Review of
For Laughing Out Loud: My Life and Good
Times, by Ed McMahon ISBN 0446523704
Five out of five stars
What a life he led, Marine Colonel to entertainer
No person that
lived in the sixties to the very early nineties is unaware of the McMahon
signature phrase, “Heeere’s Johnny.” Yet, as amazing as it sounds, his activities
on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was only a small part of what he
accomplished. Therefore, this autobiographical work reads like the works of
several lives.
First off, he
was an aviator in the Marine Corps, flying 85 combat missions during the Korean
War. After that war was over, he remained in the Marine reserves, retiring as a
Colonel in 1966. Secondly, he was one of many that literally created commercial
television in his early years working in Philadelphia. At the time, the medium
was new, so almost everything they did was a first. While it is common knowledge that McMahon did
some acting, his singing and nightclub exploits would be the answer to many
trivia questions.
Finally,
McMahon started earning money early in life, he worked for some time as a salesman,
which is where he honed his skills that made him such a success in doing
commercials. In his last years of activity, he (co)hosted very popular shows.
McMahon led an
incredible life, until you read this book, it is unlikely that you will truly
know how much he accomplished.
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