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Growing Up Laughing: My Story and the Story of Funny
by
Marlo Thomas
Growing Up Laughing: My Story and the Story of Funny is a book that only Marlo Thomas could write—a smart and gracious, witty and confident autobiographical journey.
For as long as Marlo Thomas can remember, she’s lived with laughter. Born to comedy royalty—TV and nightclub star Danny Thomas—she grew up among legendary funny men, carved much of her career in comedy and, to...more
For as long as Marlo Thomas can remember, she’s lived with laughter. Born to comedy royalty—TV and nightclub star Danny Thomas—she grew up among legendary funny men, carved much of her career in comedy and, to...more
Hardcover, 400 pages
Published
September 28th 2010
by Hyperion
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". . . this one is special."
--USA Today
Growing Up Laughing is a compelling autobiographical journey--hilarious and heartfelt, intimate and inspiring. It is a book that only Marlo Thomas could write.
For as long as Thomas can remember, she's lived with laughter. Born to comedy royalty--TV and nightclub star Danny Thomas--she grew up among legendary funny men, carved much of her career in comedy and, to this day, surrounds herself with people who love and live to make others laugh. Thomas ta
As summer turns to fall, find a moment to read this book. By turns it is wickedly funny, charming, AND heartbreaking. But for me, it was a warm fuzzy. Here is a strong, independent, vocal woman who keeps her identity within a strong marriage, has strong family ties and gives back to the community AND the world. Oh, if there were more role models and mentors like Marlo Thomas. I never missed an episode of "That Girl" when I was a kid because I SO identified with her. I knew there was MORE out the...more
I absolutely loved this book! It is a wonderful combination of autobiography, a view of the comedic talent of her father, Danny Thomas & the others of his generation (Syd Caesar, George Burns, etc) and interviews with current comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Griffin, Steve Colbert, Jon Stewart. Interspersed with the interviews and the story of her life. Marlo gives us some of the funniest one-liners and stories of these amazing talented funny men and women...more
I bought this book on a whim because I was a fan of That Girl and Phil's show. It was better than I expected. Marlo talks about growing up in luxury in Beverly Hills, but not in a bragging kind of way. You hear a lot of people who grew up poor say they didn't know they were poor when they were kids because everyone they knew was in the same boat. Marlo has the same attitude about growing up in a wealthy suburb. She didn't know any other way of life. She also talks about what it was like having h...more
Nature vs. Nurture. What is the secret behind the talent of the incredibly funny people that, with a single word or look, can render us uncontrollable with laughter, grasping our sides in near-pain as we roll in the aisles? They render us powerless with their words and lighten our worlds for just a brief moment in time, allowing us to forget - or even find the humorous in - the trials and pains of life. Are their skills inherited from funny parents? Are they adaptive responses to a difficult chi...more
A glimpse into Marlo Thomas’ glamorous childhood and acting career. She grew up in Beverly Hills a few doors down from Elizabeth Taylor and went to school with the children of Gary Cooper and Bing Crosby. At home, she was surrounded by legendary comedians.
The book is a superficial hodgepodge, perhaps more of a tribute to her father, Danny Thomas, than anything else. Her story is intermingled with brief interviews from several comedians, along with several jokes thrown in. I really enjoyed her s...more
The book is a superficial hodgepodge, perhaps more of a tribute to her father, Danny Thomas, than anything else. Her story is intermingled with brief interviews from several comedians, along with several jokes thrown in. I really enjoyed her s...more
A little disappointing. The writing is a little bland, and not hilarious, considering it's about growing up surrounded by funny people. Still, if you LOVED "That Girl" and grew up with all of these comedians, it's a sweet and light reminiscence piece that you can dip into from time to time if you don't feel like reading it all the way through.
To be fair, I loved the parts about the old days, especially about the "the boys," Sid Caesar, George Burns, Milton Berle, Carl Reiner, and all, and how th...more
To be fair, I loved the parts about the old days, especially about the "the boys," Sid Caesar, George Burns, Milton Berle, Carl Reiner, and all, and how th...more
I remember as a child watching Make Room for Daddy with my family and loving the show. I really don't remember it except for Danny Thomas chomping on his cigar and yelling at Uncle Toonus. Perhaps I loved the show so much because I identified with Angela Cartwright, because my Dad too traveled a lot. Staying up late and watching comics and hearing my Dad laugh are happy memories, so of course I picked up the book. After all, who didn't want to be "That Girl" growing up?
I really enjoyed the book...more
I really enjoyed the book...more
What an uplifting memoir! A typical memoir is one of the hard childhood or the rough rough road from drug abuse to sobriety but Marlo Thomas has delivered a memoir that is uplifting, accepting the life she was born into and celebrating the awesome friendships and relationships she was awarded simply for being born to Danny Thomas.
The book is truly a memoir and not a biography of her father; while Danny Thomas was clearly influential in her life, the book includes interviews with Ms. Thomas' con...more
The book is truly a memoir and not a biography of her father; while Danny Thomas was clearly influential in her life, the book includes interviews with Ms. Thomas' con...more
I checked this out of my library after hearing Marlo do an interview to promote it earlier this month. Marlo's childhood, growing up as one of the daughters of Danny Thomas was quite extraordinary, and it was a pleasure to read about her wonderful memories and appreciation for her special childhood. I also enjoyed reading the interviews with so many of the comedy legends who were part of her childhood because of their close relationships with her dad and because of her own career. Like Carol Bur...more
I was apprehensive about the way this book was laid out. The chapters alternate between Marlo Thomas' tales of growing up with her comedian father and the stories of other comedians like Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Kathy Griffin and Joan Rivers. However, not only did the format work, it prevented the book from being just another memoir about growing up in old Hollywood with a famous parent. What really impressed me was how each person articulated the importance being funny held in their lives....more
I enjoyed this book. It was light and lovely. I found, like with Child Star, that as a memoir it meanders and sometimes what makes sense to Ms. Thomas make me have to flip back pages to figure out what she was talking about. I liked some of the comedian/enne interviews, but not all. I don't know that I loved Ms. Thomas' interviewing style. I did enjoy the jokes smattered throughout and I loved reading the love that she had for her father and the respect that she had for him and the comics of his...more
I was given this book by a friend while I was on a trip. I was tempted to, you know, conveniently leave it in the rental car or airport. But when I finished the book I had brought for the trip, I was happy I had this to read. Oh my goodness, I'm so glad I didn't "lose" it. Part of the book is a memoir about her life growing up as Danny Thomas's daughter and telling the reader how she tried and succeeded in breaking into show business. But to me, the far more fascinating part of the book were the...more
I was excited to read this book because I remember loving "That Girl" and "Make Room For Daddy" and all the old comedians of that long ago era. It was an interesting read, although I found myself hoping the Marlo Thomas would "get real", which, sadly, she never did. I really wasn't looking for dirt, I'm just tired of people painting their lives with a brush of perfection. I do realize that she did not want to trash her family, and I appreciate that. The book was interesting and thoughtful with i...more
This would have gotten five stars if the author had told more about herself. Marlo Thomas reveals a lot about her father, her mother and her growing up lives with a whole slew of comedy geniuses as her "uncles" around the house, she doesn't share as much of herself like how tough it was to get "That Girl" made and her current life. If you're a fan of Danny Thomas you'll delight and tear up at the poignant vignettes sprinkled throughout the book. I also wasn't as happy with one of her chapters an...more
I absolutely loved this book. It has a bit of everything - fascinating glimpses into the life of her father and his career, her growing-up years, her life as an actress, and some good interviews with well-known comedians. She even throws in some actual jokes - and most made me laugh out loud. This book had me both laughing and crying. I felt that I was right along with her as she described some of her life events. Although there were poignant moments, the funny ones far outnumbered those, and I...more
A charming little book. Marlo Thomas combines a memoir of growing up in Beverly Hills as the daughter of funny man Danny Thomas and surrounded by the giants of comedy like George Burns, Sid Caesar, Bob Hope, Milton Berle and Bob Newhart. She also includes stories of her own acting and writing career and marriage to Phil Donahue. In addition, there are interviews that Marlo had with the leaders of contemporary comedy--Chris Rock, John Stewart, Jay Leno, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, etc. to uncover...more
Fun, though I skipped around quite a bit, ignoring some parts. This book is part autobiography (Marlo Thomas), part biography (her father Danny Thomas), and part a discussion with famous current comedians on what is funny, and where humor comes from. I love reading about the comics who started on vaudeville and radio, before going into TV, so I love reading about Danny Thomas. I also loved reading about Marlo's life as a child of a famous comedian and her exposure to all the great comedians, who...more
I enjoyed this memoir of Marlo Thomas's life growing up as the daughter of Danny Thomas. I remember watching Make Room for Daddy with him, and later That Girl was one of my favorite shows when I was around 11 and 12 years old. I couldn't wait to live on my own in NYC, which I actually did for nine years. Marlo interjects the experiences of contemporary comedians among her childhood memories, and it is evident that those who make us laugh belong to a very tight knit community and have overcome va...more
Marlo Thomas tells of her life surrounded by the comic greats of our time, what it was like to break into the industry for a woman and how "Free to Be You & Me" & "That Girl" came about and her role in the feminist movement. Intersperced are interviews with some of the comic greats...Robin Williams, Alan Alda, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, etc. and their comic roots and some really great jokes. I had met Danny Thomas back in the 60's and remember being surprised as how sho...more
Marlo Thomas was a childhood shero to this little feminist. It was fun to read about her family growing up; most of this memoir focuses on her famous father and all the comedians she knew growing up. Anyone hoping for a thorough autobiography will be disappointed, but I really enjoyed the funny stories and the insider view of Hollywood in the "Golden Age." Frequently interspersed are interviews Marlo did with comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Whoopi Goldberg. Some of these are good, some not so...more
Loved this book or at least most parts of it I loved. Reading about Marlo Thomas's life growing up in a loving family was great. There where always famous people over to the house etc. Later her life and marrying Phil Donahue. Loved reading about all this and St Jude. She has always been a favorite of mine since "That Girl". (starting in 1966 how can that be!)
She has lots of interviews with other comedians which I really didn't care to read. Most (not all) where people I don't like to begin wit...more
She has lots of interviews with other comedians which I really didn't care to read. Most (not all) where people I don't like to begin wit...more
Well this was a good book. Marlo Thomas is the daughter of famous-comedian Danny Thomas, and she shares anecdotes from her childhood growing up with a comedian for a father.
She also interviewed 20 successful comedians about their childhoods. She asked what inspired them to pursue this career, when they first realized they were funny, and about their general thoughts about comedy.
Overall, I enjoyed learning more about these funny people. It was cool to see what many comedians shared in common and...more
She also interviewed 20 successful comedians about their childhoods. She asked what inspired them to pursue this career, when they first realized they were funny, and about their general thoughts about comedy.
Overall, I enjoyed learning more about these funny people. It was cool to see what many comedians shared in common and...more
As I read further into this book I began to really enjoy it. As the daughter of Danny Thomas, the comedian, the author was able to meed many of the greats in show business....some of the greatest comedians in history. She would write a chapter on her life and then throw in an interview with a famous comedian or anecdotal brief stories about those that are no longer living. Some corny jokes were also added although imagining the delivery by a performer like Jack Benny, George Burns, et al made th...more
This was a wonderful book to read. I laughed from the time I started until towards the end. Marlo has some very lovely stories growing u as Danny Thomas's daughter. She interviews many of today's comedians/comediennes, while being nostalgic about the comedians she saw in her home: Danny Kaye, George Burns, Milton Berle, Phyllis Diller are some of the acts mentioned in the book that her father worked with or knew from his many years in show biz
I really enjoyed this book. It gave you an insite of what it was like for Marlo to grow up in a family with a comedian as a father. What I also liked was she interviewed 10+ comedians today to find out how they "grew up laughing". From Bill Crystal, Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld etc.-- was very interesting. She also included a lot of jokes at the end of each chapter -- really made you laugh all the way through.
Really good memoir, and very funny. I have to admit that there are some comedians that I really don't care for, so when she interviews them in her book, I would just page on through.
Her love for her father and her family is evident, and the way humor brings her family together is just terrific. She's known so many of the masters of comedy, and her love and understanding of them and of their history is really phenomenal.
Her love for her father and her family is evident, and the way humor brings her family together is just terrific. She's known so many of the masters of comedy, and her love and understanding of them and of their history is really phenomenal.
I truly enjoyed the combination of the author's memoir and interviews with current popular comedians.
In this format Marlo Thomas appeals to both older readers who loved her Dad Danny Thomas and younger readers who may not know much about him but are familiar with the other comedians who contributed their stories for this book. This is a quick read with short chapters full of both funny and tender stories.
In this format Marlo Thomas appeals to both older readers who loved her Dad Danny Thomas and younger readers who may not know much about him but are familiar with the other comedians who contributed their stories for this book. This is a quick read with short chapters full of both funny and tender stories.
This book was fantastic! I didn't want it to end. Marlo Thomas interviewed all the comics of the day to see what, in their opinion made them become comics. And she talks about her life living with her father, Danny Thomas, and being around all the great comics of his day, in their living room. It made me want to be "her" growing up, living in Beverly Hills, and knowing all those famous, funny people!
A better-than-average Hollywood memoir from a writer with a teaching degree from USC. Ms. Thomas (Mrs. Donahue?)has some fond memories of the comedians that gathered at her dad's Beverly Hills home like an extended family. She also includes interview segments with today's pantheon of comics, along with some of their favorite gags.
I don't know anyone who wouldn't enjoy this fast Goodread.
I don't know anyone who wouldn't enjoy this fast Goodread.
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May 19, 2012 12:01pm