Growing Up Laughing

August 9, 2010
Some know her as the star of the 1960s TV show That Girl, or creator of Free to Be... You and Me, or perhaps major fund-raiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Thomas, author of five bestselling books, here focuses on a role she's had her entire life: daughter. Laughter was the soundtrack for Thomas's formative years in 1950s Beverly Hills. Her father, comedian Danny Thomas, regularly had funny friends—including Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, and George Burns—over to the family home. The author, actress, feminist, and philanthropist shares fond memories of enjoying and learning from these comedy luminaries, and of being a Hollywood kid long before game-changers like the Internet and cable TV. She chronicles her path from childhood to adulthood; particularly interesting tidbits include her meeting and marrying Phil Donahue, becoming friends with Gloria Steinem and Bella Abzug, and, with her siblings, "producing" her father's funeral. But this book is more than a well-written memoir. Thomas also includes interviews with comedy powerhouses galore, from Tina Fey to Alan Alda, Chris Rock to Ben and Jerry Stiller. On the whole, this book offers a delightful firsthand look at how comedy has become integral to American culture—and the way it's shaped one woman's colorful life.

September 1, 2010

That Girl star and Emmy-winning TV veteran attempts to find out how humor works.

Thomas (The Right Words at the Right Time: Volume 2: Your Turn!, 2006, etc.), the daughter of funnyman Danny Thomas, builds on her thriving second career as a nonfiction writer. Each chapter contains an autobiographical section—with the author's memories of encountering funny famous folks during her upbringing in Southern California—along with an interview section featuring big-name comedians in the league of Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. Although interview banter with natural wits like Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert is an easy sell, it's Thomas's autobiographical musings that are the most compelling aspect of the book—e.g., the surprisingly affecting story of her determination to carve out an identity as an actress without the help of her famous father. Particularly refreshing is the description of her coming-of-age in Beverly Hills at a time when the neighborhood still had a middle-class feel and was full of unpretentious eateries and mom-and-pop shops. Even more surprising to learn is that her father, unlike so many celebrity fathers, seems to have been a kind, caring, loving patriarch. On the downside, Thomas's interviewing style is fawning at best, and except for a chat with a feisty and recalcitrant Elaine May and the always-amusing Don Rickles, the author's questions fall too often in the "So, you were the class clown?" category. Her responses are often limited to "That's so funny," "Ah-ha" and "Wow." Although all her subjects have big personalities and star-quality wit, there's rarely any original, penetrating insight into the formative human experiences that coagulate to create the perfect comedic brain. There are patterns, of course: Often a comedian will come from a funny family or use humor as a way of masking insecurities, but these are hardly major revelations.

Good for beach-readers interested in celebrity memoir and famous comedians.

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2010

Thomas, an award-winning actress known for her lead role in TV's That Girl (1966-71), has published five best-selling self-help and children's books, including Free To Be...You and Me. In her memoir, she describes some of her early memories and humorous situations growing up with her father, comedian Danny Thomas. The funniest stories relate to her father's famous friends, such as George Burns, Milton Berle, and Sid Caesar. Thomas discusses their work ethics and then describes her interviews with more recent comedians, including Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, and Chris Rock. VERDICT All in all, this is a nice, light read with a lot of laughs. Recommended for readers interested in celebrity memoirs, performing arts, Marlo and Danny Thomas, comedy, and biographies.--Sally Bryant, Pepperdine Univ. Lib., Malibu, CA

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2010
Thomas, star of the classic sitcom That Girl and daughter of comedy legend Danny Thomas, has taken an interesting approach to the usual Hollywood memoir. Chapters exploring her life as the daughter of comedy royalty, and her struggles to establish an independent identity for herself, alternate with profiles of contemporary comedians (Seinfeld, Leno, Stiller, Rock, Crystal, Rivers, Williams, Fey, Wright, and Colbert, among others). We see how her father inspired her, and we also see how he inspired the professionals who came after him. Thomas personal stories are heartwarming and entertaining. Her father, who came by his legendary status by dint of hard work and perfect delivery, comes across as a driven man who always made time for his family and who never made any secret of the fact that he loved his little girl. It was a privileged childhood, to be sure, and you cant help being a little envious of someone who grew up around the likes of Milton Berle, George Burns, and Sid Caesar. The profiles of other comedians allow us to see Danny Thomas through others eyes, too, offering a different perspective on the man and his legacy. An engaging, highly informative memoirdefinitely not the routine show-biz autobiography.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)