Hayley Mills (1) (1946–)

Hayley Mills was the first girl I fell in love with. I was only 7 years old at the time but I’ve always had a soft spot for her ever since. It’s difficult, even now, to shake off the impression of her as a perpetual Pollyanna, never growing old and never suited to more mature film roles. Her memoir has the sobering effect of showing her other sides and the often difficult times she had with her early life. I found the book immensely likable and my only complaint is that it stops before show more she is 30 years old, apart from a too brief sketch of what happened after. Surely a second volume is in the works? show less

As a child, one of my favourite films was the 1961 version The Parent Trap and as a result have always been fond of Hayley Mills. Listening to the audiobook edition of her memoir was a delight. Hearing her narrate her early life in her measured voice is lovely (although as someone who typically listens to books at their original speed, I found her speaking speed a bit slow and did nudge this one up to 1.25 speed). The book covers the years from her early childhood growing up in England, her show more years as a child actor working on contract for Disney, and a few years afterwards in detail up to her marriage and birth of her first son (there is light discussion of the years between that and the birth of her second son). Mills kept a journal for most of her life so her memoir is full of excellent detail and it is fascinating to hear about her childhood in London and on a farm, where major celebrities like Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh sometimes crop up, to her Disney years, which were of greatest interest to me. The most detail is given to her time filming Pollyanna and The Parent Trap, but it is obvious that Mills has many fond memories of her time filming with Disney. While the chapters detailing her relationship with her eventual husband are less enjoyable to read (their age gap of over thirty years had me raising my eyebrows), Mills is frank about all of her emotions and decisions during that time. If you like Mills' film work, this is likely to be of interest. show less

A surprisingly honest and un-selfaggrandizing (surely there's a better word but I can't think of it at the moment) memoir of Hayley Mills' career as a young actress. I needed something to read that did not contain any anxiety or revulsion-triggering revelations, and I read with interest about how Hayley Mills came to be a Disney actor. I mean, it wouldn't have happened without her famous father, John Mills, but still...I guess acting is just in some people's genes. Sure she had a privileged show more childhood, but she seemed to remain unspoiled through her early life, which is what I suppose shines through in her portrayal of Pollyanna, my first encounter with Hayley. Later in life she would discover the extent to which her early career had been controlled by Walt Disney (and her parents) but she doesn't seem to blame him or them. And when the family accountants failed to protect her childhood earnings from being taxed into oblivion by the British government, she just went back out to work, like everyone else. Although she did not continue to be a star, but a working actress, she does not seem bitter, but is a contented and loving parent and grandparent. Worth reading, if you're interested in Hollywood in the 60's, and the making of movies. show less

I idolized Hayley Mills as a preteen, so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. And even though she is selective in what she shares, Hayley has written a very readable memoir. Thanks to her journals and the editing and encouragement from her oldest son, the book provides a tremendous amount of detail covering her life from her childhood to her early twenties. In addition to Hayley's personal struggles with self-confidence, romantic crushes, family issues with her theatrical parents, show more we learn so much about Walt Disney, Hayley's transformation into one of the biggest child stars of the 1960's, and the behind-the-scenes antics of Hollywood, the British theater, and even her friendship with the Beatles.

The writing style is warm, honest and charming - just like her earliest classic Disney movies "Pollyanna," "The Parent Trap," and "That Darn Cat." And throughout the book Hayley's attitude remains positive and upbeat. In conclusion she explains "There's no doubt that playing [Pollyanna] at such as early age had a lasting influence on me. It made me aware of the importance of seeing the positive. It's not always easy. We all face the struggle to know ourselves and to find the courage to truly be ourselves."

This book is a well-written, personable and honest examination of a creative life as well as a documentation of the time period. show less