A review by judyward
The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father's Twentieth Century by Margaret Talbot

4.0

Margaret Talbot, a staff writer at the New Yorker and daughter of actor Lyle Talbot, has written a biography of her father's life and career, much of her own autobiography as it relates to growing up in Hollywood with a famous father, and a cultural history of entertainment in the 20th century. She focuses primarily on her father and the wonderful stories that he told her about his life. Talbot began his career in a travling carnival, then he worked in a traveling theater troupe in the Midwest. But,eventually, he went to Hollywood to act in the early talkies where he played a few leading roles before being cast primarily in B movies where he worked steadily for years. Talbot finally ended his career as a character actor on such early television shows as Leave It to Beaver and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. And all along the way he met, worked with, and partied with just about every big name in Hollywood. The book is not only a loving tribute to the life and career of Lyle Talbot, but it is also a must-read for anyone interested in theater and film history.