My Father, Uncle Miltie

Milton Berle is acknowledged as the man who made television popular. The millions who religiously watched The Texaco Star Theater which became The Milton Berle Show can attest to the genesis of TV: In the beginning, there was Uncle Miltie. His audience of 86% of all those with TV sets has never been equaled, not even by Seinfeld. But who was Milton Berle behind his showbiz persona? Nobody knows better than his son, Bill Berle, and what he reveals in My Father, Uncle Miltie, puts the complicated legend in an entirely new light. Even Mr. Television's most ardent fans will be troubled when their idol hires a prostitute for his 16-year-old son, or when he speaks at a memorial for his late wife and doesn't mention her name, but tells jokes instead. Bill Berle recalls his father's awesome theatrical and comic gifts, and describes how "the greatest talent in show business" would join in with guest acts of every variety. He could dance with the dancers, sing with the singers, even tumble with the acrobats, sometimes to the point of upstaging the featured guest. But Bill Berle also reveals that after a happy early childhood, his father became an absentee parent. Milton Berle's affairs and flings with too many women to count are covered in detail, as is his chronic gambling. Written with noted author, playwright, and screenwriter Brad Lewis, My Father, Uncle Miltie is not just a biography, but a behind-the-scenes look at an American icon. This description may be from another edition of this product.