''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 An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and dancer Shirley MacLaine in 1983. It details MacLaine's journeys through

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

spirituality. The book follows her from southern

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to various locations including

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, and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

, culminating in a life-changing trip to the Andes Mountains in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

. Central characters include David who is, according to MacLaine, a

composite character In a work of media adapted from a real or fictional narrative, a composite character is a character based on more than one individual from the story. Use in film *Several characters in the movie '' 21''. *The character Henry Hurt in the docudra ...

; Gerry Stamford, a married man and fictionalized

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member of the British

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, with whom MacLaine claimed she had a love affair; and real-life close friend and politician,

Bella Abzug Bella Savitzky Abzug (July 24, 1920 – March 31, 1998), nicknamed "Battling Bella", was an American lawyer, politician, social activist, and a leader in the women's movement. In 1971, Abzug joined other leading feminists such as Gloria Steine ...

. The book received both acclaim and criticism for its candor in dealing with such topics as

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is ...

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

, mediumship (trance-channeling), and even

unidentified flying object An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...

s. It made Shirley MacLaine the butt of many jokes, especially by late-night

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

comedians. Once, when David Letterman would not let up on the New Age subject, she responded by saying, "Maybe Cher 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 Walter Charles Dance (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. His most notable film roles include Sardo Numspa in '' The Golden Child'' (1986), Dr. Jonathan Clemens in '' ...

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 Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...

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 James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

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

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. Retrieved 04 Nov 2015. *'' Out on a Limb'' at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

. Retrieved 26 Feb 2021. 1983 non-fiction books American autobiographies New Age books