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Mouse In The Rat Pack: The Joey Bishop Story

Average customer rating:

Oh, so that's what happened to Joey Bishop
Readable book about a marginal entertainer
The long awaited Joey Bishop biography.

Mouse In The Rat Pack: The Joey Bishop Story
Michael Seth Starr
Manufacturer: Taylor Trade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0878332774

Book Description

This is the first biography of the last surviving member of Hollywood's illustrious Rat Pack, Joey Bishop.

Customer Reviews:

Oh, so that's what happened to Joey Bishop.......2005-03-25

Mr. Starr should be complemented for taking the time to write a book about a comedian that has been long forgotten. I would have preferred a longer book but perhaps Mr. Starr was afraid of being redundant. One reason that the book is not longer, I assume, is that Joey's career does not really lend itself to a study of a body of work.

Joey--when he was at his best--had the ability to snap a very witty one-liner. However, while not stated in Mr. Starr's book--I believe that Joey's real downfall was the laziness he exhibited on his late-night talk show. He never really took the time to do a monologue or prepare any post-monologue comedy bit. Instead, he let Regis share the opening spot with him and then he went right to his guests. That would never sell today and it didn't sell in the sixties.

Mr. Starr takes the time to indicate how Joey was unbearable to much of his staff, somewhat reminiscent of various accounts of how Eddie Cantor treated his radio staff. But Joey and Eddie do share one extremely admirable trait--a dedication to charitable causes (as set forth by Mr. Starr) and for that alone, Joey deserves our respect.

Incidentally, Mr. Starr's recounting of one Joey Bishop joke about the Texan who goes to Israel is one that I'll be telling people for a while.

Readable book about a marginal entertainer.......2003-07-12

Ask anyone under 45 about Joey Bishop, and the response you'll get will be "Who?" Michael Seth Starr aims to change that, although you'll be wondering by the end of the book why he bothers. Bishop was, at best, a marginal figure in the annals of American entertainment. During the 60's, he somehow managed to share the stage with superstars like Frank, Dean and Sammy despite having none of their charisma. And although Starr often describes him as the "top comedian of the 1960's," he also has to admit that Johnny Carson thrashed him in the late-night ratings, and Bishop's early 1960's sitcom was an utter flop.

Still, the book is readable. Bishop comes off as a hard-working, but demanding comic, with few friends. I hope he truly got good audience response in the 60's, because the lines quoted in this book fall flat on the printed page. I guess you had to be there. Starr is a good writer....perhaps he will choose a more intriguing subject for his next bio.

The long awaited Joey Bishop biography........2003-06-18

If your a big fan of Joey Bishop you will devour this book. Michael Seth Starr does an outstanding job chronicling the life and career of this legendary entertainer. You will join Joey as he climbs the show biz ladder from small clubs in Philadelphia, to the Copacabana and the Sands, to movie sets, tv studios, and to Broadway. Frank Sinatra dubed him as the "hub of the wheel" performing with the Rat Pack. You will not be able to put this book down. "Mouse in the Rat Pack:The Joey Bishop Story" is a great read and a must have for his fans.

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