Jennifer Gay Summers
Author | Journalist
Just want to share a fun read. From Bear Manor Media is a book by Hollywood writer John Gay. Co-written by Mr. Gay’s daughter, journalist Jennifer Gay Summers, “Any Way I Can” takes an honest, often humorous look at 50 years in showbiz. The book based on Mr. Gay’s personal journals is especially insightful for anyone considering the biz. Because it is also fun for movie buffs intrigued by classic Hollywood and the likes of Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, John Huston, Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, etc. etc. this is a great stocking stuffer. Throw in some popcorn and enjoy!
— Barnes and Noble Review
Any Way I Can— Also Available on
Any Way I Can: 50 Years in Show Business
Any Way I Can; 50 Years in Show Business presents the legendary life of veteran screenwriter John Gay, one of Hollywood’s most prolific treasures.
From an original comedy sketch that launched the broke, fledging actor and his new bride onto WOR-TV’s first day on the air in 1949, to the glory of writing for the Golden Age of Television, John Gay’s memoir details his breathtaking trajectory into Oscar-nominated feature films, award-winning Emmy television shows, and the ultimate triumph for lifetime achievement.
Whether he was adapting Charles Dickens for the small screen, writing a docudrama without landing in jail, or sitting alongside Prince Rainier in Monaco at a performance of his one-man play, John lived show business any way he could and had an exciting run for fifty remarkable years.
Ebook Now Available on
I grew up with Jennifer Gay Summers. We, in fact, lived right down the street from one another and so her house or mine became a kind of refuge for the other. I remember countless Saturday mornings sitting in our pajamas in their bright breakfast room surrounded by a wall of black and white photos of her parents as young actors when they were just starting out at the Boothbay Playhouse in Maine.
When Jennifer told me she was working on a book with her dad about his years in show business, I was thrilled for her. I recall some of our conversations at the time- her good days of collaborations, the not so great ones, the frustrations of bringing any story to life and then the joy of receiving their final product, this gem, signed by them both.
Any Way You Can; Fifty Years in Show Business is a fascinating timeline told with humor and candor about the struggles and highlights of enduring the business and working with some of the greats–Paul Newman, Clark Gable, Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor and Bette Davis to name just a few.
John Gay hit a trifecta. A great husband, dad and writer. How fortunate we are to have his engrossing life so beautifully documented. A must for anyone starting out in the business and a walk down memory lane for many others.
An interview with the authors
The Palisades Post interviewed John and Jennifer about their writing process
John and Bobbie Gay on the set of “Mr. and Mrs. Mystery,” 1949.
Blogs
Blogs
Routine for Success
As Father’s Day approaches, I think of my father and how much he inspired me. An artist captured this picture of him many years ago, living the Hollywood dream. What people didn’t know was his key to success wasn’t just talent or luck, it was adhering to a strict routine. Here’s a link to my blog this month if you feel like some motivation:
Apartment 3C–The Newlyweds’ Dream 
In this month’s blog I go back to 1949, when my parents, a couple of young, struggling actors, made their dreams come true, much like Desi and Lucy, in Being the Ricardos. The beginning of television was a time of golden opportunity, when anything could happen.
The Show Must Go On!
Of all the stories my father loved to share from his long career as a screenwriter, it was the early days of live television that were my favorite. In 1949, he and my mother, Bobbie, pitched a humorous show about a newly-married couple, as they were, to a fledging...