Magnetic storytelling and innocent charm.
Imagine the scene: You’re a young child just home from a typical day of school when you catch a glimpse of a photo lying on the coffee table. To your horror, you realize the image shows your father bloodied and battered, propped against a collapsed wall. Does your heart rate increase? Maybe you panic? Well, there’s nothing to worry about for Anthony J. Mohr because the photograph is simply a Hollywood memento. This small memory is just one of many that he recounts in Every Other Weekend.
Mohr’s storied childhood was one of constant movement and vibrant extremes. The product of divorce at a time when divorce was scandalous, Tony’s early years were spent in a haze of confusion as he struggled to find his footing on the fine line straddling two lifestyles as far from each other as right is from left. On one end of the spectrum, parenting was accomplished via pre-rehearsed lines delivered in between glamorous parties and acting gigs, and affection was doled out in measured doses. The other extreme featured a rational and calculated man who could turn everything into a life lesson. “Life is like a bank account. You get out of it what you put into it.” Gerald Mohr, Tony’s father, was an actor known for his charm and talent. He was handsome, brash, and a true icon both inside his house and out. Opposite in nearly every way, Stanley Dashew was the consummate entrepreneur, a man who worked hard to earn his posh life. He never did anything halfheartedly, and that included his role as stepfather to Tony. Even in death, the two men couldn’t be more different, yet their unique contributions prepared the author for his ultimate career path as an even-keeled Los Angeles Superior Court Judge.
With references to beloved Ballard Oven Ready Biscuits, the Good Humor truck, and Captain Kangaroo, this golden memoir reads like a charming historical archive. Mohr’s recollections are surreal and rosy-glassed, told from his sheltered Beverly Hills perch. Although few of us can speak to the weight of an Oscar in our hands, had TV roles before our teen years, or spent many a weekend on our family’s oversized catamaran, Mohr‘s vibrant memories spark keen familiarity thanks to his inviting and compelling voice. Accustomed to weighing both sides from a young age, the author’s experiences are a lovely example of resilience in the face of overwhelming change and adversity. Even when certain scenes turn into an all-access pass to a swanky Hollywood affair, Mohr’s tender perspective of some very adult problems tugs at the heartstrings before you even realize you’re vulnerable to his magnetic storytelling and innocent charm. A nostalgic memoir filled with love, Every Other Weekend is an enduring letter of gratitude to two fathers who left a lasting mark.
