''Out on a Limb'' is an autobiographical book written by
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
film
actress and
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
r
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...
in 1983. It details MacLaine's journeys through
New Age spirituality. The book follows her from southern
California to various locations including
New York City,
Europe, and
Hawaii, culminating in a life-changing trip to the
Andes Mountains
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the List of mountain ranges#Mountain ranges by length, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range i ...
in
Peru. Central characters include David who is, according to MacLaine, a
composite character; Gerry Stamford, a married man and fictionalized
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
member of the British
House of Commons, with whom MacLaine claimed she had a love affair; and real-life close friend and politician,
Bella Abzug.
The book received both acclaim and criticism for its candor in dealing with such topics as
reincarnation,
meditation,
mediumship
Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or ghost, spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship o ...
(trance-channeling), and even
unidentified flying objects. It made Shirley MacLaine the butt of many jokes, especially by late-night
television comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing
Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...
s. Once, when
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...
would not let up on the New Age subject, she responded by saying, "Maybe
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
was right; maybe you ''are'' an asshole!" The claim about an affair with the MP gained attention in the UK when the book was published there.
''Out on a Limb'' was adapted for television broadcast in 1987. The five-hour
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
miniseries starred MacLaine (as herself),
John Heard as David Manning, and
Charles Dance as Gerry Stamford.
Anne Jackson
Anne Jackson (September 3, 1925 – April 12, 2016); retrieved April 16, 2016Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2016. was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. She was the wife of actor Eli Wallach, with whom she often co-sta ...
played Bella Abzug, and
Jerry Orbach played Shirley's agent. MacLaine kept a diary during the filming of the miniseries. The notes were later turned into the book ''It's All In the Playing''.
After the publication the former President
Jimmy Carter asked MacLaine to talk about UFOs.
References
External links
Shirley MacLaine's website*{{cite news , title=Shirley MacLaine book is found exasperating , author=Norm Goldstein , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b7BcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pVgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5103,768920&dq=out-on-a-limb+maclaine&hl=en , newspaper=Merced Sun-Star , date=July 5, 1983 , accessdate=16 Aug 2012
''Out on a Limb''at
Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 04 Nov 2015.
*''
Out on a Limb'' at
Internet Archive. Retrieved 26 Feb 2021.
1983 non-fiction books
American autobiographies
New Age books