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| Right Here on Our Stage Tonight!: Ed Sullivan''s America
ISBN: 9780520944862
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / University of California Press
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: Ed Sullivan show (Television program); Sullivan Ed 1902–; Television personalities -- United States -- Biography;
Variety show host Ed Sullivan, part idiosyncratic non-performer and part brooding showman, played so great a role in molding the television industry, says Nachman, that his keen eye for talent not only entertained 47 million viewers each week but also produced and nurtured American cultural life. Author Nachman (Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 60s) chronicles the evolution of the Ed Sullivan Show from 1948 to 1971, illuminating its immense influence and locating the heart of the long-lived program in its host's capacity for pursuing acts of all kinds. Nachman's work relies on a wide range of interviews and comprehensive research, and his attention to detail makes a vivid, discerning portrayal of American history through the lens of popular culture. Though the book drags at times, fans of the show will appreciate the opportunity to relive memorable performances with insight into backstage politics and fighting, including the complex orchestration of acts from Topo Gigio and Señor Wences to Elvis Presley and the Beatles. The real star of the show is Sullivan himself, and Nachman's compelling analysis of his showbiz genius and unexpected anti-personality appeal. (Nov.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Gerald Weil Nachman was born in Oakland, California on January 13, 1938. He received an associate of arts degree from Merritt College and a bachelor of arts degree from San Jose State University. While still a student, he worked as a TV reviewer and humor columnist for the San Jose Mercury. He was a feature writer for the New York Post from 1964 to 1966, a columnist and film critic for the Oakland Tribune from 1967 to 1971, a feature writer and TV critic for the New York Daily News from 1972 to 1979, and a columnist and theater critic for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. He wrote several books including Playing House: From Marital Ecstasy to Despair and Back Again; Raised on Radio; Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s; Right Here on Our Stage Tonight!: Ed Sullivan's America; The Fragile Bachelor: Perilous Adventures in the Single Life; Out on a Whim: Some Very Close Brushes with Life; and Showstoppers! The Surprising Backstage Stories of Broadway's Most Remarkable Songs. The two anthologies of his humor pieces were entitled The Fragile Bachelor: Perilous Adventures in the Single Life and Out on a Whim: Some Very Close Brushes with Life. He died on April 14, 2018 at the age of 80. (Bowker Author Biography) |
