In this moving memoir, Robert J. Wagner opens his heart to share the romances, the drama, and the humor of an incredible life
He grew up in Bel Air next door to a golf course that changed his life. As a young boy, he saw a foursome playing one morning featuring none other than Fred Astaire, Clark Gable, Randolph Scott, and Cary Grant. Seeing these giants of the silver screen awed him and fueled his dreams of becoming a movie star. Battling a revolving door of boarding schools and a father who wanted him to forget Hollywood and join the family business, sixteen-year-old Wagner started like any naïve kid would—walking along Sunset Boulevard, hoping that a producer or director would notice him.
Under the mentorship of stars like Spencer Tracy, he would become a salaried actor in Hollywood's studio system among other hot actors of the moment such as his friends Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis. Working with studio mogul Darryl Zanuck, Wagner began to appear in a number of films alongside the most beautiful starlets—but his first love was Barbara Stanwyck, an actress twice his age. As his career blossomed, and after he separated from Stanwyck, he met the woman who would change his life forever, Natalie Wood. They fell instantly and deeply in love and stayed together until the stress of their careers—hers marching upward, his inexplicably deflating—drove them to divorce.
Trying to forget the pain, he made more movies and spent his time in Europe with the likes of Steve McQueen, Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Liz Taylor, and Joan Collins. He would meet and marry the beautiful former model and actress Marion Marshall. Together they had a daughter and made their way back to America, where he found himself at the beginning of a new era in Hollywood—the blossoming of television. Lew Wasserman and later Aaron Spelling would work with Wagner as he produced and starred in some of the most successful programs in history.
Despite his newfound success, his marriage to Marion fell apart. He looked no further than Natalie Wood, for whom he still pined. To the world's surprise, they fell in love all over again, this time more deeply and with maturity. As she settled into a domestic life, raising their own daughter, Courtney, as well as their children from previous marriages, Wagner became the sole provider, reaping the riches of television success. Their life together was cut tragically short, though, when Wood died after falling from their yacht.
For the first time, Wagner writes about that tremendously painful time. After a serious bout with depression, he finally resurfaced and eventually married Jill St. John, who helped keep his family and his fractured heart together.
With color photographs and never-before-told stories, this is a quintessentially American story of one of the great sons of Hollywood.
What Others Say
Best for those with long memories
I've been a fan of Robert Wagner's for long enough that I remember almost all the movies he's done, as well as every television series in which he's appeared. Pieces of My Heart: A Life will be most appreciated by people like me, who have long memories for old (and some not so old) movies and the many older stars he discusses. [Would anyone under 40 even know who Barbara Stanwyck was?]
The most appealing aspect of the book is the casual way Wagner gives insights into Hollywood, the privileged lives of actors and the business of movie making. His tone is often ironic and wry, and he often manages to suggest much while saying little. For example, after a one-night stand with Anita Ekberg results in a ruined article of clothing, he notes that the time ... Read More
Fantastic!
I have always been a fan of Robert Wagner. The way the book was written is how I expected it to be. The book flowed along really well. I enjoyed getting to know alot of famous celebrities (most of them are now deceased) through RJ's memories. There was a good combination of elements in the book from knowing the people he dated and who other people dated, etc.
Pieces of my heart
This is an excellent book written from the heart and his love for Natalie. All the scandal as I remembered it back when Natalie died and I read all the "scandal sheets of that time period" was the "how did it really happen". He answers it as honestly as he can from his heart.
Natasha, Natalie's daughter looks so much like her its spooky.
I thoughly enjoyed the book and was sorry it ended.
A Perfect Memoir
To say that Robert Wagner's new memoir, PIECES OF MY HEART, is a perfect movie-star memoir is not giving it enough credit. PIECES is a perfect memoir by any standard.
I always have read lots of biographies and memoirs, and Pieces of My Heart: A Life is singular. Just in the recent months, Tony Curtis has ended up sounding dislikeable in his own book, and George Hamilton came off as nice but rather eccentric.
In contrast, Robert Wagner has lived a true movie-star life, starting at the end of the studio system in Hollywood and continuing right up to the present moment.
As such, he has wonderful stories to share about all of the show business greats of the past half-century and he doesn't hesitate to drop names.
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It reads like...
...a personal vision of Hollywood through the eyes of a third rate actor who is a legend in his own mind. Filled with the coarsest language this side of an old Jacqueline Susann novel. This poorly written mish mash of fact and fiction is nothing more than damage control for the years when Mr. Wagner and his present wife turned their backs on his late wife's (legendary actress, Natalie Wood) fans. It's a heterosexual kiss and tell from only Mr. Wagner's side as most of the ladies he alleges to have had affairs with are either dead or too old and rich to care anymore.
I expected better from him, much better!
