cover image Show Me the Magic

Show Me the Magic

Paul Mazursky. Simon & Schuster, $25 (272pp) ISBN 978-0-684-84735-1

Infused with the energy and clarity of reflection that often accompany a life-altering experience (in this case, quadruple heart bypass surgery in 1996), Mazursky (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice; Harry and Tonto; Enemies, a Love Story) replays with relish key scenes from his life as a Hollywood screenwriter, director, producer and actor. During his boyhood in a boisterous Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, Mazursky honed his skills as a storyteller and mimic who ""loved to make people laugh."" In college, his chutzpah landed him a bit role in the Stanley Kubrick film Fear and Desire; the experience only increased his yearning to make it in the entertainment business. In the 1960s, a successful nightclub comedy act and a gig writing for television's Danny Kaye Show provided Mazursky with the confidence to write his first screenplay, I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (with Larry Tucker), and a reputation that opened doors. Peter Sellers, the star of Toklas, is the subject of hilarious anecdotes, from his demands to work with Fellini or Bergman to his refusal to leave his trailer because the script girl was wearing a purple sweater (""purple is death""). Other highlights here include a wacky, calamity-laden Brazilian location shoot for the film Moon over Parador and a suspenseful 1983 trip to Russia to check the verisimilitude of the screenplay of Moscow on the Hudson. Mazursky's skills as a crowd-pleasing raconteur have not diminished; he describes his successes and drops famous names with all the color and comfortable rhythms of engaging dinner party conversation. He also balances the glitz with brief, tender passages on his strong, loving family life. This well-rounded memoir leaves the door open for chapters yet to come. (June)