Alan Young (2) (1919–2016)

Not exactly a warts and all exposé of the TV industry but if you're a fan of Mister Ed, and why wouldn't you be, then it's a lovely cosy read with a bit of background fluff about making the show followed by a general memoir about how Young made it in showbiz.

He started out writing radio comedy sketches in the 40s and he channels that in the writing - there's a general cheesy after dinner speech tone to all the anecdotes and you do sometimes wish he'd tone it down a bit. Overall though he show more just comes across as a really amiable guy who's chuffed to bits that he snagged a showbiz career and got to spend five years working with a horse. show less

Depending on what generation you are, you'll most likely remember Alan Young from either his roles as Wilbur in Mr. Ed, or as voicing Scrooge McDuck in DuckTales.

Gathered together in There's No Business Like Show Business ... Was are several anecdotes from different points in his career, from his early starts as an young assistant for a radio broadcast in Canada to his more recent work with Disney.

The biggest flaw of this book is that it lacks definitive structure. If I had my say, it would show more read in loose chronological order, or be better organized by theme. However, this flaw does not detract from the book's readability. Each and every anecdote is a standalone jolt of comedy, letting you know fully well that Young spent his life in the funny business.

The second biggest flaw is that it was too short. I could have read and enjoyed a book multiple times longer if it had the same style and level of humor as the rest of the book.

So, even if you've no idea who Alan Young is, if you have an interest in "the way things were" during the early days of film and television, then this book is definitely a treat.

Here's hoping for a sequel. :) show less

I won this book thru Library Thing. It is a very quick read and I just love some of the stories in it. This book covers Alan Young and his rise to fame in showbusiness. There are a lot of great references in this book and I especually loved when Alan was talking about John Wayne, it had me cracking up so much.