The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime

This unique memoir captures the essence of legendary actress/dancer/author MacLaine in a blend of eloquent words and dozens of well-chosen images. There are vintage childhood snapshots with parents, brother Warren Beatty, and early dance teachers, as well as those with friends, husband, and daughter Sachi. Numerous selections trace her award-winning and eclectic career from Broadway to Hollywood and beyond—including on the set of The Apartment with Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon, onstage in her one-woman show If They Could See Me Now, and in character on an episode of Only Murders in the Building. Most of the photos are of candid moments with scores of well-known names such as Hitchcock, Elizabeth Taylor, Sinatra, and Baryshnikov. Individuals representing her many non-theatrical pursuits abound—from past presidents and local politicians to Stephen Hawking and the Dalai Lama. An avid traveler and adventurer, MacLaine is shown walking Spain’s 500-mile Camino de Santiago alone when she turned 60. Each image radiates joy, energy, and a more profound sense of MacLaine’s multifaceted persona. Her accompanying narratives are interspersed throughout—charming and informative—yet uncompromisingly honest.