700 Sundays

Billy Crystal “700 Sundays”  Warner Books, Large Print, 2005, 263 pp.

This is a book version of Billy Crystal’s Broadway solo show.  The title refers to the early death of his father when Billy was only 15 years old, hence the 700 Sundays he was able to spend with his Father.  This is a good, entertaining, book that can easily be read in one sitting.   You will learn about the story of Crystal's uncle Milt Gabler, who started the Commodore music label and recorded Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit" when no one else would. Then there's the Sunday afternoon when Holiday takes young Crystal to see his first movie, Shane.  There's even Louis Armstrong at the Crystal family seder, with Crystal's grandma telling the gravelly-voiced singer, "Louis, have you tried just coughing it up?"  He was also friends with Mickey Mantle and Sammy Davis Jr.

I have always liked Billy Crystal’s comedy—never mean and always funny.

P.S.:  The night after reading this book I met Billy on an airplane.  Even though it was a dream it seemed quite real.  In any event, he saw me reading the book and asked how I liked it.  I responded, "Good."  "That's not sufficient, I need more detail" he replied.  "Well", said I, "being Irish-Catholic and you being Jewish I would describe the experience as the French might: at times I felt the book may have exhibited esprit d’ escalier:  i.e., to recall with additional details something that never happened."  Billy liked that.  However, when I woke up I reflected that I did not really believe the book exaggerated anything.