Mouse in the Rat Pack is the first biography of the last surviving member of Hollywood's illustrious Rat Pack. Guided by close friend Frank Sinatra, the sad-faced Bishop (once dubbed "The Frown Prince of Comedy") rose at lightning speed from a struggling South Philadelphia nightclub comic to the pinnacle of show-biz preeminence. Throughout the 1960s, Bishop was the most popular comedian in America. He performed for presidents, emceeing John F. Kennedy's gala 1961 inaugural. With Regis Philbin as his sidekick, Bishop headlined his own network sitcom, The Joey Bishop Show , which ran for five successful seasons. He starred with his Rat Pack pals in a succession of blockbuster buddy movies. He headlined Vegas, with the Rat Pack and on his own, earning millions and keeping America laughing with his self-effacing humor. His sardonic wit propelled his "smart" comedy act into the epitome of show-biz cool. Through extensive use of personal interviews with friends, foes, and show-biz colleagues and based on primary source materials, Mouse in the Rat Pack reveals Joey Bishop, the man and the entertainer.
Why read a book about Joey Bishop, someone I was never that into and who hovered in the periphery of the rat pack? For some reason I felt compelled to read this thing when I saw the cover. Maybe the fact he wasn't the top talk show host, wasn't the most compelling comedian, wasn't the nicest guy, made we want to see how this guy ticked. He certainly was everywhere in the 1960s so there's a bit of nostalgia for all the TV watching I did back then. Oddly written in that it's both complementary of the man but also quotes in length aspects of his bristly personality.