Tony and Me: A Story of Friendship [With DVD]

I ordered good condition and it’s way nicer than I expected! The DVD works perfectly too. 👍

This slim volume speaks in a voice much louder than Jack Klugman has been able to muster in recent years. Klugman, whose portrayal of the sloppy everyman, Oscar Madison, was the perfect compliment to Tony Randall's fussbudget Felix Unger, writes a moving ode to his pal in TONY AND ME, a simple and extremely warm memoir. Giving only the briefest of youthful self-reference, Klugman's sole purpose is to let the reader and fans of "The Odd Couple" realize what a mensch Randall was. Despite being an actor of some renown before and after the syndicated favorite, Klugman would rather tout the virtues of Randall and a supportive and multi-dimensional friend than toot his own horn. After some initial stumbles in working on "The Odd Couple," Randall and Klugman developed a relationship of mutual respect and affection rare in the world these days, let alone the entertainment industry. After the show was canceled, they maintained their friendship and worked together often. When Klugman developed throat cancer, Randall was there with words of encouragement to a remarkable degree, even going so far as to help Klugman return to the profession, casting him in numerous productions at his National Actors Theatre. When the tables were turned, and Randall became ill, Klugman was similarly there for his ailing partner. Klugman, who teamed up with Burton Rocks, co-writer of the bestselling MY DAD AND ME (the autobiography of former New York Yankees player Paul O'Neill) probably could have sold his story to any major house but preferred to self-publish because, as he writes, "I needed to be sure it was done right...I instinctively didn't like the idea of handing [the book] to someone I didn't know." The only questionable aspect of TONY AND ME --- and it is a minor one --- is the use of a "Q and A" format interview with Heather Randall, Tony's widow; after the warm narrative, it just seems jarring to come across the transcript style. (The book ends with a similar "interview with Jack Klugman." Was this really necessary since, after all, Klugman did write the manuscript?) In an era when celebrity relationships can be as fleeting and phony as the roles they play, TONY AND ME is an unashamedly open "thank you" note from one friend to another. --- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan

The Odd Couple is one of my all-time favorite TV shows (and movies). I knew this book was written by Jack Klugman, and that it came with an outtakes DVD. That alone was enough for me to make my way down to the bookstore and get. What I didn't know, however, was the great details of Jack and Tony's friendship, which extended far beyond The Odd Couple. When Jack Klugman had surgery for throat cancer, it was Tony Randall who helped him regain his career. When Tony Randall was ill during the last few months of his life, it was Jack Klugman who was right by his side. That is true friendship, and that is the basis of Klugman's book. Then there's the DVD. It is hilarious, and shows a side of Oscar and Felix you never saw in the series itself. Although The Odd Couple series is not officially out on DVD yet, I have the complete blue VHS set issued by Columbia House in the 1990s. This DVD is a great compliment to those tapes. This is the absolute best book I've ever taken the time to read. Any fan of The Odd Couple or Tony Randall will love it too.

The book "Tony and Me: A Story Friendship" is Jack Klugman's loving tribute to his long time co-star and dear friend the late Tony Randall. The book covers the extent of their decades long friendship from their first meeting on the set of a 1950's TV show, to their days on "The Odd Couple", to Mr. Klugman's battle with cancer and ultimately with the passing of Mr. Randall in 2004. Although the book is not autobiographical Mr. Klugman, nonetheless, does spend the first couple of chapters detailing the path he took to become an actor. If you are a fan of "The Odd Couple" or Jack Klugman these chapters will provide some interesting incite into the man. The author spends the balance of the book recounting various stories and anecdotes of their career together. The book is short (less than 150 pages) and I was able to read it in a single sitting. It is an at times a funny and very touching book. I found myself laughing out loud more than once and even getting choked up on a couple of occasions. The love Jack Klugman feels for Tony Randall is palpable as you read through portions of this book. As a bonus, the book comes with a DVD containing out takes from the "The Odd Couple". This 15 minute DVD, introduced by Jack Klugman, contains some extremely funny out takes from the series. It alone is worth the price of the book. If you are a fan of "The Odd Couple", or Jack Klugman, or Tony Randall or just of classic TV I highly recommend this book. The investment of time needed to read it is minor compared with the enjoyment you with derive.

Jack Klugman. Tony Randall. Those are two names known to anyone over 35, and to plenty of people younger, thanks to the legendary TV series, "The Odd Couple." Fewer of us know about their extended career acting on stage before and long after the series. In between those years, a complex relationship was built that did not follow the Hollywood style. "Tony And Me: A Story of Friendship" gives Jack Klugman's point of view on how they interacted and grew closer. Beginning before anyone heard of them, and ending with Tony's death in May 2004, it developed a richness that I envy. Klugman self-published "Tony and Me," knowing that more profit would be made available for Randall's beloved National Actors Theater. The fact that Klugman did not rely on a bevy of editors and marketers shape what he said created a personal voice that avoids patting himself on the back and indulging in name-dropping. Instead, he comes across conversational and friendly. Klugman explains how he and Randall saw life differently, not too dissimilarly as Oscar and Felix, but that it was their common love and training in theater that connected them. He never delves into kiss and tell, sparing us from any lurid gossip that may have surrounded either in the heyday. Like a eulogy, he tells fond stories of the two of them together, and, most of all, why Randall mattered in his life. One significant story Klugman tells is about his throat cancer, and subsequent surgery that dealt a blow to his voice. Randall was the one who encouraged him most to return to theater. Without a decent voice, this would be impossible, but Randall let Klugman know he would help him get back on stage if he wanted to try. Klugman tried, and they eventually starred together in "The Sunshine Boys" in the National Actors Theater. More than a professional victory, this personal triumph humbled Klugman in a new way. He realized the formation of a solid friendship, that after 30-some years of working together, they were more than a team. Jack Klugman does not gush, or gab. A short book, it focuses on friendship more than the events that surrounded them. At the book's end, he admonishes readers to set aside grudges and to realize that friendship and the bond it creates is bigger than pride. The "Odd Couple" outtakes DVD is a collection of goof ups from the series. Klugman adds to his book with this, giving the reader an immediate reminder of what put both of them on the map, and the kind of connection they had in the in-between times. I fully recommend "Tony and Me: A Story of Friendship" by Jack Klugman. Anthony Trendl editor, HungarianBookstore.com

This book is a great, fun quick easy read. Klugman chose not to make it a full autobiography of himself so instead he swept over his pre-acting days fdast. He is admittedly a lifelong, complete gambler so maybe he felt mostly skipping his gambling stories was better. We learn about the production of the Odd Couple as a play then a hit series. Also, we learn quite about what Tony Randall was like from a man who knew him so well. You'll find Randall interesting, read the bopok. And of course don't forget the great DVD on here showing OC outtakes. Great fun there too. Order yours today!