Laughter permiates this stroll down memory lane to the 70s and 80s Golden Age of variety television when monologues, sketches and an endless parade of jokes dominated the small screen.
During the hour, you'll hear the author's recollections of his days as a fledgling TV script writer --- an unlikely profession for a disgruntled lawyer of ten years who literally fell into what would turn out to be a new and inordinately exciting career in show business.
A few innocent lines sent to San Francisco disc jockey Don Sherwood in the mid-70s explode on the air and propel Mills toward Hollywood where dwelled a staff writer on the "Carol Burnett Show" named Gene Perret, a genial, kindhearted and generous man of his own age who soon became his mentor.
Arriving in Burbank with his wife, Shelley, in December 1975, he would would gain valuable experience on the staff of "Dinah!," a syndicated 90-minute daytime talk show on CBS.
Soon, the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts" would become the author's first prime-time network show, from whence he would be hired by Bob Hope to write scripts for the next seventeen years, traveling with him to Australia, Red China, Stockholm, London, Tahiti and stops in between while working with guest stars that included Jonathan Winters, Don Rickles, Barbara Mandrell, Loni Anderson, Jack Lemmon, Glen Campbell, Florence Henderson, Barbara Eden, Charo, Bernadette Peters, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Big Bird (Carroll Spinney), Morgan Fairchild, Betty White, Red Skelton, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Mac Davis, Brooke Shields, Marie Osmond, Jim Henson, Mickey Rooney, Robert Urich, Andy Williams, George C. Scott, Perry Como, Phyllis Diller, , Lee Marvin, Pat Boone, Charlene Tilton, Dick Cavett, Angie Dickenson, Henny Youngman, Danny Kaye, Richard Burton, Olivia Newton-John, Bonnie Franklin, Loretta Switt, Raquel Welch, Audrey Landers, Lola Falana, Crystal Gayle, Roseanne Barr, Debbie Reynolds, Tony Randall, Linda Evans, Steve Lawrence, The Muppets, Steve Lawrence Eydie Gorme, Danny Thomas, George Burns, Carol Lawrence, Milton Berle, Pat Boone, Placido Domingo, John Forsythe, Cindy Crawford, Johnny Carson, Christie Brinkley, Leslie Uggams, John Denver, Morgan Brittany, Donna Mills, Gordon McCrae, Robert Preston, Ann Jillian, and Elizabeth Taylor --- many of whom are the
subjects of Mills' priceless and hilarious backstage stories.
At the conclusion of the interview, you'll know Bob Hope as you've never known him before --- that he maintained his breakneck schedule that for years averaged four live stage shows weekly (He could sleep in small segments and had masseurs stationed in every city) --- how funny he was in real life (Extermely) --- why he relied so heavily on cue cards (He was never in town long enough to rehearse) --- how he
treated his writers (The author lost sleep on the job only once and you'll hear why) --- who his favorite guest stars were (He had many, but his favorite comedian was Shecky Green) --- His dietary habits (Ice Cream and In-N-Out burgers were high on the menu) --- and how his declining health in the twilight of his TV career effected his performances (Not well.)
So sit back, relax and enjoy this hilarious and insightful three-way interview that includes many of the stories that are chronicled in THE LAUGH MAKERS: A Behind-the-Scenes Tribute to Bob Hope's Incredible Gag Writers (c) 2009 by Robert L. Mills and published by Bear Manor Media.