Author Lemmon's parents divorced when he was three, and each remarried, so his memories of his famous father tend to center around specific activities they shared rather than daily life. When Chris was 11, the two went to Alaska for the first of many annual wilderness outings. Piano playing was another enthusiasm; Jack had picked it up by ear and urged Chris into lessons, which he loved so much that for a while he considered turning pro. Their third mutual passion was golf. Neither (especially Jack) was good at it, but every year they played in the Pebble Beach Pro/Am Tournament along with other celebrities like Clint Eastwood, and Jack never stopped trying dirty tricks on Chris. He seems to have been a wonderful father within limitations (e.g., an actor's "compulsive self-centeredness" and relentless ambition). But he was fun, never more than when he was with best friend Walter Matthau ("Uncle Waltz"). There are many anecdotes, stories on old-timers like George Burns and Chico Marx and poignant glimpses of Jack on his deathbed. This is a modest, unabashedly sentimental memoir by a son who tried acting himself but pulled out in favor of family life. Photos. (May 16)
STAGE MAG
