Hi-Ho Steverino!: My Adventures in the Wonderful Wacky World of TV [Hardcover]

Steve Allen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1992

The star of radio and television offers an anecdotal account of his years in television, discussing the Tonight Show, the Steve Allen Show, and his work with such comics as Don Knotts, Tom Poston, Buck Henry, Tim Conway, the Smother Brothers, and others.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Page after page of tired jokes and boasting weaken the nostalgic appeal of this memoir about radio and TV in their palmy days by an author who has spent 50 years in broadcasting. "Steverino" started his career in radio during the early 1940s and broke into network TV in 1950 as the first host of "The Tonight Show." He remained a popular and innovative entertainer despite occasional lapses in taste, such as a "funny routine" about the 1956 Andrea Doria shipwreck. Although the Italian embassy condemned the comic skit as a "bad thing: people died," Allen recalls the incident as among the most amusing of his life. Other sections of the book are not as abrasive, but the cumulative effect of the performer's self-aggrandizing strains one's patience.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The versatile author, pianist, actor, composer, comedian, philosopher, and more here takes readers on a journey through his offbeat broadcasting experiences, from local radio to the golden years of television and beyond. He offers irresistible reminiscences of comic routines and bizarre stunts played with such memorable golden-age personalities as Bill Dana, Tom Poston, and Don Knotts. Creator of the original Tonight show, Allen also makes serious observations on the emerging talk show form and closes with reflections on the current state of the art. Except for a too-lengthy account of a 1980s comedy project gone awry, this is fast-paced, genial fun that also provides a true insider's view of TV. For circulating libraries.
- Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, N.J.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Barricade Books (May 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0942637550
• ISBN-13: 978-0942637557
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,219,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As funny as the man was., July 4, 2001

By 

David A. Beamer (Clawson, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hi-Ho, Steverino!: My Adventures in the Wonderful Wacky World of TV (Paperback)

Steve Allen was a true pioneer in radio and, especially, TV. In this book he chronciles his adventures in the TV world. Along with a coherent history of his progress thru the nascent medium, he throws in an ample supply of anecdotes from his TV days. Some of them are plain old "gotta-put-the-book-down-cuz-you're-laughing-so-hard" variety, and as such, it's almost like seeing the shows.

Highly recommeded. One of his very best efforts.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steverino is #1, December 13, 2008

By 

Glenys D. Leong "G D Leong" (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hi-Ho, Steverino!: My Adventures in the Wonderful Wacky World of TV (Paperback)

This is the funniest book I have read in years. Many of the people mentioned in this book have been gone for a long time, so I found this book to be quite a tribute to Allen & his friends.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book tonight, March 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hi-Ho, Steverino!: My Adventures in the Wonderful Wacky World of TV (Paperback)

This is, of course, Steve Allen's account of his many years in television. He relates many amusing anecdotes about his experiences. Recomended to any fans of television history.