The typical successful TV comic is either Irish or Jewish, earns more money than the President of the U.S., and is likely to suffer from egomania, insomnia and, especially, vertigoi.e., a morbid fear of falling from his high Nielsen rating. In a new book, The Funny Men (Simon & Schuster; $3-95), published this week, TV Comic Steve Allen, who labors to be funny five nights a week on NBC's Tonight, outlines the terrors of his trade and takes a measuring look at 16 of his competitors. Since he began work on the book, one of the 16 (Fred Allen) has died,...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
