The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father's Twentieth Century

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The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father's Twentieth Century

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 87 ratings · 24 reviews

Using the life and career of her father, an early Hollywood actor, New Yorker writer Margaret Talbot tells the thrilling story of the rise of popular culture through a transfixing personal lens. The arc of Lyle Talbot’s career is in fact the story of American entertainment. Born in 1902, Lyle left his home in small-town Nebraska in 1918 to join a traveling carnival. From t...more

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published November 8th 2012 by Riverhead Hardcover

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Feb 14, 2013 Judy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Was excited to read this book, the 'biography' of actor Lyle Talbot, brought to Hollywood from the stage in the early 30s, was put under contract to a major film studio and groomed for stardom, who mixed with the elite, enjoyed the perks that loads of money could buy, did not achieve stardom, and was washed up as a leading man. But ... he kept on keeping on. This book did not deliver what I wanted and expected. The author, and maybe her publisher, had no confidence that there was an audience for...more Was excited to read this book, the 'biography' of actor Lyle Talbot, brought to Hollywood from the stage in the early 30s, was put under contract to a major film studio and groomed for stardom, who mixed with the elite, enjoyed the perks that loads of money could buy, did not achieve stardom, and was washed up as a leading man. But ... he kept on keeping on. This book did not deliver what I wanted and expected. The author, and maybe her publisher, had no confidence that there was an audience for a bio of Lyle Talbot and so she wrote instead about the many forms of 20th century entertainment in which her father participated. The author did a prodigious amount of research into these various forms, from carnivals to TV, about which she writes extensively, and while these history lessons are interesting, sort of, they effectively reduce Talbot to a bit player in the story of his life.

Lyle Talbot was an actor who is known today to those who watch 30s movies on TCM. While he's no Bogart - a fellow Warner Bros contract player who was drifting in the same boat as Lyle until 'The Maltese Falcon' reset his course - he's a likeable and more than capable actor. We, the viewers of these movies, especially the pre-code films, are interested in knowing about the actors. But because most of them, hundreds just like Lyle, never achieved stardom, we know very little about their Hollywood careers because writers have not considered them worthy of a book-length study or thought there was an audience eager to read about them. Then, along comes Lyle's daughter, a writer, and a good one, who could have written a book that uncovered the details about his 30s career at Warner Bros, including an examination of how the studio system worked and the actor's place within that system. In so doing, Lyle could have represented all the other not-quite-stars who, after a few years of heavy star-building promotion, either left the business or were demoted to supporting or character roles, and then, if they were able to hold on long enough as Lyle did, move into TV in the 50s. But the author is not really interested in writing about Lyle's career. She's not really interested in Lyle's films, although she does discuss 'Mary Stevens MD', made with Kay Francis, but not 'Mandalay', a favorite of mine and many other Francis fans. And she gets points for an excellent discussion of '3 on a Match', in which Lyle has a large and memorable role. In addition to Lyle's films, there exists other primary source materials, though unearthing them will require effort, but this will have to wait until a future biographer takes on the task of excavation and tells us the full story of how an 'ordinary' entertainer kept his career going from age 17 into his 80s.

While not prudish, although I might be mistaken on this point, I was annoyed that the author wrote about the bedroom intimacies of her mother and Lyle. The author says that Lyle, sexually, was decades ahead of his time. Puleeze, spare me, spare the reader at large, spare all those - I'm assuming there are some others, but I could be mistaken again - who don't want to know what went on in her parent's bedroom. I'm glad to read that Lyle and Paula had a loving and happy 40-year marriage, that Lyle enjoyed cooking breakfast every morning and that Paula sang when she came into the kitchen - that's all I need to know, it's all I want to know, and it's enough.

One final complaint. The book cover does not mention Lyle's name, which is a big clue to what will not be found on the inside pages. Furthermore, this is the dreariest cover I've ever seen, its grayness containing words but no pictures, nothing that would lure one to open this book if seen on a display table at Barnes and Noble. What were the publishers thinking? Don't they want to sell any copies? Be aware that this book is not a biography. It is not a memoir. It is not about 30s Hollywood, except as covered in one of the history lessons. I borrowed my copy from the library, which I recommend you do before buying.(less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

THE ENTERTAINER: Movies, Magic, and My Father’s Twentieth Century. (2012). Margaret Talbot. ****.
Ms. Talbot is the daughter of Lyle Talbot, a wekk-known and well-respected character actor of stage, screen, and TV. Her memoir of his life is based, pretty much, on the stories he told her as she was growing up. Those stories, however, only represent about one-third of the book. In the bulk of the book, Ms. Talbot manages to leverage in the history of entertainment in the twentieth century. When he...more THE ENTERTAINER: Movies, Magic, and My Father’s Twentieth Century. (2012). Margaret Talbot. ****.
Ms. Talbot is the daughter of Lyle Talbot, a wekk-known and well-respected character actor of stage, screen, and TV. Her memoir of his life is based, pretty much, on the stories he told her as she was growing up. Those stories, however, only represent about one-third of the book. In the bulk of the book, Ms. Talbot manages to leverage in the history of entertainment in the twentieth century. When her dad ran away with the circus from his small town in Nebraska, she then offers a history of circuses and carnivals. When he turns up as an assistant of a magician and then a hypnotist, then we get a history of those topics as they contributed to our entertainment during their day. When dad finally breaks into the movies, under contract to a studio, we get an early history of film and a history of the studio system. All in all, we get a book chuck full of historical tidbits and anecdotes that keeps you reading on and on. Bear with me as I filch a few quotes from the book.
• A study conducted…found that 90 percent of women born before 1890 were virgins they married, but only 74 percent of those born between 1890 and 1899 were, and 51 percent of those born in the first decade of the new century.
• Kewpie dolls had been designed by a beautiful artist named Rose O’Neill, who was known as the ‘Queen of Bohemian Society,’ and who became so wealthy from the marketing of the little dolls that she could afford to maintain both a handsome brownstone on New York’s Washington Square and a villa on the island of Capri.
• At the turn of the century, “the splashiest and most redolent of freedom was the circus. Circuses were then experiencing their golden age, testing out ever greater feats of derring-do; the first human projectile fired from a cannon (1880)…the first three-ring circus (1881), the first successful triple somersault on a flying trapeze (1897).
• A review of the Arbuckle case is presented, with current conclusions based on a reassessment of the evidence.
• A special train was put together by Hollywood supporters to travel to Washington for Roosevelt’s inauguration. In Yuma, Arizona, when the train stopped in the middle of the night for a quick meet-and-greet with the locals, a woman in the crowd handed Joe E. Brown her baby to hold. Standing on the rear car of the train, Brown cradled the baby while the mayor made a speech. When the train took off, Brown was still holding the baby.
This book if full of anecdotes like this, along with little-known facts that manage to hold the reader’s attention throughout. I definitely enjoyed reading this book. Recommended.
(less)

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Jan 25, 2013 Bill Peschel rated it 5 of 5 stars

In his long lifetime that spanned the history of popular entertainment, Lyle Talbot believed he was lucky. The former carnie hustler and stage actor on the Midwestern circuit never became a star despite a contract at Warners playing opposite Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart and Mae West. A fading career and drink threatened to ruin him like it did many other actors, but a successful marriage and fatherhood rescued him, television revived his career and playing Ozzie Nelson’s neighbor gave him a modi...more In his long lifetime that spanned the history of popular entertainment, Lyle Talbot believed he was lucky. The former carnie hustler and stage actor on the Midwestern circuit never became a star despite a contract at Warners playing opposite Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart and Mae West. A fading career and drink threatened to ruin him like it did many other actors, but a successful marriage and fatherhood rescued him, television revived his career and playing Ozzie Nelson’s neighbor gave him a modicum of immortality. Luck? If that meant working steadily in a chaotic profession, then the former Lisle Henderson had it in spades.

Even now, forgotten by all but movie buffs, his luck holds. His daughter, “New Yorker” reporter Margaret Talbot, has written “The Entertainer: Movies, Magic and My Father’s Twentieth Century,” an engaging, anecdote-stuffed and affectionate portrait of a sweet man and the culture that shaped and fed him. I borrowed a copy from the library, and for sheer entertainment value, it’s one of the best biographies I’ve read in a long time.

Growing up in back-of-beyond Nebraska, Talbot discovered a love of entertaining and the traveling troupes that provided it. This leads into one of Margaret Talbot’s many digressions. Digging into obscure memoirs and histories, she revives the long-lost stories of the colorful, eccentric characters who struggled to pursue their dreams. In an era before radio and movies, carneys, circuses and companies of actors would ride the rails, rivers and roads from small town to small town. During winter, the ice-bound waterways acted as interstates with horses pulling the boats on runners. One playful group used a castle backdrop as a sail and held mock swordfights in front of it, to break the monotony and entertain anyone on shore.

Lyle took to the life, until a talent scout saw him and arranged a screen test, after which he was signed to Warners. On screen, he played himself, a nice guy, but he was too nice. You couldn’t buy him as a villain like you did his studio mates Cagney or Bogart. His best work was in gritty pre-censorship melodramas such as “20,000 Years in Sing Sing.” After he lost his contract in the mid-‘30s, he survived by taking every job. After the war, it was exploitation movies that warned of juvenile delinquency and the menace of marijuana. He appeared in no less than three Ed Wood movies, including “Plan 9 from Outer Space.” But television suited his talents the best. With his jowly boxer’s face and daddy’s pot belly, he looked like everyone’s friendly neighbor, and he played that role for a decade opposite Ozzie Nelson.

The arrival of his children shifts “The Entertainer” from history to memoir. We learn about his grooming habits through her stories about sneaking into his closet, with its masculine smells of pipe smoke and leather. We’re told that he loved ─ over and over ─ that he loved to perform, but also that he loved circuses, gadgets, carnies and sharp clothes. He displayed a talent for dressing up. Imagine this outfit reported in a New York newspaper: gray sharkskin suit with green and red stripes, blue shirt with a white collar and a blue and silver figured tie. The man was a peacock.

This makes for a wonderful life, but a dull biography, so Margaret wisely cast her father in an ensemble that includes Hollywood producers, strippers, mobsters, and the aforementioned Wood. They dominate the picture. All Lyle has to do is be himself and be charming. The result is a vivid portrait of a common actor and the exciting, wonderful, weird times he lived in.

Lyle Talbot. A star at last.

Lucky Lyle.(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Andie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Margaret Talbot, a staff writer for The New Yorker, tells her father's life story and in doing so, also tells the story of mass market entertainment in the United States during the Twentieth Century. From working in traveling with traveling circus and vaudeville magicians and hypnotists, to performing in regional repertory theater companies, to being a contract player for Warner Brothers to finally working in weekly TV situation comedy series, Lyle Talbot never stopped working. Like many journey...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Ronald Roseborough rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, hollywood

Margaret Talbot writes a fine tribute to her father, Lyle Talbot and Hollywood as seen through his eyes. Lyle never attained star status, but he was a very competent actor who enthusiastically took every acting job he was offered and played it with skill and professionalism. He had cut his teeth during the 1920's traveling in small theater shows that crisscrossed the Midwest. In the 1930's Lyle was an experienced stage actor, but a novice in the films being made in Hollywood. His stage credits c...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Dorianna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-memoir, first-reads-giveaways, non-fiction

-I received an advanced readers copy through Goodread's First Reads giveaway-

The length of this book originally worried me. Non-fiction doesn't hold my interest like fiction does. Sometimes when non-fiction goes on for too long, it just sounds I'm sitting through a college lecture with the most monotone voiced professor imaginable.

This was a not a problem with Margaret Talbot's book. She tells a micro history of entertainment in America, examines cultural and sociological shifts that began to...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, politics-history, non-fiction

Old Hollywood has always seemed like such a fascinating place to me. Just the name Hollywood evokes glamor. I love reading about it and was very excited to read The Entertainer based on the fact that it was about Hollywood alone. The Entertainer is both a personal history and a general history of Old Hollywood.

Margaret Talbot tells both the story of her father and Hollywood in this book. Through recollection of her father's many stories and her own meticulous research, she captures the transitio...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Brie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a wonderful read! The author talks about a lot more than her father's history. She dives into the history of the time period he lived in and the moment in time she is focusing on in his life. Some people would think it "filler" but I enjoyed this style immensely because it gave me a good idea of what was going on during the time she was speaking of and what people were thinking.

I also loved how she didn't gloss over her father's life. She may not know every detail but she did Lyle Talb...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a great book! I highly recommend it. It's definitely not something I'd normally read - I'm not a hollywood buff by any means and usually don't read nonfiction. So a history of Hollywood, sounds horrible. But 2 things. First, Margaret Talbot is a great writer and this reads in the fast easy way of good fiction. Second, she uses her father's personal story to explore several histories: yes, the history of Hollywood-but more interestingly- the history of entertainment & performance in t...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Teresa Gibson rated it 3 of 5 stars

As an old movie fan, I looked forward to learning more about Lyle Talbot, whose life nearly spanned the 20th century (1902--1996). He was an actor who I'd think, "I've heard that name somewhere before, but can't place the face." Looking at Wikipedia Lyle Talbot(and what a handsome face it was!), Talbot's filmography is long and varied. The Entertainer could have used a filmography in the end papers to help the reader better place the actor in time and memory.

Talbot's daughter Margaret writes a...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir

A fascinating look back at American entertainment through the 20th century, via the life of Lyle Talbot, a man who started out as a carny in the Midwest, rose to stardom in Hollywood B movies with Humphrey Bogart and Carole Lombard, and ended up on "Ozzie and Harriet" for 14 years.

Written by his daughter, it's best when it focuses on his own life and story...it gets overlong when she veers into the history of the Hollywood Production Code, for instance.

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Dec 03, 2012 Brandy Bacala rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

1.5 Stars, received my copy through a first-reads giveaway.

The major problem I have with this book is that it is way too long. Rather than providing reader's with the juicy details of her father's life in early Hollywood, Margaret Talbot overwhelms her audience with so many history lessons about EVERYTHING going on in this time period that the story gets lost. It became less of a biography and more of a mass of unsorted research.

For anyone interested in early Hollywood, this book provides some...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Lisa Shafer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, biography, don-t-miss-these

I won an ARC of this book on a goodreads giveaway.
However, other than a few minor flaws that I assume were corrected for the "real" book, this was wonderful!
I am not a film buff, nor did I even know who Lyle Talbot was when I began reading. But the author weaves the history of 20th Century entertainment around her father's life story in a fascinating way. The man was in carnivals, hypnotists shows, traveling theater companies, silent movies, talkies, B-movies (He was in "Plan 9 From Outer Space,...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Staci rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although I don't often read memoirs I was able to read all of Margaret Talbot's book in honor of her father, Lyle. I enjoyed the strength of character reflected in her father's stories but felt the book dragged a little bit. Giving a solid 3 stars.

My rating system is as follows:

5 stars - Excellent, Worth Every Penny, Made It Into My Personal Library!
4 stars - Great book, but not a classic.
3 stars - Good overall, generally well written.
2 stars - Would not recommend based on personal criteria.
1 s...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Christopher rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book - as I enjoy all books that use a specific subject to take us on a journey through a general history of a broader subject - in this case, 20th-century movies and television. I would have given it three and a half stars if that were an option on goodreads. It did take me a long time to read the book, however, which mystified. I'm still not sure why, given how much I enjoyed reading it when I picked it up again. Perhaps, like Lyle Talbot, himself, the book had just enough charm...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Gasuski Suski rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love anything about the "entertainer world" but the reason I choose this book the actor lived not far from where I live. The author/daughter did a great deal of research and how things were so different many years ago.

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Feb 20, 2013 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a charming, affectionate biography of b-movie actor Lyle Talbot by his journalist daughter. Along the way, it manages to provide an interesting history of popular entertainment over the past hundred years.

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Sep 29, 2012 Florence rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is well worth the read, especially for people into enertainment history, performance, and film. The book is all about Lyle Talbot, written from his daughter's view. The story is quite fascinating and starts with Lyle leaving his home in a town in Nebraska to travel with a carnival. The story is eloquent and has the fascination of being a real-life actor success story.

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Feb 18, 2013 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book very much, but the author repeated herself quite a bit. The language was really good and the story was fascinating.

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Feb 08, 2013 Trav S.D. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read my review here!
http://travsd.wordpress.com/2013/02/0...

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Oct 16, 2012 Kristina marked it as to-read

Shelves: first-reads

*** I received this A.R.C. for free through Goodreads First Reads ***
** The A.R.C. Giveaway was Listed By Riverhead **
* I received my copy on Tue, Oct 16 2012 *

THANK YOU GOODREADS FIRST READS AND RIVERHEAD!

I will follow with a full review after reading.

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Apr 17, 2013 Ita Leah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not what I was expecting. So-so

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Oct 22, 2012 Exapno Mapcase rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful combination of a personal memoir, a biography of her father, and a history of early Hollywood. We get to follow the career of Lyle Talbot on his lengthy journey, starting with a traveling theater, think off-Broadway vaudeville paired with circus sideshows, to the early silent movies, and into television.
It was fun reading about the wide variety of personalities that he worked with, from Bette Davis to Ed Wood to Ozzie and Harriet. It provides a heartfelt look into a great car...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Linda Cohen marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2012, non-fiction

8/7/12 SA

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Dec 11, 2012 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

great read - fun accounting of 20th century entertainment.

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Nov 15, 2012 Lourdes rated it 4 of 5 stars

My mom and I both love old Hollywood movies and that's why I was excited to get this book. I'll give this to her to read.
When you think about it, the black and white in the film does not mean that their lives are b/w too. This book gives a good glimpse into many aspects of the author's father's career. It is part biography and part history and will appeal to those interested in this genre too. It is also a good addition to anyone's personal library.

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Feb 19, 2013 Candy Hudziak rated it 4 of 5 stars

A good read for early Hollywood history buffs. A little too much backstory sometimes, though.

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May 12, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fun to read and much I didn't know about that time period that was fun to learn. Last quarter of the book felt rushed though. Disappointing she could not keep the momentum.

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Feb 17, 2013 Erin Donahue rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story would make for a great movie!

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May 17, 2013 Meredith marked it as to-read

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