Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter Review

If you know Sid's work and are under 60 years age, it's likely from PBS specials and the movie/video  Ten From Your Show of Shows.    His work hasn't been syndicated or widely distributed but thankfully some of it still exists and has been restored.

Sid's book doesn't give us a lot of personal insight or detail into his private life , or the inner demons he wrestled with.  Instead it's a mostly upbeat and hopeful journey through his life.  He wrote an earlier book that did give a little more detail (though not what I would categorize in-depth) into his dark times or alcoholism and dealing with depression.

He was born in New York City in 1922 and began his rise to fame playing he saxophone in various bands and then honing his skills-both musical and comedic in the Borscht Belt Catskill Mountain resorts.   Eventually he was noticed by producer/ impresario Max Liebman who became his mentor and helped guide his career.

There was a bit of a time out during World War 2 when Sid's service wound up being for the Coast Guard and he wound up creating a revue and making contacts while in the service which led to a show that toured and played for military men and wound up being turned into a film.  This led to a Broadway show and then his television debut in 1949 on the Admiral Broadway Revue.  It was a very popular 90 minute live variety show.  In fact it was too popular and the sponsor pulled out which forced the show to be cancelled.  Imagine a show being cancelled for being too popular!!!!

Then came the legendary  Your Show of Shows, followed almostly immediately by Caesar's Hour.   Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Imogene Coco, Howie Morris and others got their start working for Sid.   And we get a lot of backstage stories and written recreations of famous skits.

The pressure of writing, and performing live 90 minute programs 39 weeks per year took its toll on Sid and even though he found his perfect soul-mate  and had a family, he lived life large, drinking and eating way more than he should have.  By the early 60s he was nearly burnt out, though he made quite a few movies (It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World  for instance) and would later do some Broadway shows and television specials.

We don't get much insight into his personal life and demons which follows the title of the book.. My Life in Comedy with Love and Laughter.    He writes about the love he has for his craft, for what he accomplished in the past, the love of his life, his wife Florence, the love of his brothers, family, friends and associates.   He finds humor in some of  the curveballs life has thrown at him as well.

The book is entertaining, warm, informative and a pleasure to read.  It's not definitive, or even a must read, but I enjoyed it.

Caesars Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter  by  By Sid Caesar (with Eddy Friedfeld)  2003    307 pgs.