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The Unimportance of Being Oscar
"Oscar Levant is ribald,outrageous, reputation-wrecking; he is also sentimental - and a charmer. An unrivaled raconteur, a neurotic without peer, he is the jongleur of our times. Like those medieval satirists, Levant is allowed to say anything he chooses about contemporary civilization because everyone thinks he's kidding. One can open this book at almost any page and find instant entertainment. When Levant's best-selling Memoirs of an Amnesiac was published, one critic said of it: 'line for line, the funniest book available.' This may also be said of this new work. For again, Mr. Levant presents us with a dazzling, irreverent potpourri f anecdotes, ad libs, witticisms, reminiscences, commentaries about show biz, TV, Hollywood, writers, politicians, musicians - not to mention the Levant family and the whole zany, brilliant, bizarre world of Oscar Levant. Among the notables about whom Levant writes in this new work - many of them are or were his friends - Dorothy Parker, Groucho and Harpo Marx, Leonard Bernstein, Christopher Isherwood, Aldous Huxley, Jack Paar, S. N. Behrman, Truman Capote, Clare Boothe Luce, Arnold Schoenberg, Aldoph Green, George and Ira Gershwin, Noel Coward, Irving Berlin, Judy Garland, Billy Rose, Artur Rubinstein, Benny Goodman, Kenneth Tynan, and Humphrey Bogart. Levant has a passion for the people he impales or praises - especially the great and near great. He is their vicarious confessor, a man who has experienced the gamut of emotion. Born to see the world awry and to immortalize his vision in semantic splendor, in instant, inimitable confections of wit, Levant laughs when it hurts."
255 pages, hardcover
First published January 1, 1968
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166 people want to read
About the author
Oscar Levant
21 books49 followersOscar Levant (December 27, 1906 – August 14, 1972) was an American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and actor. He was more famous for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio and in movies and television, than for his music.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 25, 2012
Love Oscar Levant
November 29, 2022
"The Unimportance of Being Oscar" is one of the most important books you can ever read on the life and times of Oscar Levant. It was his third and final book and contains several rare photos that you will only find in this book.
Levant's first book, "A Smattering of Ignorance" was written in the late 1930s during the heyday of his brilliant career; and "brilliant" is the best term to describe Oscar Levant. This book is not only well written and organized, but it contains a plethora of information on people (such as Harpo Marx) and subjects; the main subject being music, of course. I have two copies of this book and have read it at least five times since the early 1970s.
Levant's second book, "The Memoirs of an Amnesiac", is a steep contrast to his first. During the '30s Levant was not only making a big name for himself in several areas: He was George Gershwin's best friend; he was arguably the top star on Information Please!; he was the highest paid pianist & friends of such composers as Prokofiev & Schoenberg, as well as presidents and members of the nobility; he became a composer & wrote the music for the Charlie Chan movies; he became an actor; he married a beautiful entertainer, June Gale, and had three adorable daughters. However, he had also become hopelessly addicted to barbiturates. The chapter, "My Bed of Nails", had to be written by his wife, June, because Oscar was unable to recall that period of addition. This book is not well organized like his first, but it's well worded with anecdotes that you would have never known about had they not appeared in this book. Levant wrote this book with a very loose tongue and insulted a lot of people. For example, he characterized Johnny Carson as being "amiably dull" to which Johnny retorted, "and Levant is obviously sick".
"Then Unimportance of Being Oscar" is a continuation of his second book. It's gossipy with a rambling style. Some have described it, as well as his second book, as appearing "ribald", but that term applies only to a couple of people; e.g., his comment about Arthur Miller's marriage to Marilyn Monroe pertaining to Jewish kosher laws. Oscar is very frank and honest about everybody, including himself.
This book has chapters but no table of contents. It also has an index. There are too many celebrities to list. Here are a few of the notables: a few of Oscar's family pictures; Oscar with Gershwin, Robert Russell Bennett, Fritz Reiner, Deems Taylor, &Otto Langley, & William Merigan Daly; Oscar with Dorothy Parker, John Kieran, & FPA on Information Please!; Oscar with Paderewski & his piano teacher, Sigismund Stojowski; with Jack Benny, Alfred Vanderbilt, Frank Sinatra, Harpo Marx, Erich Leinsdorf, Bette Davis & Irving Rapper, Herbert Bayard Swope, Eugene Ormandy, George S. Kaufman, Ginger Rogers, John Garfield & Joan Crawford, Doris Day, Lucile Ball & Al Jolson, Bing Crosby & Mary Martin, Jack Warner & Mervyn Le Roy, Ira & Leonore Gerswin & Robert Alda, Irgor Stravinsky, Judy Garland, Oscar's daughters, Sammy Davis Jr., Steve Allen, Leo Durocher, Aldous Huxley, Jerry Lewis, Justice William O. Douglas, Christopher Isherwood, Adlai Stevenson, Leslie Caron, Fred Allen, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Clifton Fadiman & Groucho Marx, Eric Ambler. There are also pictures signed & dedicated to Oscar by Arturo Toscanini, Harry S. Truman, Vladimir Horowitz, & George Gershwin.
There is nothing mundane in any of Levant's books, and "The Unimportance of Being Oscar" is no exception. The writing of these books is exceptional, and the vocabulary is even more exceptional. Here are a few of the many memorable quotes that I found worthy to make note of:
"As for Zsa Zsa Gabor--she's been a good sport about the things I've said about her. There is an impermanence about Zsa Zsa's marriages that I find appealing. Among her great accomplishments is the fact that she has been a good wife to at least five different husbands. At any rate, marriage is for bores. I mean Gabors."
"Part of her (his wife) power over me lies in the fact that in our house she is the One in Charge of the Pills..."
"My favorite day of the year is that one on which, in California, we go back to standard time--and lose an hour of the day."
About Judy Garland: "She came in the evening and showed great skill in purloining pills. She'd excuse herself from the living room and disappear. I'd think she'd gone to my wife's room, but she'd go to my bathroom--where I had smokestacks of pills--and empty half the bottles... On one occasion when Judy and I embraced each other, I felt that it was such a unification of two great pill repositories it must have been a peak in pharmaceutical history."
About Truman Capote: "I am indebted to Capote for some additions and improvements to my library of superstitions, phobias, and psychoses."
About Lucille Ball: "Years ago I had a date with Lucille Ball, who was then a beautiful chorine. A friend told me that a certain photographer had taken her out and made a pass at her. 'What did she do?' I asked, always interested in such matters. 'She pulled a gun on him,' my friend said seriously. That night I met Lucille at the door for our date. 'I'm sorry, Lucille,' I said to her, 'but I'll have to frisk you before I take you out'."
A substantial portion of Levant's books deals with two distinct worlds of the past: the world of Classical music, and the world of show business. I have read many books and magazine articles (such as Playboy & Coronet) about Oscar Levant including books by Jack Paar, Harpo & Bill Marx, and Sam Kashner & Nancy Schoenberger. I've also seen all of the movies and videos featuring Oscar Levant. All in all, these three books are indispensable to anyone interested in this subject.
One final note. Ignore anyone who rates this book less than 5 stars. Levant died just four years after writing this book. He lived at 905 Roxbury Dr. in Beverly Hills in a Spanish style mansion; the same block that Ira Gershwin and Lucille Ball lived on. Having lost the battle of drug abuse, Levant had been pretty much idle during the latter half of the 1960s and money was very tight. I had read that the house was in need of repair, so this book was a source of badly needed income. Other than being a bit disorganized, it is a gem! It is also an invaluable source of history. It is one man's testimony about the so-called "golden age of Hollywood" and Classical music in America during the twentieth century. This book is the genuine article. As for those who judge Oscar Levant according to their woke ideology, be aware that history will someday view your lifestyle as one that's very nutty.
I am the author of an existentialistic novel, "LIfe Ain't Kind", and the Farmer Tice children's book series.
Levant's first book, "A Smattering of Ignorance" was written in the late 1930s during the heyday of his brilliant career; and "brilliant" is the best term to describe Oscar Levant. This book is not only well written and organized, but it contains a plethora of information on people (such as Harpo Marx) and subjects; the main subject being music, of course. I have two copies of this book and have read it at least five times since the early 1970s.
Levant's second book, "The Memoirs of an Amnesiac", is a steep contrast to his first. During the '30s Levant was not only making a big name for himself in several areas: He was George Gershwin's best friend; he was arguably the top star on Information Please!; he was the highest paid pianist & friends of such composers as Prokofiev & Schoenberg, as well as presidents and members of the nobility; he became a composer & wrote the music for the Charlie Chan movies; he became an actor; he married a beautiful entertainer, June Gale, and had three adorable daughters. However, he had also become hopelessly addicted to barbiturates. The chapter, "My Bed of Nails", had to be written by his wife, June, because Oscar was unable to recall that period of addition. This book is not well organized like his first, but it's well worded with anecdotes that you would have never known about had they not appeared in this book. Levant wrote this book with a very loose tongue and insulted a lot of people. For example, he characterized Johnny Carson as being "amiably dull" to which Johnny retorted, "and Levant is obviously sick".
"Then Unimportance of Being Oscar" is a continuation of his second book. It's gossipy with a rambling style. Some have described it, as well as his second book, as appearing "ribald", but that term applies only to a couple of people; e.g., his comment about Arthur Miller's marriage to Marilyn Monroe pertaining to Jewish kosher laws. Oscar is very frank and honest about everybody, including himself.
This book has chapters but no table of contents. It also has an index. There are too many celebrities to list. Here are a few of the notables: a few of Oscar's family pictures; Oscar with Gershwin, Robert Russell Bennett, Fritz Reiner, Deems Taylor, &Otto Langley, & William Merigan Daly; Oscar with Dorothy Parker, John Kieran, & FPA on Information Please!; Oscar with Paderewski & his piano teacher, Sigismund Stojowski; with Jack Benny, Alfred Vanderbilt, Frank Sinatra, Harpo Marx, Erich Leinsdorf, Bette Davis & Irving Rapper, Herbert Bayard Swope, Eugene Ormandy, George S. Kaufman, Ginger Rogers, John Garfield & Joan Crawford, Doris Day, Lucile Ball & Al Jolson, Bing Crosby & Mary Martin, Jack Warner & Mervyn Le Roy, Ira & Leonore Gerswin & Robert Alda, Irgor Stravinsky, Judy Garland, Oscar's daughters, Sammy Davis Jr., Steve Allen, Leo Durocher, Aldous Huxley, Jerry Lewis, Justice William O. Douglas, Christopher Isherwood, Adlai Stevenson, Leslie Caron, Fred Allen, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Clifton Fadiman & Groucho Marx, Eric Ambler. There are also pictures signed & dedicated to Oscar by Arturo Toscanini, Harry S. Truman, Vladimir Horowitz, & George Gershwin.
There is nothing mundane in any of Levant's books, and "The Unimportance of Being Oscar" is no exception. The writing of these books is exceptional, and the vocabulary is even more exceptional. Here are a few of the many memorable quotes that I found worthy to make note of:
"As for Zsa Zsa Gabor--she's been a good sport about the things I've said about her. There is an impermanence about Zsa Zsa's marriages that I find appealing. Among her great accomplishments is the fact that she has been a good wife to at least five different husbands. At any rate, marriage is for bores. I mean Gabors."
"Part of her (his wife) power over me lies in the fact that in our house she is the One in Charge of the Pills..."
"My favorite day of the year is that one on which, in California, we go back to standard time--and lose an hour of the day."
About Judy Garland: "She came in the evening and showed great skill in purloining pills. She'd excuse herself from the living room and disappear. I'd think she'd gone to my wife's room, but she'd go to my bathroom--where I had smokestacks of pills--and empty half the bottles... On one occasion when Judy and I embraced each other, I felt that it was such a unification of two great pill repositories it must have been a peak in pharmaceutical history."
About Truman Capote: "I am indebted to Capote for some additions and improvements to my library of superstitions, phobias, and psychoses."
About Lucille Ball: "Years ago I had a date with Lucille Ball, who was then a beautiful chorine. A friend told me that a certain photographer had taken her out and made a pass at her. 'What did she do?' I asked, always interested in such matters. 'She pulled a gun on him,' my friend said seriously. That night I met Lucille at the door for our date. 'I'm sorry, Lucille,' I said to her, 'but I'll have to frisk you before I take you out'."
A substantial portion of Levant's books deals with two distinct worlds of the past: the world of Classical music, and the world of show business. I have read many books and magazine articles (such as Playboy & Coronet) about Oscar Levant including books by Jack Paar, Harpo & Bill Marx, and Sam Kashner & Nancy Schoenberger. I've also seen all of the movies and videos featuring Oscar Levant. All in all, these three books are indispensable to anyone interested in this subject.
One final note. Ignore anyone who rates this book less than 5 stars. Levant died just four years after writing this book. He lived at 905 Roxbury Dr. in Beverly Hills in a Spanish style mansion; the same block that Ira Gershwin and Lucille Ball lived on. Having lost the battle of drug abuse, Levant had been pretty much idle during the latter half of the 1960s and money was very tight. I had read that the house was in need of repair, so this book was a source of badly needed income. Other than being a bit disorganized, it is a gem! It is also an invaluable source of history. It is one man's testimony about the so-called "golden age of Hollywood" and Classical music in America during the twentieth century. This book is the genuine article. As for those who judge Oscar Levant according to their woke ideology, be aware that history will someday view your lifestyle as one that's very nutty.
I am the author of an existentialistic novel, "LIfe Ain't Kind", and the Farmer Tice children's book series.
October 5, 2023
This one seemed to just be written mental meandorings about the many famous people (composers, writers, politicians, actors, etc.) Levant knew throughout his life.He is definitely embracing his mental illness and crotchetyness. Still plenty of wit.
Twice in this book what I was reading didn't make any sense no matter how many times I read a section. I deduced that reading the first line followed by the third line then back to the second line and finished with the fourth...it made perfect sense. I wonder of anyone else discovered this.
Twice in this book what I was reading didn't make any sense no matter how many times I read a section. I deduced that reading the first line followed by the third line then back to the second line and finished with the fourth...it made perfect sense. I wonder of anyone else discovered this.
September 23, 2018
A nice ending to Levant's trio of memoirs. It's definitely a product of its time (sexist, racist, homophobic moments, though Levant was pretty open for his generation). One of the oddest bits was near the end, when discussing politics, when Levant talks about Bobby Kennedy in the present tense - the book was published before he was assassinated. It was a little jarring to read.
September 13, 2022
Reading Oscar Levant is like opening a dusty room and allowing fresh air to blow in. Mindboggling the names dropped in this volume of reminiscences: Glenn Gould, Ignace Padarewski, Algonquin Round Table members, the Marx Brothers, Erik Satie, the Gershwins, the Kennedys.
November 10, 2019
The third by Levant that I read within a month. Mostly his musing on people he has known and what they said and did. Milder, less personal than "The Memoirs of An Amnesiac."
February 8, 2021
True genius. Funny and tragic at the same time.
February 25, 2025
Well written witty. A bit outdated. Some of the references especially about Broadway went way over my head. But Oscar is acerbic and truthful.
April 7, 2016
A huge lot of fun is this volume of Oscar Levant's memories of his life.
Whether the many stories and one liners are true or not is whether you can believe a person who has been in and out of mental institutions and ensconced in pharmaceuticals can have reliable memories to pick through. Nevertheless, the stories are very good and extremely readable.
The most important thing to know if one wishes to read this book are, at least, 75% of the people mentioned throughout. Otherwise a reader will have no appreciation or understanding of the context, humor and importance of what is included. The time frame is from the 1920s to the 1960s.
The book is also hardly organized at all. Of what I know of Levant, this well reflected his thought process. There is an invaluable index.
A personal note: I've been looking for this book for decades. The day I came across it, I started reading - as I drove away from the place I found it! After the death of my father a bit over a month ago, I know the Snuffy Smith phrase, "Time's a'wastin'!" is to live by.
Bottom line: I highly recommend this book. 10 out of 10 points.
Whether the many stories and one liners are true or not is whether you can believe a person who has been in and out of mental institutions and ensconced in pharmaceuticals can have reliable memories to pick through. Nevertheless, the stories are very good and extremely readable.
The most important thing to know if one wishes to read this book are, at least, 75% of the people mentioned throughout. Otherwise a reader will have no appreciation or understanding of the context, humor and importance of what is included. The time frame is from the 1920s to the 1960s.
The book is also hardly organized at all. Of what I know of Levant, this well reflected his thought process. There is an invaluable index.
A personal note: I've been looking for this book for decades. The day I came across it, I started reading - as I drove away from the place I found it! After the death of my father a bit over a month ago, I know the Snuffy Smith phrase, "Time's a'wastin'!" is to live by.
Bottom line: I highly recommend this book. 10 out of 10 points.
August 23, 2010
I enjoyed this. Oscar Levant was witty, acerbic, and self effacing. I remeber Levant from late night talk shows in the 60s and also from old movies on tv. I enjoyed both his movie persona and his talk show persona. Actually they were pretty much the same. He was a classically trained pianist and his recording of Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue was a best seller for years.
The book really consists of one anecdote or vignette after another, all concerning notable people of the time - and that is the problem for readers of a younger generation. I found it interesting partly because most of the names were familiar to me. What would it be like for someone who doesn't recognize these names? In any event I enjoyed it and I'll have to give a revisit to Memoirs of an Amnesiac. It's this books precursor and it's quite a while since I read it.
The book really consists of one anecdote or vignette after another, all concerning notable people of the time - and that is the problem for readers of a younger generation. I found it interesting partly because most of the names were familiar to me. What would it be like for someone who doesn't recognize these names? In any event I enjoyed it and I'll have to give a revisit to Memoirs of an Amnesiac. It's this books precursor and it's quite a while since I read it.
May 22, 2014
In the 1960s, I loved Oscar Levant for his self-deprecating humor and his ability to turn a wry phrase instantly when given the opportunity. Unfortunately, his charm didn't translate into written humor. His self-quotes became tedious and his quotes of leading lights of the day fall flat in this book. A frequent guest on the Jack Paar show (the original Tonight Show), he bears comparison to another great raconteur of that period, Alexander King. King wrote books well worth rereading. Try Mine Enemy Grows Older. Both men had multiple careers, both were drug addicts and self hating. King is just the better writer. Levant's remarks amused when spoken, partly because of his delivery. That may be the problem with his book: the lack of that sardonic face and voice.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews