All My Best Friends

by George Burns, David Fisher

Book by Burns, George

Genres: Biography, Humor, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir, Media Tie In, History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 1989

About the author

Popular American comedian acted George Burns, originally Nathan Birnbaum from 1922 teamed with Gracie Allen, his wife, to 1958; after her death, he in dramatic roles won an Academy Award for The Sunshine Boys (1975).

Career of this writer spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. His familiar arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation lasted for more than three quarters of a century. He enjoyed a career resurrection that began in the 1975 and continued through his death.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...

Reviews

[Debra Pawlak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine George Burns reminiscing about his friends? Well that's exactly what happens in this delightful book. Burns talks about Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Ed Wynn, George Jessel and of course his long-time best friend, Jack Benny among many others. He dishes the good with the bad and finds humor in almost every situation. From vaudeville to radio to movies to the early days of television, he describes his pals and the gambles they took in their careers and personal life. If only I could have been there. Thank you, George, for leaving us with such entertaining tales of so many legendary people. You still rock!

[Dan Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old Hollywood is shown here, how it came from vaudeville, and grew along with radio...and then faded away. It's a very smooth read, and even those who don't know Jimmy Durante from Archibald Leach can be entertained by the way each story represents a part of Burns' life.

When you read it, especially if you have any familiarity with the personalities he describes, you will be entertained; but you'll also see nostalgia give way to melancholy. It is wrenching to outlive those you love, and Burns did it more than almost anyone. He misses these people, especially his beloved wife and best friend - and it shows.

This is Burns, reflected in his colleagues, friends and family, just as he was - a dirty old man with a tear in his eye.

[Phil Atteberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was published in 1989, when George Burns was 93. It is a book of memoirs about his long-time show business friends, specially Jack Benny, George Jessel, Fred Allen, the Marx Brothers, Milton Berle, Fanny Brice, Ed Wynn, and others to a lesser degree.

The most apt word to describe this book is "uneven." At its best, it's funny and completely entertaining. It's full of good one liners ("I've been in show business a long time, but audiences have never fully understood me. When I was a singer, they laughed; when I was a comedian, they didn't.") The book begins with a section on vaudeville, then radio, the movies and television. While reminiscing, Burns works in every old joke he ever knew. As for accuracy, he says that "most of what I say is true. The rest is show business."

For me, the most interesting parts of the book are when he stops joking and provides some insightful analysis of show business history. He talks about why some entertainers were able to transition from vaudeville to radio to television and others weren't. Why Jack Benny was more successful on radio than anyone else. Why Marilyn Monroe finally agreed to marry Charlie McCarthy (Woops, sorry. I'm becoming George Burns).

The second half of the book is not as well paced or as enjoyable as the first half, but it's still a mostly entertaining read.

[Jerry B · Rating 3 out of 5]

You probably need to be in the over-60 crowd to really appreciate this extensive set of anecdotes, a memoir of a show biz legend, all of 93 years old when this was published in '89. It’s not about his famous partner, wife Gracie – that relationship had been previously chronicled. Rather, this is Burns’ longtime recollections of famous friends in the biz – especially Groucho and Harpo Marx, Fanny Brice, Al Jolson, George Jessell, Eddie Cantor, and probably his best friend, Jack Benny. Along the way, he illustrated the evolvement of stage shows from vaudeville to radio to television, each successive medium practically annihilating its predecessor. It was also interesting to see which stars successfully made each transition, or not!

We’re not necessarily fond of biographical reading, but recalling many of these personalities and characters from our childhood made the narrative a little more fun than it might otherwise have been. Burns also uses the pages as an excuse to drop many a punch line, most of which were pretty corny, but hey – what does one expect of a nonagenarian !! So -- a reasonably pleasant several hours of reading, plus extensive sets of black and white photos of all the characters under discussion awaits...

[Angela Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughter and tears all throughout. Sometimes tears from laughing, sometimes smiling through tears. A beautiful, rich, loving tribute to a long-life and career shared with legendary figures. George Burns knew them all, and was very close to a great many of them... Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, the Marx Brothers... you name the classic comic or vaudeville performer, and it's likely he knew them, worked with them, or lived alongside them. Witty, sweet, tragic and filled with love, this book is so conversationally written that you'd swear George was seated on your couch, puffing his cigar, and just telling you the stories, in person. His voice is so clear through the pages that you've no doubt the delivery is his. It might be best, however, to read this one at home; otherwise, you will unnerve strangers as you laugh out loud, in public, at humorous stories no one else can see/read. This book is a PLEASURE!

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book best savored slowly (which I didn't). It's like a stand-up routine in print and just as funny. Reminiscent of Harpo Speaks! and, of course, Gracie: A Love Story, it was good fun to read about all the old comics and their hijinks in a time when everything wasn't so serious. Or, rather, when it was horribly serious, but people self-medicated with humor, friends, and more humor.

That was what struck me as I read his story of entertaining through Vaudeville, Radio, Television, and Film. A good 40% of people were comedians and a good 40% of shows were comedies. Contrast that to today and it doesn't really seem to equate. But then I'm an old soul.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, my father told me that his grandmother and her second husband made there living as vaudeville performers. I didn't know what vaudeville was other than a form of entertainment. Since he was born after they stopped performing, he could offer no actual details other than her husband was a little person.
In this book, George Burns explores the history of the entertainment world in which he and his friends grew up. He starts with the history in vaudeville, a no-holds-barred live-stage variety show that reigned in cities and small towns across the country in the early 1900s. His description paints a picture of an early format of America's Got Talent, the television contest featuring entertainment acts of all types.
From his roots in vaudeville, George explores how he and his friends evolved (or disappeared) with the advent and popularity of radio in the 30s and 40s, followed by television in the 50s. He describes many artists whose names I recognized (e.g. Jolson, Benny, Berle, Grant, Hope, Marx) and many that I did not (e.g. Jessie, Cantor, Fay).
Written in the same style as his straight man comedy routine that he used so many years with his wife and partner, Gracie Allen, he often embeds facts with punchlines. This can make it difficult to identify all the true details at times, but it does tell a very entertaining story.
Trigger warning: George does mention the use of black face in the early days of vaudeville. In the current climate of Black Lives Matter and racial awareness, it can be difficult to read for some.

[Len Knighton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been said that comedy is a much more difficult art form than drama or tragedy. Perhaps that is why situation comedies on television are only half an hour while dramas are an hour.
George Burns and Gracie Allen had a highly successful television program that is still seen in the third decade of the 21st Century, almost seventy years after it was first aired. And it is still funny. Thirty minutes of laughs.
George Burns's memoir is written as a nightclub act. He addresses us as his audience, his readers. In his telling stories about his best friends he throws in a joke now and then. Sometimes it is the same joke. As he explains somewhere in the book, the impact of a joke usually loses its punch after a few tellings, especially to the same audience, but Burns gives us a steady diet of seal and sea bass.
There are few laughs in this book. There are, however, many heartfelt memories about the great performers from vaudeville, radio, and television. Most readers will recognize the names even if they never saw them. I suspect that we learned more about these legends than we ever thought we would or ever cared to. The book is long; too long.

Three stars waxing

[AGinNoCal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable autobiographical chronicle of the birth and growth and evolution of show business, because Mr. Burns's life and friends were, in essence, the story of show business. I'm old enough to recognize most of the names, but not old enough to have been around during the days of vaudeville, or the golden age of radio, or the beginning of television; yet, it all seems familiar. And I ate often at Hillcrest Country Club during the 80's and early 90's and saw Mr. Burns holding court at the Round Table; in fact, my copy is signed and dedicated to me as a kindness by Mr. Burns. This book is an education, a long and interesting story told by a grandfatherly participant and witness to the growth of the American entertainment industry, and it is told with warmth, wisdom, many laughs, and more than a few tears.

[Rick Bavera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book.

It is a long, humorous, nostalgic look at George Burns's career and friends.

It is full of memories of a long lifetime in show business.

I recognized most of the names in the book. Most were from (or in a mid-career, sort of) in my parents' day, when they were growing up. Some began long before (as Burns did)

But they were familiar names. Names my parents sometimes talked about. They were in shows that I saw as reruns when I was a kid (TV shows and/or movies). Funny stuff (Burns wrote mostly about his comedy career and those who also worked comedy, from vaudeville, to movies, radio and TV.

Made me nostalgic for when I was young, and my parents were around to tell me stories about the entertainment in the days of their youth.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a library used book sale. It took me awhile to get into it because of the writing style. Many sentences are followed by a punchline and it took awhile to get used to that. But once I did it read smoothly. I enjoyed reading about his friendships with early vaudeville and radio stars. It was also interesting to hear his opinions about some of them. His wife, Gracie Allen died 32 years before he did. He lived to be 100 and enjoyed his life but was lonely as all of his friends passed away. It gives great details of an era that will never return.

[Larry Lalonde · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll start laughing in the first paragraph and you won't stop until you finish the book. Aside from the humour Burns dishes out at a rare, masterful level, the stories he tells about his life and the famous and not-so-famous people who rendezvoused with it are endlessly engaging. I love this book! Do not read it in public. That's not safe.

[Sheryl Slot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this book. It’s a great memoir-history of the entertainment industry-story of lifelong friends. I love anything about the history of radio-television and this was an amazing behind the scenes look at some of the great pioneers and their friendships.

[Balloon Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing stories about some of the great entertainers of the 20th century. But there are a bit too many of the old vaudeville jokes, and the book is also a little disjointed.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

George's gravelly voice comes through beautifully in this book. Great stories, some great photos, and a reminder of how much we lost when he passed.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very funny interesting book. He talks about all of his close friends in show business. Learned a lot & laughed a lot.

[Robert A · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a snoozer. It jumped around so much and was just random facts about people. Not a story.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Burns tells stories about old friends of his: Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, Fred Allen, Ed Wynn, etc. Enjoyable enough read but you can find that most of these stories were previously published elsewhere.

[Don LaFountaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book, though I probably would have rated it 2 1/2 stars instead of 3 if I had the opportunity.

This was a book written by the late George Burns about his friends in show business. Though he talked a little bit about himself, it was mostly tribute to people like his wife Gracie, Jack Benny, Al Jolson, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Fanny Brice, and Jimmy Durante to name just a few. Starting from his days in Vaudeville, through radio and up to television, he describes how some of his closest friends recreated themselves,(or didn't) with varying degrees of success, to stay in show business. I found that there were some laugh out loud moments in the book, as well as a number of stories that I was chuckling at.

This is a book that people who like to read about the history of the early days of entertainment in vaudeville, radio, and television. It provides some insight into what it was like for these icons to breakthrough various industries. I found it a good book, but one I will not be keeping for my collection, and so I will pass along to another to reader.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a very long time ago and thought it would be fun to read this again. George Burns has had a very long show business experience. He has been working since a child trying to make a few pennies. In this book he includes all the friends he has known all these years and he really know just about everyone. Here he takes his show business experiences and his friends as well. He has been in Vaudeville, Radio, movies. and television. He describes what it was like for him and his show business friends when they try and go through the different eras. Here he writes of entertainers such as Milton Berle, Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Ed Wyn. Fanny Brice and Gracie Allen. and may other entertainers over the decades. George Burns along with his friends experiences all the venues. some succeeded some failed. He also shares, marriages, what many of the famous did with their money when some were very poor when they were growing up. A good interesting read.

[Megargee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently watched a video recording of Johnny Carson interviewing George Burns, who was then 93, as he reminisced about about vaudeville, burlesque, and the early days of radio and TV. He told stories about his old friends Jack Benny and Al Jolson as well as Georgie Jessel, Fanny Brice, WC Fields, the Marx brothers and many other old time comedians. (If these names are strange to you, this book is probably not for you.)
This book is like an extended version of that interview. Since we can't sit Burns down in a chair at the Friar's Club with a martini and a cigar,
telling jokes and stories about his old buddies, reading this is the next best thing. Warning: this book is about Burns' old buddies. If you want to read about Burns and Gracie Allen, that is in another book that I have not read yet.

[Nicole]

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[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possibly a 2.5 star book. It has all the expected corny jokes. The reminiscences are great, but I cannot tell what's real, exaggerated, or completely fabricated. It was a bit like a "based on a true story" story rather than a straight autobiography. A nice look back and as close to real as we'll get - at the time Berle, Sinatra and Hope were still with us. Also, it's called All My Best Friends, but it seems Jack Benny was his only true friend.

[Philip Christman · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a fascinating collection of stories about some of the greatest people in show business history, told by a man who was there. I got a little tired of burns' tendency to make a joke of everything, but, after all, he was a comedian (or, more accurately, a straight man for Gracie Allen). The best part of the book was the last chapter, telling about the death of "my best friend", Jack Benny. Taken together it's an enjoyable light read. Take it to the beach.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, to me, is the quintessential record of vaudeville stories. If you have not found a fondness for ol' George Burns, I urge you to read this book. You will. This book and Gracie are incredibly valuable memoirs. George Burns has the memory of an elephant and tells stories like so few. It makes you feel the magic of what it was like to make those memories. He speaks of Al Jolson, George Jessel, Jack Benny, The Marx Brothers, Gracie Allen, and so many others.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delicious story of vaudeville and its stars. Vaudeville gave us our first movie, radio, and television stars. Author George Burns knew intimately some legends of show business: W.C. Fields, Al Jolson, Cary Grant, Fanny Brice, the Marx Brothers, Eddie Cantor, Jack Benny, Ed Wynn. All these and others come alive in this book.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book at a library book sale. I really enjoyed Gracie and thought this would be well-written. But it wasn't. It was written as if he was doing his standup comedy but with all his old showbiz stars as subjects. It was somewhat interesting, but I kept feeling that he was trying to entertain me in the vaudeville style.

[Matt]

I loved this book because I felt like I knew all of these Vaudville actors that made the tranistion from the stage to radio to the movies after reading it and there were really great stories that were (supposedly) true. I love a good story, true or not.

[Kevin Wellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exciting view into the private lifes of the early hollywood and vaudeville talent.

[Tim Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

very entertaining have always been a fan of these people he writes about.