Beginning in the dying days of variety theatre, he went from the behind-the-scenes scriptwriting triumphs of Round the Horne and The Frost Report to onscreen stardom in At Last the 1948 Show and his own hit TV series, Marty. This book introduced me to the real Marty Feldman: the street-wise kid who quit or was expelled from 13 schools before running away from home at age fifteen to live what was then known as a bohemian life in France. Thanks to lost show recordings and few repeats, all we really know him for is a hump and a great line about werewolves. This is a "no holds barred" account of his poor childhood right through to his, as he says, dream of a marriage to "the most beautiful girl ever" and his international stardom.

Flanagan told the Sunday Times: ‘It’s Marty’s story from his impoverished childhood in East London in the 1930s to all the famous people he knew, like David Frost, John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle. Throughout his testimony, he mocked the judge after it was implied that Feldman had no religion because he was not Christian. Other reviewers said this biography fawned over Feldman; that is not the impression I got because it did thoroughly cover his many addictions and acts of misbehavior which undoubtedly killed him. That last one is particularly crucial, as the first chapters of this book tell the stories of Marty’s early life through well-worn anecdotes from the man himself – with no corroboration – in a way that suggests nothing more than Marty sat late at night in a TV show with Michael Parkinson or Russell Harty listening intentively. I guess some people might find reading about Marty's life interesting, but this disjointed autobiography just didn't do it for me.Although his early performing career was undistinguished, Feldman became part of a comedy act—Morris, Marty and Mitch—who made their first television appearance on the BBC series Showcase in April 1955. Il libro si rileva ricchissimo di aneddoti e riferimenti ad interviste di chi l'ha conosciuto e frequentato e un'occasione per ricordare questo ottimo attore, regista e sceneggiatore scomparso troppo presto, a soli 48 anni.

And Marty's teenage years were extraordinary, as he discusses being homeless for almost a decade, drift from job to job while often sleeping in parks. The Chalke History Festival announces a new name, new look, and tons for history buffs to get their teeth into!He seemed to be a mixture of a gentle soul, anxious for love and attention, and an egotistic artiste. Despite being a fascinating read, the book would have benefited from some editorial intervention and retrospective objectivity.