It Happened in the Catskills: Oral History in the Words of Busboys, Bellhops, Guests, Prioprieters, Comedians, Agents, and Others Who Lived It [Paperback]

Myrna Katz Frommer (Author), Harvey Frommer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2004

This signature book captures the flavor of the "Borscht Belt," that fabled vacation area just "ninety minutes from Broadway." Summer romances, mambo time, menus with seven kinds of herring, musical and comedic greats getting their start, bungalows, and big hotels like Grossinger’s—all come back in a rush. Through the power of oral history, more than a hundred voices share stories that span nearly a century—recalling an experience that exists now only in memory.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An oral history of the good old days, when the Catskills served as a training ground for Broadway.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“The truth about the Catskills—unexpurgated tales of heartache and laughter. This book will touch all who read it."—Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara

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Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; New edition edition (November 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299206041
• ISBN-13: 978-0299206048
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #461,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL! aTLANTA Constitution, February 21, 2000

By 

harvey frommer - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Happened in the Catskills: An Oral History in the Words of Busboys, Bellhops, Guests, Proprietors, Comedians, Agents, and Others Who Lived It (Paperback)

In their heyday in the 1940s and '50s, the Catskills, in New York's Sullivan and Ulster counties, were less a place than a state of mind, according to the Frommers. In their wonderful collection of reminiscences by those who worked and played the mountains, anyone who ever vacationed there will find something between nostalgia and heartburn - or, perhaps, just hunger for borscht, the red-beet soup that became a staple at the region's most famous resort, Grossinger's.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely First Rate, February 12, 1999

By 

Mark K. Mcdonough "Mark McDonough" (Reston, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It Happened in the Catskills: An Oral History in the Words of Busboys, Bellhops, Guests, Proprietors, Comedians, Agents, and Others Who Lived It (Paperback)

This is one of the best history books I've read in the past decade -- and I read a lot of history books. I don't think I've ever read a better pop culture history about any subject. And what's more, it's great great fun -- I've probably read it cover to cover 3 or 4 times. A thousand thanks and a tip of the hat to Myrna & Harvey Frommer!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love the Catskills, October 24, 2008

By 

Eileen Peterson "dary hall devotee" (los angeles ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It Happened in the Catskills: An Oral History in the Words of Busboys, Bellhops, Guests, Proprietors, Comedians, Agents, and Others Who Lived It (Paperback)

I love love love this book and can't put it down. Not only the entertainers but the food, the place, the agents, the managers = the stories. A great picture (small but still great) of David Brenner whom I love to bits! You will be laughing and laughing. The hair, the clothes !