lemmon was like an ornery little boy, a little like my own father. Both father and son were aware of Jack's strengths and shortcomings (drinking, a temper, over-dedication to his career). I think Jack Lemmon is probably recognizable in some person in everyone's life. STAR is not the picture drawn here.
There is some language that a few sensitive folks may find offensive; I did say he was ornery didn't I? However,I believe if those folks read on, they will be glad they did. There's nothing really vulgar, but some humor is pretty worldly. Chris says that one of his father's favorite lines to the nurses, even near the end, was "Wanna take a peek at Stiffy?" Alternating from hospital room to scenes from Jack's life Chris Lemmon creates a complete picture of the man without ever going Hollywood neon.
A character actor pays homage to his famous movie star father September 13, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Actor Chris Lemmon,not as famous as his late movie star father Jack pays homage to the elder Lemmon in this book. The elder Lemmon has done quite a few films throughout his career with his late longtime friend Walter Matthau. Chris' mother divorced Jack when Chris was a toddler. Chris became a cast member of one of Fox's first sitcoms,Duet,which ran from April 1987 to August 1989. Duet was then spun off as Open House which ran for nearly a year. Chris' character Richard Phillips and his wife Linda,played by Alison LaPlaca, were respectively,a patio furniture salesman and an executive film producer. Richard quit the retail business and became a cocktail lounge pianist. On the spin-off Linda went into real estate. Post-Duet-OH,Chris has had a series of guest roles on various shows. Hundreds of people,including Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones,attended memorial services for Jack in 2001. Jack was 75 years old when he passed away. I dedicate this book to Jack's memory.
 well written but... September 1, 2006
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
depressing as each chapter starts with a final illness segment. Without that it would have been a MUCH better and more enjoyable book. It may have been cathartic and healing for Chris, but not so for me.
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