John Byner

John Byner was a comedian/impressionist/actor when I was a wee lad. He won a contest for the best "impression" of John Kennedy beating out no less than Vaughn Meader, who always believed that Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK for no other reason than to end his (Meader's) career.

So Byner has written a book [Five Minutes, Mr. Byner!] and it's a gentle little autobiography of days gone by - when comedians did acts full of "impressions" -- comic exaggerations of the attitudes of movie stars like show more John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart and politicians like Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey on shows starring Ed Sullivan or Johnny Carson. I can't think when i last saw an "Impressionist" but there used to be some great ones.

The show biz autobiography is usually at its juiciest when it is unearthing skeletons and/or settling old scores. Happily for Mr. Byner, he seems to have no skeletons and no scores to settle. Everyone he worked with was friendly and fun and a good time was had by all. OK.

This makes for a nice life but not for great reading. There are a few anecdotes about Johnny Carson and Ed Sullivan and other antediluvian figures, and for people of a certain age its a fun little read. A time capsule of days gone by. Enjoy. i did. show less

Reading “Five Minutes, Mr. Byner” was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Byner’s book is like a walking history of the entertainment industry. Over the course of his four-decade career he worked with or for almost everyone that was anyone in show business from Steve Allen to Elvis to Henry Fonda.

Byner's had a very successful career and it’s refreshing to hear a professional reflect on his life with honesty and humility. This is not an “I’m great and this is why tale,” nor is it show more a gossipy even-the-score tell-all. Byner has hundreds of interesting anecdotes, but he doesn’t take any cheapshots. About the only entertainer who doesn’t come off well is Woody Allen.

I suggest that anyone who reads the book ought to check out the Youtube videos of John Byner performing (there are hundreds). It makes his story even more memorable.

Highly recommended. show less

While it was interesting to read about Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Elvis, and others, there were some inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the book that bothered me. The inconsistency was that Byner said he father passed away the year he was born so he never knew him (page 10). But on page 18 he discusses seeing his first movie at age 6 and that when he came home his father asked him what the movie was about. And on page 19 he discusses his younger brother who is 2 years younger show more than Byner. So did he know his father or not? On Page 210 he says Jeanne Martin was Dean Martin's first wife but she was his second wife. Overall okay. show less