Peter Lawford: The Man Who Kept Secrets

I am a long-time amateur film historian, and have read many film and theater personality biographies over the past 25 years. This is one of the best bios I've ever read--not because of the subject matter--but because of the biographer.

James Spada is an absolutely top-notch biographer. His detailed book on Peter Lawford--a pleasant, eager-to-please, nominally talented, gentle-spirited soul--is not only historically accurate, but is historically important. Why? Because Peter Lawford, a performer of modest ability only deserving of a footnote in American film history, if any at all--was also a well-bred, well-traveled, well-liked and well-associated gentleman who easily cultivated significant relationships with significant people.

For instance, Lawford had a romance with Britain's Princess Margaret, and married the sister of the man who would become the most beloved 20th century American president. Lawford was intimates with and was admired and adored by major players in both industry (the Fords) and Hollywood (Monroe, Garland, Taylor, Sinatra). But overall--he was a really nice guy who was liked by a lot of people from all walks of life, someone you would want to have as a good friend.

James Spada's gentle but non-editorializing understanding of human nature, his interest in his subject, his research, organization and writing style are among the best I've ever seen. I say that this work on Peter Lawford is, in many ways, a relevant companion and addition to an American presidential history reading list as is the assiduously-researched and reported Doris Kearns Goodwin book, "THE FITZGERALDS and THE KENNEDYS".

Many times, movie personality biographers conclude their works with a chapter or paragraph that they hope will give some sort of a hindsight summation to their subject's life. But without indulging in writer's ego, Spada allows Lawford's life to speak for itself throughout the book, which negates the need for such a summary.

Throughout the book, the author gently leads the reader through Lawford's enchanted but isolated early years with its strange details about Lawford's formidable, disturbed mother. He discusses Lawford's personal choices, his work challenges and difficulties, and the cruelty of power and politics when it is mixed with friendship. We walk along Lawford's personal life and career path that ends in an impassable roadblock. And finally, Spada lets us off on the rusty tracks of Lawford's later life train-wreck, which makes us understand for ourselves why and how his salvation was simply impossible.

"PETER LAWFORD--THE MAN WHO KEPT THE SECRETS" is a poignant morality--and political--tale.

Peter Lawford (PL) was no ordinary mortal. His father was a knighted Lt. General, thus, his mother was a “Lady”. During his youth his parents constantly travelled, so PL was schooled by governesses and tutors, with added emphasis on languages, music and ballet. He was a beautiful child and grew into a very handsome man. His mother encouraged his acting career from the beginning, since it promised a lucrative career and celebrity status, that she deemed a plus for the family. During WWII PL was ‘4F’ (unsuitable for military service due to a childhood injury), but well able to act at a time when Hollywood was very short on male stars. The women loved him and he loved them – lots of them. They threw themselves at him and became a ‘bad habit’. Along the way he acquired other bad habits – alcohol, drugs and often living beyond his means. Frank Sinatra blessed him, by including him in his ‘Rat Pack’ – a career plus that was also lucrative. He eventually found a suitable wife, Pat Kennedy, JFK’s sister. JFK liked PF for his charm and his Hollywood contacts. Frank eventually tired of PL, JFK was assassinated and Pat divorced him – because his ‘vices’ became unbearable. This ‘big’ book (504 pages) touches on many people and events – many famous and exciting – that PL was involved with – about which he was thought to have ‘secret’ information - including Marilyn Monroe’s affairs with JFK and Bobby, the mafia, the assassination of JFK, and more – none of which have ever been totally clarified by history. PL eventually faded – career-wise and celebrity-wise. He married 3 more times and had 4 children before his vices killed him at 61. His is a story of exploding success followed by a tragic, ugly demise. It’s fascinating reading, especially for those of us who lived during PL’s life and times. R. Amos, Severn MD.

I like most people who work for a living wish we had the fantasty movie star life Peter Lawford had. There was also a horrible side that came with Peters fantasty life. The Kennedys used Peter to get in with the stars, Frank Sinatra also used Peter to get in with JFK, to get some pull in the White House, to go along with all the mafia connections Frank had. When Frank did not get to have JFK stay at his home, Frank would blame Peter for the rest of life. The punishment that Frank unleashed on Peter would be incomprehensible. Frank black listed Peter from all the big hollywood producers as well as productions. Frank made Peter Lawford suffer for something that after JFKs death Bobby Kennedy would go to Franks home and tell Frank that Peter was not responsable for Jack not staying at Franks home in California in 1962. Some time before the JFK stay at Franks home J. Edgar Hoover stopped by the White House and told JFK that you can't stay at Frank Sinatras home because of his mob connections and that JFK was seeing and fooling around with young starlett Judy Cambell, and that Hoover would let the press know of his affair with Campbell and ruin JFKs presidency. So what happened? JFK told Peter Lawford that he had to tell Frank the bad news. When Peter did tell Frank it sealed Peters hollywood fate for the next 22 years of Peters alcohol drug filled life. Frank Sinatra did ruin Peters acting career, but Peter led a self destructive lifestyle. His alcohol and drug taking severed many ties to some of hollywood biggest connections, not just the ones Frank blackballed Peter with. In the mid sixties Peter co hosted the tonight show when Johnny Carson was unable to do the show. Peter blew it with Carson when Carson partied with Peter one night with some pot and drinking. During the night Johnny Carson was at the top 33rd floor of Peters condominium and nearly jumped off because of indulgances with Peter that night. Carson went to the hospital that night and was told by doctors that the marajuna he smoked had LSD in it ( a drug of the mid-- late 1960s). Peter denied it to Carson, and Carson had nothing to do with Peter ever again. Peter blew a really lucrative future deal. This is just one example of blown opportunities Peter had. Lawford could have made a really great career for himself after the Sinatra blackballing. Peters drugs and alcohol were his real demons, Peter was on a course of self destruction and he knew it in his heart. His mother and upbringing did not prepare him for the fantasty life he would lead. Frank Sinatra is loved by millions and I am one of those people, I was not around during those golden hollywood days but I do love to watch Sinatra movies and listen to his beautiful music. In the immortal words of the late Janet Leigh " God forbid if you ever do Frank wrong" watching that inteview with Liegh I knew she was referring to Sinatras blackballing of Peter. Peter was like many MGM manufactured stars of the 1940s 1950s used and discarded after their draw was gone. Judy Garland comes to mind. Hooked on sleeping pills, drugs and booze MGM ruined Judy, as a big price came with Judys fame and fortune. As far as Sinatra during the 1950s he was very well connected to the hollywood mob and all the Hollywood bigwigs. Many actors and producers, directors were terrified to challange Sinatra in any way. Peter Lawford felt Franks white hot anger and vegence, for something he had nothing to do with except be a messanger from JFK to Sinatra. Peter tried several times over the next 22 years to try to get back with Frank, but Frank would never answer letters from Peter or calls. Frank would help you any way he could, but god forbid if you were on his bad side. Peter really was a self destructive personality ruled by alcohol and drugs but a really good man who was overwhelmed by his situations and surroundings. Everybody seemed to not bother with Peter when he was down and he quickly learned who his friends really were when he was down. Peter will always be my favorite Rat Packer and I really enjoy Peters movies, [[ASIN:B0007939MU Easter Parade (Two-Disc Special Edition)]],[[ASIN:B00005YUN3 Royal Wedding]]. After reading this book I feel like he was my friend and that I really miss him, I feel like he was a friend of mine even without all his fame and money. This may sound corney and like alot of b.s. but I really do miss you Peter, you deserved a better fate in your career than you were dealt. James Spada does real in depth research with this book. Spada paints Lawford in a sympathetic way but I still found this book facinating and an intersting read. I could'nt put this book down. Awesome book I learned alot from. This book is excellent reading period. Highly recommended!!!!! PS. In an effort to help Peter patch things up with Frank after JFKs 1962 refusal to stay at Franks home, Jack Kennedy in 1962,1963 as president in the White House would call Sinatras home and tell Frank to bring himself and family to the White House for a dinner with Peter and Jackie, Pat Kennedy (Peters wife). Frank could have brought anybody he wanted besides his family. (The presidents private jet supplied for the Sinatra family to travel). Frank refused JFKs offer each time. Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!

I've read other books written by James Spada and find that his writing style is very fluid and easy to read. This bio of Peter Lawford doesn't disappoint. It's a straightforward bio that doesn't assume anything or put a label on why Peter Lawford was such a troubled individual. It is written very objectively and covers the good and the really bad things in his life. One doesn't need to be a psychiatrist to know that the main reason Peter Lawford was so bad is because of his mother ("a boy's best friend is his mother...." said by Norman Bates). The fact that Peter got into show business just multiplied his inner demons by tenfold -- a business where thousands adore you on screen yet, at the end of the day, one goes home just like a mere mortal. He married Patricia Kennedy, it seems, so that he could be assured of a grand lifestyle (money was always a problem for him when he was single). As parents, they both were a few-sandwiches-short-of-a-picnic. As a mother, Pat Kennedy only had her mother, Rose, as a guideline which we all know now that Rose had to be one of the worst mothers ever. And Peter had his own mother as a guideline and after reading this book, his mother May deserves her own book which should be used as a textbook to study psychiatric anomalies. Peter was a horrible, terrible father (if one could even call him a "father"). He and his wife totally messed up their oldest son, Christopher. Towards his mid-to-end-of-life, he was a horrible, terrible person due solely to his alcoholism and drug dependency. And don't get me started on Frank Sinatra -- an evil and self-centered egomaniac (who, by the way, is another show business star who had a nutty-as-a-fruitcake mother). This book does get into the minute-by-minute detail of Marilyn Monroe's death and also provides some interesting stories about Jack and Bobby Kennedy (two individuals who never mentally grew up re: women and believed they were entitled because of their last name). Peter Lawford may have "kept the secrets" but this book does bring out lots of info which is fascinating. Definately a good read albeit kind of sad.

When writing a review for a biography, one must try to judge the quality of the writing as well as the contents.
Mr. Spada gets a B+ for content in that he covers a lot of ground and delivers plenty of alleged facts and innuendo.
As for the how the message is delivered, that is another story (pun intended). The book is about 525 pages in paperback format and about 200 pages too much. Most avid readers do not have the patience to pour through an overly long narrative and this book is a prime example. I skimmed and skipped through many pages at various points.

The story of Peter Lawford plays out much like his screen persona. In life, he is as much a second division star to those whose names appear above the credits. How many times does the author have to tell us about Peter's drinking, doping and orgiastic episodes? If this were a live stage performance of the book being read aloud, people in the audience would be yelling, "enough already! get on with it!"

The fact is the life stories of Peter's parents, Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe are more interesting than Peter's. As for the Kennedy's, unfortunately that be-jinxed family headed by a rotten-to-the-core patriarch who tried to sell England out to the Nazis takes up too much of the narrative in this book.

So, if you have a lot of time on your hands and want to read about a sick puppy in an overly-blown telling, go buy the book. But, I told you so.

James Spada takes us on a visual and heartwrenching journey of Peter Lawford's life. Sometimes thrilling and dazzling with the Hollywood elite and then the decline of a gifted and very much "used" star who let people take away his spirit. Lawford had his share of faults but others were always willing to step in and take him down further. In many chapters you can actually envision the heady experience of dining with big shots and rubbing shoulders with America's first family. As an actor, Peter never reached his peak, although very deserved and then virtually abandoned by Sinatra and blackballed by Hollywood. I believe that Spada shows us that Peter Lawford had just too much to bear, too many secrets to keep and too much pride to get the help he needed. Excellent reading.

This was a very interesting read. Peter Lawford was certainly a very complex man, if not a very troubled man. His mother a huge mess and influenced his growing up in horrible ways. Lawford's marriage to Pat Kennedy was different and his interaction with the family crazy to say the least. But then the Kennedy's were dysfunctional to the core. Peter's many marriages were crazy and his drug and alcohol use awful. Why he ever had children I will never know as he had little to do with them over his life time. An interesting read.

Very well written and reveals the inner demons of Peter Lawford. This is a compelling story spanning 60 years. It made me think that one wrong choice might change everything in your life.

If you have ever been interested in Old Hollywood or the Kennedy family, you will enjoy this book. Even as a child I remember Peter Lawford on game shows and thought he was a handsome guy. Who knew what pain and misery lay beneath the surface? As someone who had to overcome a mother on par with his, I can sympathize and understand some of what drove his destructive tendencies. Great read.

Great book