Whats So Funny My Hilarious Life
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It's refreshing to read a memoir not filled with anger, reproach and/or jealousy. This book is written with happy memories of Tim's childhood, his army stint, his career aspirations, his marriages and children, his friends and colle
While writing a review for Carol Burnett's memoir, This Time Together, I saw that Tim Conway wrote a memoir as well. As a diehard fan of The Carol Burnett Show, my favorite sketches were those played by Harvey Korman and Tim Conway. Naturally, I had to read this book.It's refreshing to read a memoir not filled with anger, reproach and/or jealousy. This book is written with happy memories of Tim's childhood, his army stint, his career aspirations, his marriages and children, his friends and colleagues, and of course, of his TV high jinks! I loved that this book also included:
1. 16 pages of black-and-white photos - many captions are LOL funny!;
2. a Foreword written by Carol Burnett! I appreciate how this woman was gracious enough to give Tim free rein to vary the scripts which led to some of my favorite memories of her show;
3. Tim's explanations of his inspirations for "The Oldest Man's" shuffling walk and Mr. Tudball's accent;
4. Tim's version of being introduced to Harvey Korman;
5. a chapter titled "Harvey" - my favorite chapter which was both hilarious and heartbreaking; and,
6. a perfect title! His writing had me smiling to outright laughing with tears streaming down my face!
This quote of Tim's says it all: The instant I walk out I forget my troubles and get happy. It's such a comfort to be entertaining you. And I love it when you let me know you're having fun. Laughter has always been what I was after; it's the key to my career and it's the key to my life. Believe me, whatever laughs you had were given with great pleasure and much joy."
On May 14, 2019, the world lost a beloved master of comedy. I bet he and Harvey have the angels rolling in the aisles! A must-read for fans of Tim Conway!
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I mean I like Big Bang Theory...I laugh (mostly) at Jeff Foxworthy and a few other comics. I liked some of Jerry Seinfeld's stuff, though far from all. Most (so called) comedians now fall back
I am about to say something that will get me branded (by some at least) as "an old codger". I really think that at least largely today people have forgotten how to be actually..."funny". I watch TV sitcoms and mostly don't laugh. I mean I sit watching most contemporary stand-up comics with a straight face.I mean I like Big Bang Theory...I laugh (mostly) at Jeff Foxworthy and a few other comics. I liked some of Jerry Seinfeld's stuff, though far from all. Most (so called) comedians now fall back on "shock" comedy. They found somewhere they could use a profanity or talk about bowel functions and the audience would laugh.
Sort of like preteen boys who think farts are the peak of humor.
When did this start? Has it been "going that way" all throughout history? Was it George Carlin who discovered it for the modern generation of comics? When he released his album The 7 Dirty Words did it all start to go?
I don't know....BUT how many reading this have seen Tim Conway? If you haven't go to Youtube and search for some of his skits on the Carol Burnett Show. According to Ms. Burnett. Mr. Conway and the rest of the crew none of times they broke up on camera were scripted...it was just Tim Conway.
Wait, why should you have to search for the skits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs1ljs...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKW-sX...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf6csG...
I loved comedy when I was younger...but sadly other than a few older comics things aren't that funny anymore.
This is a great book. Told by Mr. Conway (Tim) we get to know him from his childhood "upward". He touches on the high points of his life and shares them with humor and good will. This is not a memoir where unpleasant secrets are divulged and "muck is raked". It's the story of a good guy and his life.
By the way...I recommend in this this case that if you can you get the audio read by Tim Conway himself. It's worth it...really. I found myself in tears several time, gasping for breath in laughter.
Recommended...really, enjoy.
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For me, the world is composed of props. I simply cannot resist them. Most people walk into a room and take an overall view.
Are there windows, who's in the room, where's the nearest place to sit down, things like that. I walk into a room and right away I'll look for something usable. It could be a c
For me, the world is composed of props. I simply cannot resist them. Most people walk into a room and take an overall view.
Are there windows, who's in the room, where's the nearest place to sit down, things like that. I walk into a room and right away I'll look for something usable. It could be a chair, a vase, a curtain, a paperweight, or even a doorknob, whatever it is I'll find it. I never met a prop I didn't like or that I didn't try to use. I can't help it; it's just the way I am.
I present my new grandparents, Carol Burnett and Tim Conway!
Haha, I wish.. no disrespect meant to my family of course but I would love to add these two to mine:)
Very enjoyable memoir.. it started off slow but interesting for me, but I loved Tim from the start.
I grew up on the old shows but somehow missed Carol's show (or if I saw it, I don't remember ).. Definitely gonna check em out now:)
So many stories of Tim's in here had me smiling and rereading.. I'm still thinking about a few.
I've heard some say that Tim comes across as "too nice".. it didn't seem that way to me. Just a wonderful, cozy sort of book.
Would recommend:)
The instant I walk out I forget my troubles and get happy. It's such a comfort to be entertaining you. And I love it when you let me know you're having fun. Laughter has always been what I was after; it's the key to my career and it's the key to my life. Believe me, whatever laughs you had were given with great pleasure and much joy.
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Without your assistance, this would have been a pamphlet. - Tim"
If you have been around as long as I have, you might just remember Tim Conway, the comedian who graced our television sets with his delightful and unforgettable skits from such memorable shows like The Carol Burnett Show, McHale's Navy as well as movies like Disney's The Apple Dumpling Gang and The Shaggy D.A. But one thing remains clear, he is definitely committed to making people life and that in itself is truly a wond
"Dear Jane,Without your assistance, this would have been a pamphlet. - Tim"
If you have been around as long as I have, you might just remember Tim Conway, the comedian who graced our television sets with his delightful and unforgettable skits from such memorable shows like The Carol Burnett Show, McHale's Navy as well as movies like Disney's The Apple Dumpling Gang and The Shaggy D.A. But one thing remains clear, he is definitely committed to making people life and that in itself is truly a wonderful gift we all need more of.
In the book, "What's So Funny? My Hilarious Life by Tim Conway and Jane Scovell, the reader gets a look at the life behind the scenes of what made Tim who he is today. Reminiscing about his childhood living in Chagrin Falls, Ohio being the only child to Dan and Sophia Conway, we immediately get a sense that this isn't your usual autobiography. Written in the same manner that we all know Tim there are laughs scattered through this book to guarantee not only a smile but a laugh or two. There are the stories of Tim's mom, Sophia who was so conscientious with money that when it came to wallpapering his room as a young boy, she refused to spend money on wall paper paste and created her own from flour and water. The only problem is during the summer with the heat, it baked the paper and caused it to peel off the walls.
He shares another great example from his childhood about his parents quirks and how much they truly enjoyed each others company.
"They liked to do things together, like dancing. One time they decided to take dancing lessons at a local studio. At the first lesson they were given a strip of paper with two sets of footprints on it, one for the man and the other for the woman. It was a basic dance pattern. The idea was to take the sheet home, put it on the floor, put a record on the phonograph, and step on the appropriate footprints in time with the music. Simple, right? Not for my parents. When I came home from school, I found them standing in the middle of the living room with the music baring from the phonograph. They looked at me sheepishly and asked if I could help them. Help them? How could I help them when what they'd done was cut the footprints from the paper and pasted them on the bottom of their shoes? I guess they figured that would make the shoes magically do the steps. When it didn't happen they were stopped in their glued-on tracks." (pg 33).
There are so many great memories captured in this book from his encounters and friendships with Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Steve Allen, Ernie Anderson, Don Knotts and so many others that this is guaranteed to be a memoir like any other. There are practical jokes he played on police officers, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne as kids from his childhood growing up in school. I think some of the best parts are his time spent on the Carol Burnett show. It had me going back to YouTube to watch such notable episodes like The Dentist skit with Harvey Korman who Tim was challenged to make break down during the skit with laughter. This is truly a great book to enjoy.
I received What's So Funny? by Tim Conway and Jane Scovell compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions are strictly my own. I absolutely loved this book. Just the style in which it is written is such a easy going and likeable manner of Tim Conway that you can sense that he has truly enjoyed his life every step of the way. There are some great pictures capture inside that gives you an inside look at the love and laughter as well as personal friendships he has managed to capture after all these almost 80 years with us. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars! Thank you Tim for the memories and the laughter after all these years! You've made life a true joy!
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Then my Mom ordered this book for herself and passed it on to me, mainly (I imagine) b
I needed a fluff break in my reading, and a title with a question mark in it for a challenge...so I picked this little memoir by Tim Conway. Seems like I grew up knowing about him: I saw him in the old McHale's Navy show when that show was new; I saw him on The Carol Burnett Show. But I never thought about what his personal life might be like, never really wondered about the man behind the characters he played.Then my Mom ordered this book for herself and passed it on to me, mainly (I imagine) because of the Siamese elephant story. That bit from The Carol Burnett Show has been my favorite blooper for years, and in the final chapter of this book, Tim explains that his line was only supposed to be 'elephant'. Well, that is not exactly the way things turned out. Judge for yourself, here is a YouTube link of the two times the cast tried to get the sketch filmed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qqE_W...
This was a quick and easy read, just what I was in the mood for; and it was interesting to see how Conway tied events from his past to the characters he played on television. A football injury in high school created a situation where he could barely walk for weeks, and the shuffle he used to get around at that time became an integral part of The World's Oldest Man on The Carol Burnett Show. There are no deep hidden complexes and exposed sins here, just a peek into a comedian's life, and an awareness of Conway as himself, which does not seem to be too much different from his goofy characters.
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I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone who wants a memoir without any mean-spiritedness or profanity.
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So, too, were there pioneers who lead the way for today's comedians. What would the world be without Vitameatvegamin? An
Call it sentimentality or call it getting older, but my husband and I were recently talking about the fact that our generation may be the last to truly remember the great entertainers of the 20th century. From music legends like Sinatra and Elvis to movie icons such as Katherine Hepburn and John Wayne, they were trailblazers whom our parents adored and we, in turn, could enjoy.So, too, were there pioneers who lead the way for today's comedians. What would the world be without Vitameatvegamin? And do you remember "to the moon, Alice"? But I have to say when I look back on television's funny people one of my all-time favorites is still Tim Conway, whom I consider to be one of those few who can make me laugh just by walking on stage.
His new memoir, What's So Funny? My Hilarious Life is a wonderful reflection on not only his personal experiences, but Hollywood in its heyday. Co-authored by Jane Scovell and with a foreword by the timeless Carol Burnett, the book is like the man: pleasantly unassuming yet loaded with unexpected humor.
Conway began his life as Toma, later shortened to Tom, in a small town outside of Cleveland as the only child of an Irish father and Romanian mother. (Years later a Hollywood personality suggested he change his name to "Tim" to avoid being confused with another up-and-coming entertainer.) He dreamed of being a jockey, having grown up in the horse business with his father. That dream came to an abrupt and somewhat jarring end when his first ride began and ended in the starting gate (the horse went on but Conway found himself on the ground and searching for another career choice).
His experiences in his early years proved to be a great foundation for the many beloved characters that he brought to life on the small screen. From a brief stint in the military, bumbling Ensign Charles Parker (McHale's Navy) was borne; Mr. Tudball's (The Carol Burnett Show) quirky accent was reminiscent of Conway's own mother. Everyday life gave him endless ideas for creative license and was happily the butt of many of his own jokes.
Conway's journey to Hollywood is filled with all the great names of the era: Ernest Borgnine, Don Knotts, Bob Newhart, Don Rickles, and of course, Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman (who could forget the dentist skit?) His genius lies in his ability to excel as second fiddle, and recognized that his was never to be a starring role.
What's So Funny? is a reminder of days gone by, when times were simpler and sketch comedy reigned the airways. Conway is one of the great entertainers of our (and our parents' and grandparents') generation and yet maintains a quiet life outside Los Angeles, still rubbing elbows with the big names of another era in American television and being content in his newest role as grandpa. If you enjoy his comedy, then you will equally enjoy this memoir.
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It was also neat to learn where he got ideas for so many of the Carol Burnett sketches. Mrs. Uh-Wiggins, the slow fireman, the dentist, etc😂 ...more
Mr.Conway kept his memoir "nice" no "dirt" here. He writes fondly of the people he has worked with. Such I have always liked Tim Conway. he is one of the funniest actor, comedian' guy in the business. I will always have fond memories of him on the Carol Burnett show. this is his memoir. Tim Conway grew up in Ohio. his family moved some. He had a pretty happy childhood. he wrote about his sense of humor back then. sometimes it worked for him. other times not so much like when he was in the army.
Mr.Conway kept his memoir "nice" no "dirt" here. He writes fondly of the people he has worked with. Such As Ernest Borgnine in McHale's Navy Don Knotts. All the Cast on The Carol Burnett show. He has special chapters dedicated to working with Carol, and Harvey. I always thought that Tim Conway seemed like a nice guy. this was a fun quick memoir to read. If you are familiar with Tim Conway's work, you can easily see his voice in his memoir. ...more
This was Tim Conway, warts and all, and while he probably didn't exaggerate too much about his parents, he carefully selected plenty to show us what a colourful pair they were and he credits them and his upbringing for helping him to be funny. His dyslexia didn't hurt, either, but you have to read the book to understand. Like Carol Burnett, he never hits below the belt nor demeans people, which I appreciate. His story is interesting and, of course, I have seen him on TV, so know who he is.
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Who knew? His parents were first-generation immigrants, one from Ireland, the other from Rumania. His father was "whip" for a foxhunting club (and I have to agree with Conway re: the drag hunt--they could get a lot farther just dragging a hot pastrami sandwich and it would be cheaper, too). He grew up in an actual town called Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and attended an "exempt" school (though what it was exempt from is never made clear). He was also dislexic, before people knew what that meant, and like many dislexics used humour and laughter to deflect the expectations he couldn't meet. It didn't stop him from graduating from Bowling Green University, though.
I found it interesting that he always referred to his mother as "my Sophia", while his father is only called by his name--and really seldom seems to participate directly in his son's life. Well, okay, in those days fathers tended to be gone all day working, but besides being repeatedly told "my dad wasn't much of a talker" when he appears it tends to be making or drinking home brew. Was the gentleman Tim Conway side-stepping the issue of a possibly alcoholic father? He'll never tell. If you're looking for reasons his first marriage came apart after six children (six!), you'll have to look elsewhere, though toward the end he does mention the inadvisability of lying to your wife, "being stupid" and "being a scamp." Hm. I have my idea.
He grew up speaking Rumanian with his mother, and when he started school his teacher thought he couldn't speak English. Tim (Toma in those days) thought he was. Oops. No, he had equated his teacher with his mother, and spoken to her in Rumanian--a language his father never learned.
Interesting.
The good part is that there is no whining, no pleading for affection, no arrogance, and no blame-assigning. Conway is of a generation for whom none of that would be acceptable when talking to perfect strangers. He is under no illusions about his own mistakes, but nor does he feel the need to lay it all out for everyone to mull over. I did snicker, chuckle, snort and even laugh right out loud, several times. Yes, one or two of the anecdotes sound a little too Hollywood to be true (and he himself gives totally different versions of them in live interviews), but 90% of it was believable, and all of it enjoyable.
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No dirt in this bio. It's an amiable book about an amiable guy and his mostly amiable career, which involved a whole lot more than just the Carol Burnett Show.
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Tim's parents gave him a lot of fodder for his comedy. His mother was of Romanian descent and his father emigrated from Ireland. Thomas Daniel Conway was an only child who grew up in the small town of Chagrin, Ohio. He tells of
Like many people who watched The Carol Burnett Show, I loved to watch Tim Conway crack up Harvey Corman, Carol, Vicki Lawrence, and any guests. Tim is now 80 and sounds a little breathless and stiff sometimes in reading his own story, but his life is a story worth hearing!Tim's parents gave him a lot of fodder for his comedy. His mother was of Romanian descent and his father emigrated from Ireland. Thomas Daniel Conway was an only child who grew up in the small town of Chagrin, Ohio. He tells of staying with his Romanian-speaking mother until he went to school and on his first day, he spoke to the teacher in Romanian although he understood everything she was saying in English. His father had many mishaps by trying to do things himself, like painting his old black car with yellow paint for striping highways that was given to him. A million bugs stuck to the paint job, so he and Tim had to scrape it and repaint it.
Tim was dyslexic and got a lot of laughs unintentionally in school. He liked the laughter and kept doing things to make folks laugh the rest of his life. He went to Bowling Green College and got a job in radio after graduation. He suffered so many failures in his life, but he has a great, positive attitude and he kept pursuing his dream and finally became a television star on McHale's Navy in the 1960s. He is a very humble man who counts his blessings and loves his life. He tells of meeting some of the big movie stars of his day and being dumbstruck in their presence. Many of his close friends (Harvey Corman, Ernie Borgnine) are gone and he misses them terribly but he continues to find happiness in making others laugh. A few things that impressed me about him are his kindness, his humility, and his ability to be spontaneous. He never resorted to using cursing or putting anyone down. I truly admire the comedic genius of Tim Conway.
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This book lets us into the life and thoughts
I've loved Tim Conway since the first time I saw him, and watching him on the Carol Burnett show made me laugh until my jaw and sides hurt. If you saw the show where he walked down the wall instead of the stairs, or where he was talking about an elephant, you know what I mean. When I was in middle school, one of my teachers told us she went to school with him in Willoughby , Ohio (not far from where I lived) and that he was just as funny even as child.This book lets us into the life and thoughts of this man, who in my opinion is one of the funniest people, and best comedic actors, ever! I know about his childhood and his unusual parents who he calls by their first names, Sophie and Dan. They were very different from my parents, and did quirky, even strange things. There was a part in the audio where he talked about his mom not liking a certain family in the neighborhood, so whenever they saw the family coming up the driveway, they'd shut the curtains and hide under the kitchen table! Another thing that stuck out in my mind was when he was going to New York, and his dad told him to go see his sister who he hadn't seen for years (after they came to the U.S. from Ireland, they lost contact) and when Tim got to her apartment she wouldn't open the door, so he talked to her very shortly through the door and then he left. This was after he was famous even. But she said she didn't watch tv so didn't really know who he was. All I can figure is that she was older and lived alone in New York so was leery that he was even who he said he was, and too afraid to open the door to a strange man.
I could go on and on, but think you should either read the book or listen to the audio version for yourself. It is a LOL audio that I plan on listening to from time to time, whenever I need a feel good listen or a laugh.
Highly recommended!
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Besides, there's plenty of funny stuff in this book. Jane Scovell, in her preface to this book, speaks of a great, spontaneous bit of comedy that Tim Conway performed in the hallway of the hotel where she was staying. Conway's life was indeed about making people laugh, and loving it when they did. He brought smiles and howls of laughter to the entire planet, and this book about his life -- a peek behind the scenes, as it were -- is about the entirety of Tim Conway, from the funny stuff to the not-so-funny stuff... and even that's handled with great humanity and a touch of humor besides.
There's truly little to "review" about this book. It's a great read about a great guy who had an enormous gift for comedy and silliness. I'm sorry that I never got a chance to meet him. This book is the best second-best I could hope for. Somewhere up there, Tim and Harvey are making God and the entire heavenly host ROCL (that's "Clouds"). (And yes, one's Catholic, one's Jewish, but God made the booking, so no worries.)
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272 pages
★★★★★ + ♥
The Carol Burnett Show may have ended before I was born but I love that show, I mean LOVE it. They don't make sketch comedy like that anymore and one of the best actors on there? Tim Conway (seriously if you've never seen his acts on there – look up ones such as The Elephant or The Dentist or many other ones – if he doesn't make you laugh….don't talk to me). When I read Carol Burnett's memoir, This Time Together (which I loved),
What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life by Tim Conway272 pages
★★★★★ + ♥
The Carol Burnett Show may have ended before I was born but I love that show, I mean LOVE it. They don't make sketch comedy like that anymore and one of the best actors on there? Tim Conway (seriously if you've never seen his acts on there – look up ones such as The Elephant or The Dentist or many other ones – if he doesn't make you laugh….don't talk to me). When I read Carol Burnett's memoir, This Time Together (which I loved), I kept thinking that Tim Conway needed his own memoir and here it is!
The guy is hilarious in anything he does, and that includes this memoir. He tells about his life and the stories along the way. Not only is he funny but he seems genuinely nice and sincere throughout this book. If you have enjoyed Tim Conway in past shows, or even his guest appearances in more recent shows, I think you will really enjoy this book. Tim Conway is an amazing man to read about – all his stories may not be the most interesting but he makes them great in his storytelling. A fun, quick read for his fans!
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Written in a cozy, sitting-o
In his book, "What's So Funny? My Hilarious Life," comedian Tim Conway opens up on his life, his career and the years and years of making people laugh. Conway is known for his brilliant ability to keep a straight face when all around him are falling down hysterically during the sketches on "The Carol Burnett Show" and for his various comedic roles in movies and on television shows like "McHale's Navy." And his writing style is just as hilarious as the man himself is.Written in a cozy, sitting-on-the-porch style, this book covers Conway's childhood (he didn't speak English as a main language until first grade – he spoke mainly Romanian), his entrance into the world of comedy, his tenure as one of Hollywood's funniest men, and his personal life with his beloved wife and seven children. This is a very personal book, and is a total delight to read.
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He portrayed the inept Ensign Parker in the 1960s World War II situation comedy McHale's Navy, co-starred on the 1970s variety and sketch comedy program The Carol Burnett Show, starred as the title character in the Dorf series of comedy films, and provides the voice of Barnacle Boy in the animated series SpongeBob Sq
Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway was an American actor, writer, director, and comedian.He portrayed the inept Ensign Parker in the 1960s World War II situation comedy McHale's Navy, co-starred on the 1970s variety and sketch comedy program The Carol Burnett Show, starred as the title character in the Dorf series of comedy films, and provides the voice of Barnacle Boy in the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.
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