George Burns (1896–1996)

A book best savored slowly (which I didn't). It's like a stand-up routine in print and just as funny. Reminiscent of [b:Harpo Speaks!|35270|Harpo Speaks!|Harpo Marx|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327885685s/35270.jpg|35205] and, of course, [b:Gracie: A Love Story|231721|Gracie A Love Story|George Burns|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1332235705s/231721.jpg|967218], it was good fun to read about all the old comics and their hijinks in a time when everything wasn't so serious. Or, show more rather, when it was horribly serious, but people self-medicated with humor, friends, and more humor.

That was what struck me as I read his story of entertaining through Vaudeville, Radio, Television, and Film. A good 40% of people were comedians and a good 40% of shows were comedies. Contrast that to today and it doesn't really seem to equate. But then I'm an old soul. show less

"All My Best Friends" is a great history of how entertainment developed in the 20th century from vaudeville and silent movies to radio to talkies to television. And all the performers are there: Burns and Allen, Groucho and the Marx Bros, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Al Jolson, Eddie Kantor, Ed Wynn, George Jessel, Fanny Brice and dozens of others. It is mostly anecdotal and it was great as a book to break up my other reading, but I couldn't see reading 100 pages of it per day. Maybe 20 pages show more or so every so often. Great to lighten the mood, yet other times it was rather touching, for example, when toward the end George ruminates on the three times in his life when he wept. I rate it 4 stars out of 5 because after a while the jokes got a little tiring, and a few were repetitive. One other annoyance - I wish they had put an index in, it would be just ideal for a book like this, but they didn't. Here is a brief sample of what you get in this book, one of my favorites - In earlier pages, George emphasizes Georgie Jessel's reputation as a grand toastmaster who also eulogized just about everybody and anybody at not only Hollywood funerals, but worldwide ones. And if Jessel did not know the deceased, he ad-libbed a bit. Burns runs into James Mason and knowing that Georgie Jessel had recently said a few words at a memorial service for one of Mason's cats, Burns asks how the service went. Mason replies, "...it was really quite moving. You know, I'd had that cat for seventeen years, but until the other day, I'd never realized how much he'd done for the State of Israel." show less

This book was adorable. It wouldn't be adorable to everyone, however. This is a a "dated" book, but it would be an excellent read for those who were around when George Burns was living (and much younger - preferably during those days in which he was doing stand-up comedy). Such readers will enjoy the name dropping in this book of other comedians popular in the 50's and 60's.

I'm 65 years of age myself at this time, but knowing that George Burns actually lived to be 100 years old, my age show more seems realtively quite young. I love the advice he gives in his book not to retire at age 65. He says to keep working or keep passionately involved with those things one likes the best.

My favorite line from this book is this:

"I still know one thing: it doesn't hurt to have a positive attitude. Even if you're going to fail, be positive about it. That way, you'll be a successful failure."

Keep on truckin', readers... show less

I remember when this first came out. I was working at the bookstore and it was nearly Christmas time. I looked at the dust jacket blurb and at the pictures and glanced at the ending. I knew it would be a hit. I ordered extra copies and I was right. It took off. I never did get a chance to read it until now. I really enjoyed it. The book was all that it promised. A great love story. Very funny and touching. I'm glad I finally picked it up.