Hollywood Mother of the Year: Sheila MacRae's Own Story

In this disjointed and poorly written book, coauthored with freelancer Jeffers, MacRae purports to tell about her life with and without her husband Gordon MacRae, the late singing star of Oklahoma!, Carousel and other 1950s films. His voice earned them a fortune, while she took care of their home and their four children. But in 1960, when she was named Hollywood Mother of the Year, she left him, as his drinking and gambling were ruining his career. On her own, she bacame a popular nightclub and TV performer, and took many lovers--among them Frank Sinatra, Bob Fosse and the unidentified ``JP,'' a ``Jewish prince of comedy.'' The long list of men she says she turned down includes Henry Fonda, Lyndon Johnson and Rod Steiger. MacRae strikes a gratuitously spiteful tone about certain celebrities: Grace Kelly wasn't beautiful, Doris Day couldn't sing well, etc. The book is likely to appeal only to the most avid devotees of gossip. Photos not seen by PW. (May)