What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life
What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life book cover

What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life

Hardcover – October 29, 2013

by
Price
$13.86
Format
Hardcover
Pages
272
Publisher
Howard Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1476726502
Dimensions
6 x 1 x 9 inches
Weight
1 pounds

Description

"I couldn't put the book down. It was very clever of Tim to put glue on each page. Seriously, I loved it." (Bob Newhart)"What Frank Sinatra was to music Tim Conway is to comedy. He is inventive, creative, and imaginative. This book should be in everyone's library along with Anna Karenina , War and Peace, and all of my CD's." (Steve Lawrence)"I knew you were short. I knew you were shy. I knew you were talented. But funny? Oh my yes! I loved it! The book should have been 500 pages longer." (Mike Connors, actor on Mannix)"Tim is not only a good friend but a terrific writer. His book has all the qualities of another Mark Twain. Settle back in a chair and enjoy the writing of Tim Conway. It’s worth reading because he mentions me!" (Don Rickles)"What's so funny? I'll tell you what's so funny! Almost every page of Tim Conway's new book, What's So Funny?." (Mel Brooks)“Devotees of Tim Conway will revel in this heartfelt and sweetly revealing memoir. . . . This is a warm-hearted tribute to Conway’s professional and personal life, with endearing peeks behind the television camera.” ( Publisher's Weekly )“Tim’s glass-half-full perspective on life is evident on every page. He's made people laugh for over sixty years and remains an American comedic legend. What's So Funny? mirrors the genuinely kind, funny, and witty person Tim is, seizing every opportunity to amuse and delight.” (Gary Sinise, actor and founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation) Tim Conway (1933—2019) starred on The Carol Burnett Show for eleven years. He won six Emmys and was in the Comedy Hall of Fame. He went to Bowling Green State University for eleven years (he was a very slow learner). Tim was in the army (ours) for two years, protecting Seattle from "the Red Menace" and was in McHale's Navy for three years. His ambition was to be a jockey, but at his weight even the horses asked him to get off. He has seven children and was married to his lovely wife Charlene for thirty-five years. Jane Scovell has written books with Elizabeth Taylor, Ginger Rogers, Maureen Stapleton, Marilyn Horne, and Kitty Dukakis, and biographies of Oona Chaplin and Samuel Ramey. She now adds Dorf, Mr. Tudball, and The Old Man to her list. Carol Burnett is a highly acclaimed actress known for her roles on stage and screen, most notably The Carol Burnett Show . She has been honored with twelve People’s Choice Awards, eight Golden Globes, six Emmy Awards, The Kennedy Center Honors, and the Mark Twain Prize for Humor.

Features & Highlights

  • Six-time Emmy award-winning funny man Tim Conway, best known for his characters on
  • The Carol Burnett Show
  • , offers a straight-shooting and hilarious memoir about his life on stage and off as an actor and comedian.
  • Six-time Emmy Award–winning funnyman Tim Conway, best known for his characters on
  • The Carol Burnett Show
  • , offers a straight-shooting and hilarious memoir about his life on stage and off as an actor and comedian.
  • In television history, few entertainers have captured as many hearts and made as many people laugh as Tim Conway. There’s nothing in the world that Tim Conway would rather do than entertain—and in his first-ever memoir,
  • What’s So Funny?
  • , that’s exactly what he does. From his pranks in small Ohio classrooms to his perfor­mances on national television and movies, Tim has been cracking people up for more than seventy years. Long regarded as one of the funniest come­dians around, Tim also boasts an inspiring rags-to-riches story.
  • What’s So Funny?
  • captures Tim’s journey from life as an only child raised by loving but outra­geous parents in small-town Ohio during the Great Depression, to his tour of duty in the Army—which would become training for his later role in
  • McHale’s Navy
  • —to his ascent as a national star and household name. By tracing his early path, this book reveals the origins of many of Tim’s unforgettable characters—from Mr. Tudball and the Oldest Man to Mickey Hart to everyone’s favorite, Dorf.
  • What’s So Funny?
  • shares the hilarious accounts of the glory days of
  • The Carol Burnett Show
  • and his famous partnerships with entertainment greats like Harvey Korman, Don Knotts, Dick Van Dyke, Betty White, Vicki Lawrence, Bob Newhart, and of course, Carol Burnett. As a bonus, readers will enjoy never-before-shared stories of hilarious behind-the-scenes antics on
  • McHale’s Navy
  • and
  • The Carol Burnett Show
  • .

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(1.4K)
★★★★
25%
(583)
★★★
15%
(350)
★★
7%
(163)
★
-7%
(-163)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Entertaining and Funny

During the heyday of the variety show, Tim Conway was one of the funniest men on television. He loved to make people laugh, and it came easily to him. The way he tells his story, a script was just a suggestion. Conway was a pro at ad-libbing and impromptu humor.

I grew up in the age of the variety show, and The Carol Burnett Show was one of my favorites. Tim Conway and Harvey Korman could really liven up the stage. In his memoir, "What's So Funny? My Hilarious Life", Conway shares the story of how he found his calling and how he drew from his own experiences and family to bring his onstage characters to life.

If you remember Conway's skits, you will love his autobiography. You won't be able to read it with a straight face and you will find many opportunities to laugh out loud. He gives us a humorous look into his early life with stories of his Romanian mother and Irish father, a combination that could only produce some very funny situations from which Conway gathered material for some of his comedy routines.

This is one autobiography that doesn't contain a dull sentence in the whole book. It's not about so much about Tim Conway as it is about all the people in his life who made him the funny man he became.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
62 people found this helpful
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funny on TV, funny in this book

Funny. This book is funny.

You've seen him on The Carol Burnett Show and in McHale's Navy. You know he's funny on TV but what is he like at home?

Conway shares his life with us. He had an Irish dad and a Romanian mother and grew up in a small town in Ohio. Being a friend of his dad's was dangerous (let's see, a broom handle in the eye, a hand shut in a car door, and more). Conway's stories about his parents will have you laughing out loud.

And then he went to school. Being the smallest in the class, he used humor in defense. He wanted to be a jockey. An English teacher who gave him the courage to express himself. College at Bowling Green where he started doing comedy sketches. A two year hitch in the Army after graduation (using a fluorescent bulb for a rifle – you have to read the book). During this time he decided to become a professional comedian. He and a friend debuted in a Seattle club and lasted two shows before getting the boot. Back home he got a job writing comedy for a radio show in Cleveland. He began doing his life's work – making people laugh. Then came local TV, seen by Rose Marie (in Cleveland for an interview). She took reels back to Hollywood … and in September of 1960, Toma Conway was on his way to Hollywood and Steve Allen. Then Carol Burnett.

There were some surprises too, like Conway being in “legitimate” summer stock theater and writing some plays himself. He's also quite a family man, enjoying his kids and grandkids too.

In reminiscing about early television, Conway writes, “I miss watching those worry-free television programs, the kind you could view with the whole family without hearing foul language or seeing too much violence or too much skin.” (230) Me too. Thanks, Tim, for being a part of TV's golden years.

Conway never stops being Conway. Some of the pranks he's pulled, well, you've just got to read the book. Thanks for making us laugh, Tim – back then on TV and today in your book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
41 people found this helpful
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A True Comedic Icon

I was so thrilled to hear that Tim Conway was finally writing his autobiography. The book did not disappoint! A must have for Tim Conway fans and lovers of the hilarious Carol Burnett Show. I am going to be buying What's so Funny for almost everyone I know this holiday season.
21 people found this helpful
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A Very Funny Man

Mr. Tim Conway is a very funny man...

I remember first seeing him as the stumbling, bumbling Ensign Charles Parker in McHale's Navy and then later on the Carol Burnett Show, together with his own, short-lived show, where he again teamed up with Joe Flynn. Tim's ability to make people laugh and see the funny side of almost any situation in life are probably second to none.

It was therefore quite hilarious to read about how he came to be in show business and read about his exploits off camera through the years as well. It seems Tim just genuinely sees life as an amusing journey where he naturally syncs in to applying humour to it. For example when attending a party he wrapped his face in paper to resemble a 'Mummy' and then had someone take a photo of him, which he then clipped and slid into his license. Later, when pulled over by the police (and still wearing his 'Mummy' make up), he offered up his altered license. Fortunately the policeman had a sense of humour. Or his encounter with fellow comedian Don Knotts, who was dressed as a woman at the time, in a Bar.

I liked this book immensely as I found Tim's journey through life a very funny read and marvelled at how the author to whom he narrated these accounts to, was able to stay focused on capturing the essence of Tim Conway the man and the comedy genius. For anyone who remembers Tim in his early TV and movie appearances and wonders how he evolved into such a funny man, this book is a definite reading pleasure.

In summary a very well written and amusing account of probably one of the most funniest veteran 'funny men' still active today. Well done, Mr. Conway and thank you for showing us that life is not so serious after all!
16 people found this helpful
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Tim Conway is a wonderful comic but this book is unfortunately not so great

It seems pretty clear from reading this book that Tim is basically an average
guy who really isn't particularly interesting when he's not playing comedy.

He appears to be a nice guy but honestly the book really doesn't exude
great humor or insight. It's pretty surface stuff and offers very few stories
that make an impact. As showbiz biographies go, it's pretty dull reading.

Tim knows how to act goofy and make people laugh on TV, film and stage
but beyond that, this book doesn't reveal much funniness or excitement.
Good for him that he's had a reasonably normal life and one divorce seems
to be his biggest misstep short of ill-fated starring TV shows. It's just too
bad a stronger editor couldn't help him construct stronger storytelling skills
and more interesting anecdotes about so many famous folk he's worked
with but doesn't mention at any length.
12 people found this helpful
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Not funny

If you want to know about Tim Conway, this book may be for you. If you're looking for a funny book by Tim Conway, this isn't it. As far as I can tell, there isn't a single funny line anywhere in this book. The overall writing style is pretty pedestrian, too, so don't get your hopes up on that front. I gave it two stars because it's not offensive. Informative, but not entertaining.
6 people found this helpful
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Apparently not much

I received this book as a gift. What a huge waste of time and trees. There really is nothing where of any interest and virtually devoid of humor. No real insight into anything. Harvey Korman was cheap and Bob Newhart has a dry sense of humor -- really? How enlightening. If you like Tim Conway, and I do, rent McHale's Navy or CB shows. This book is poorly written and a bad read.
5 people found this helpful
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Not As Good As I Was Hoping

Tim Conway is a funny guy, but this book is not as funny as he is. No comparison to the brilliant Billy Crystal autobiography. The laughter in Conway's book comes in the story of his father and his many mishaps, and, of course, the memories of a few classic Conway comedic moments that made me laugh from my personal memory of having seen these moments live on TV. The memory made me laugh more than his account of it.
2 people found this helpful
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None better than Tim Conway

Tim is a good man. I wish it had more stories. I love the way his mind works. He's funny.
2 people found this helpful
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So so.

I grew up watching Tim Conway and thought he was one of the funniest and most talented comedians of his day. I still love watching McHale's Navy and his skits on the Carol Burnett Show not to mention his films. I dare you try to keep a straight face watching him and Harvey Korman together. That said I greatly looked forward to reading his book. Unfortunately after finishing I was left somewhat disappointed. It wasn't bad mind you just less than what I expected. Perhaps my expectations were too high. I still enjoyed it but it could have been better.
1 people found this helpful

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