Robert Klein's autobiography reviewed

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on July 14th, 2005

It’s called “The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue: A Child of the Fifties Looks Back” and it’s published by Simon & Schuster. It should be interesting. We often cite Klein as the bridge between the old school comics and the modern era.

…We follow Klein’s early career with the famous Second City comedy troupe in Chicago (where we witness a show-biz battle of egos between established comic David Steinberg and a brash, cocky Klein); his first legitimate role on Broadway in Mike Nichols’s production of “The Apple Tree” (and, later, his fascination with Robert Morse’s antic, charismatic performance in “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”); the shock and despair when, on the threshold of his first nationally televised standup gig (on the popular Dean Martin Show), the show’s producers, feeling that the young comic’s material was not funny, canceled his appearance. The narrative ends with Klein’s career-altering relationship with Rodney Dangerfield, who became a stand up mentor and (perhaps) surrogate father to the young comic in his search for approval and a role model.

Check out the lengthy review, published in the Forward.

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