Review: Always on Sunday
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 5, 2011
Ed Sullivan's variety show was an American institution, running Sunday nights for twenty-three years, from the dawn of television in 1948 until 1971. Even relatively young readers have probably seen clips of Sullivan introducing Elvis Presley, the Beatles, or saying, "We've got a really big shew." "Always on Sunday" gives us a broad view of Sullivan, who turns out much more complex than I would have guessed. Some stories you might have heard for years are debunked - not all of Elvis' appearance were from the waist up for example. Although the book focuses on the period from the debut of "The Toast of the Town" (the original name of the show) until the late-60s, when the book was originally published, it gives a decent overview of his life prior to the show and insight into what made Sullivan tick. For example, he was an early supporter of equal rights and booked appearances by stars regardless of race when that was uncommon.One part of the book I found interesting was Sullivan's reaction to television critics. Many of his reviews were negative and he was prone to react with a scathing letter in response. Many of these were long while others were succinct. One rather pointed response to syndicated columnist Harriet Van Horne read only: "Dear Miss Van Horne, You bitch. Sincerely, Ed Sullivan."I did wonder how many people would actually be interested in learning more about Sullivan. I'm no spring chicken and was a month shy of becoming a teen when the show went off the air. Although I didn't watch "The Ed Sullivan Show" as a kid (blame it on overly religious parents who banned Sunday television watching) I was still well aware of Sullivan and his place in pop culture. When I asked my twenty-something daughter if she knew who Sullivan was she said: "Yes I do. He had a variety type show with musical guests, some of which included Elvis, the Beatles, and the Doors." She'd be disappointed; the book doesn't mention the appearance by The Doors (this would have happened after the original publication of the book) but it seems Sullivan's legacy is still known among younger generations. Anyone interested in pop culture history or the early days of television should find "Always on Sunday" an enlightening and entertaining read.**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog.**