Which Reminds Me

by Tony and Mindlin Michael Randall

Good/Good; Large Print former library book with normal library markings.

Genres: Memoir, Biography, Nonfiction, Humor

236 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tony Randall of The Odd Couple fame (among others) goes on a story-telling spree. There. Review done. Oh, I suppose I ought to say a bit more. So, Tony gives us little snippets of everything from life in the theatre to TV and film. He tells naughty stories about producers, directors, writers, fellow actors, and critics. He gives us behind-the-scene views of his most famous TV show appearances, The Odd Couple and Mr. Peepers. There are stories about practical jokes and mistaken identity. If could have happened in Hollywood, then it probably did and Tony lets us know.

I read this once before (in the 90s, I think--though I didn't note the date) and thought it amusing. I remembered Tony as a good storyteller. So, when I saw this at the Historical Society's community garage sale a few years ago, I decided to pick it up for a reread. I'll just say that this hasn't aged well. Most of the stories aren't nearly as funny as I remembered and some reflect views that aren't appropriate. Tony's style (or Mindlin's writing or however this pans out between the two) is too rambling. He just plunges from one story to the next with little to connect them into a nice, flowing commentary. I think it was supposed to represent the idea of the title--telling one story which reminds him of another story which leads to another story....and so on ad infinitum. Which perhaps works better conversationally than it does on paper.

There are things to like about the book--especially his stories about his early years onstage and his work with Jack Klugman on The Odd Couple--but not enough to make it a really good read. I gave it a strong three-star review before, but now I'd give it ★★ and 1/2 at most.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Keeko · Rating 5 out of 5]

He was a great storyteller. A fun book full of good stories. Love him and his charm and talent.

[Mary Lou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a memoir, but a collection of stories Randall picked up throughout his years in the entertainment industry. There are a lot of "in" jokes and stories for which, I guess, one had to be there. For me, they didn't translate well to the written page. Part of that was the delivery. This was a book full of one-liners, written as prose. The editors would have done well to double space between stories. In fact, quite often the punchlines just weren't funny, so it took a moment to realize Randall had already moved on to the next gag.

Most of the humor was mean, catty, and vulgar. If this is typical of the entertainment industry (and I fear it's probably worse 30 years after the book's publication), a Hollywood party is the last place I'd choose to spend an evening. What a miserable collection of people.

Randall does a LOT of name-dropping. In fact, that's pretty much all this book is. If you pick it up looking for a tidbit about a favorite celebrity of the era, be warned -- chances are good s/he won't come off looking very classy. Take, for example, the story in which David Niven (David Niven!) calls someone a cunt several times. Typical of what you'll find here. In fact, in the entire book there was only one story in which someone was portrayed as a kind, decent person. What a cesspool. What a disappointment.

[Ellen the Herbivore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely frothy book of anecdotes about various show business people he met over the years. It's like sitting around with a bunch of kibbitzing old guys - very relaxing. Reminds me a bit of my dad and his brothers and sisters at their storytelling best (though none of them were famous or actors). BUT reading with modern eyes, it's a bit painful what a white-man-world he inhabited. There are ZERO people of color anywhere, and scarcely any women. I'm glad that show business is significantly more diverse than it was in his era, despite how far it has to go.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and fun anecdotes, stories, and one-liners; you can pick it up and put it down at random, just reading a page or a chapter at a time. But the synopsis above includes an inaccuracy: Tony Randall did not play Mr. Peepers. Wally Cox did.

[Pachyderm Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This avid and allurung recounting of Mr. Randall's career reads like a long, rambling, courgeously heartfelt one-to-one conversation with the reader or at the every least, Mr. Randall's co-star and partner in crime for a really long time, Jack Klugman.

[John Peel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tony Randall ("The Odd Couple") tells anecdotes about and by other celebrities. Possibly it's me, but I found most of the stories more mean-spirited or vulgar than actually funny.

[Cws]

792.028

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the man (tony randall)!!!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining stage and screen antecdotes.