Robert Morley's Book of bricks

by Robert Morley

A humorous look at the bloopers, gaffes, and faux-pas, i.e. bloopers, of famous people. From the pen of a few funny actor, writer, and bon-vivant.

Genres: Humor, Comedy

159 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Conversational bricks (of the dropped kind) come in all shapes and sizes and Robert Morley has here collected many of the best of them.

" 'Doing it that way', said Denis Norden to Peter Scott as they chatted idly on one occasion, 'you can kill two birds with one stone.'

Man at a party: 'By the way, whatever did happen to that skinny blonde your husband was once married to?' 'I dyed my hair,' came the reply.

"Desmond Morris adds an essay on this greatly neglected aspect of Manwatching, and Miles Kington in another essay steps carefully over some great printed bricks. Geoffrey Dickinson and John Jensen has added their own inimitable illustrations and the result is an entire wall of the best of the British bricks."
~~back cover

Did you understand that first brick? Neither did I -- I reckon you had to be a Brit and know the history of the two men involved. And unfortunately, most of the bricks were like that -- completely over the head of this Yank reader. And therefore not so very funny. Not one brick made me howl with laughter, so I gave up the attempt about halfway through.

[James Wilson FRHistS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two things are required to enjoy this book - some knowledge of the contributors and people mentioned in it, and, equally, knowledge of the culture in which they lived, a very different world from today. Google can assist with the first requirement, though it would make reading it a bit laborious and rather kill the punchlines. As to the second, if you’re not familiar with the educated middle and upper classes and public figures of Britain in the 1970s, I’d suggest watching a few episodes of Call My Bluff from the 1970s (many are on YouTube), with Frank Muir and Patrick Campbell. If you enjoy those (I do, partly for the reasons intended but also for the nostalgia and indeed the time travelling watching it involves), you’ll enjoy this book. If not, you won’t.

[Simon Hedge]

This is a curious collection of stories of half remembered celebrities making social faux pas back when manners madeth the man, and shame was actually still a powerful force. To modern eyes it must seem like a collection of nothings.
It did make me laugh a few times though. And it was all for charity, so I'm not giving it a star rating, it seems unfair.

[Loonywoman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of its day, but some gems in here.

[Janet Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous look at the bloopers, gaffes, and faux-pas, i.e. bloopers, of famous people. From the pen of a few funny actor, writer, and bon-vivant.