Where Have I Been: An Autobiography

Sid Caesar's biography is an excellent book for anyone who is recovering (or trying to recover) from alcoholism and drug abuse. It paints a portrait of a man who was overcome by these problems, but found a way out. It is also very entertaining, and easy to read. This biography has had a tremendous impact on my life, and I have bought copies to share with friends who are recovering alcoholics.

Not old enough to know Sid Caesar from his 1950's heyday, I first saw him as dentist Melville Crump, with Edie Adams as his wife Monica, in Stanley Kramer's immortal IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD (1963) as a child of 12. Flying in a makeshift plane or trapped in a hardware basement, Mr. Caesar is peerless. Blowing a hole with dynamite in a wall leading to a Chinese laundry, he non-chalantly says in the understatement of the year, "The lock didn't work. The owners will pay for everything." He is fabulously funny in MAD WORLD, which remains my favorite comedy of the sound era. WHERE HAVE I BEEN, which I read in paperback several years ago, galvanized and overwhelmed me. Its portrait of 1950's live TV and a famous personality addicted to both alcohol and pills and his own fame is dead-on, shattering, and ultimately liberating when Mr. Caesar finally kicks his addictions. The book is truthful and shattering. I read it in one all afternoon and evening sitting. At the end I was crying and wanted to just hug Mr. Caesar and tell him that he is both a brave man and a genius. And, of course, a survivor. I subsequently had the opportunity--the 1980's?--to see Mr. Csear and Imogene Coca do a live stage revival of YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS in downtown San Francisco. It was in an intimate theater, not one of the giant theaters, and side-splittingly funny, the best of the best. Two fabulous comic actors performing hilarious material. What I would like to do next is to go back to the 1950's again and see DVD's of CAESAR'S HOUR and YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS for the first time. I am pleased that I have so much to choose from and that the genius behind them is still very much alive to enjoy them with a clear brain. And I want to see MAD WORLD restored to its original 192 minute Cinerama roadshow length; the current DVD only runs 161 minutes, which is the 35mm general release length plus some roadshow music. I am especially happy that Sid Caesar conquered his alcohol and pill demons to come out into the sunlight and enjoy his past work on DVD. It is great to hear about his swimming daily in his pool and everything else he is doing in the name of good health. He is so very, very funny in the incomparable MAD WORLD. And his book WHERE HAVE I BEEB is an absolute must-read for both its extraordinarily candid portrait of the dark side of alcohol addiction and its authentic behind-the-scenes glimpses of the Golden Age of live TV. Being golden had its price. Sid Caesar is a survivor who should be applauded.

What would you do if you earned millions of dollars and were famous throughout the world before the age of thirty? In the 1950's Sid Ceasar's critically acclaimed weekly comedy "Your Show of Shows" ruled Saturday night televison, and brought him world fame and a fortune to match. His authentic, true to life and 100% live and unedited comedy brought a never before attempted challenge to televison that has not been re-created before or since- and people went mad for it. In the eight years Caesar had a slot on the air, ratings sky-rocketed and televison sales (then the latest "must have") went through the roof. This should've been the perfect life for any man...but it wasn't. Unable to deal with the tremendous pressures of his high profile career, Caesar turned to alcohol as a "stress reliever". This eventually turned into a battle with alcoholism that lasted many years and sent Caesar plunging into what he calls his "dark period," which left him unable to recall or enjoy most of the professional milestones he became famous for. After being given drugs to help rid him of his alcohol addiction, Caesar then took on the role of alcoholic-addict, a well hidden secret that nearly cost him his job, his family and his life. Near death, and on the verdge of total ruin, Caesar realizes he must make a change. "Where Have I Been?" is the creatively written, dramatic account of Caesar's own life and times and his rocky journey down the road to recovery. A sure comfort for anyone who has experienced the traumatic realities of substance abuse, and a great book for anyone with a general interest in celebrities.

I had to read and autobiography for my english class. Well, my dad had the book and he let me read it because i needed a book. It turns out to be an awesome book. I recamend. Besides, where would we be today with out tv comedy?