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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Timeless Storytelling,
By disheveledprofessor "disheveledprofessor" (the home of the Blue Angels) - See all my reviews
This review is from: What time's the next swan?
Walter Slezak is a member of that vanished breed, a raconteur. This slight, easy to read volume will move you to laughter, and will be a book you pick up every-so-often for a lifting of spirits.
Slezak, born in Vienna in 1902, was a popular character actor ["Once Upon a Honeymoon" with Cary Grant & Ginger Rogers; Hitchcock's "The Lifeboat"; "The Inspector General" with Danny Kaye], a Broadway performer [Rogers' & Hart's "I Married an Angel"] and the son of the famed Cezch tenor, Leo Slezak. The title refers to one of the antecodotes from the operatic world of his father: Slezak had just finished singing his "Farewell" in "Lohengrin". He walked towards the boat drawn by a swan but the backstage staff made it move away too fast and he was unable to board it. Slezak strolled towards the audience and with a wonderful presence of mind asked: "Tell me, please, what time is the next swan?" "What Time's the Next Swan?" relates stories of his childhood in Europe [climbing on the dais in the presence of Emperor Franz Josef; the international operatic tours of his father; attending the military gymnasium], his coming of age [unsuccessful career as a banker; acting in early UFA films; coming to the US]; his acting career here. He gleefully identifies eccentricities wherever he comes across them, his own or others. His love and admiration of his parents seeps through every page. For a glimpse at a world which has disappeared, or for some hearty chuckles, I highly recommend Slezak's book |
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What time's the next swan? by Walter Slezak (Unknown Binding)
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