Product Details

• Published on: 2004-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 190 pages

Customer Reviews

A Great Hollywood Memoir
I must say I was very suprised by Joel Rapp's memoir, Radio, TV Mother Earth & Me. I bought it because I was a huge fan of his when he used to appear on Regis Philbin's TV program as the gardening expert, "Mr. Mother Earth". Little did I know that he had previoulsy led a really glamorous and exciting life as a TV and movie writer. Of all the Hollywood memoirs and books on Old Time Radio and Hollywood Trivia, this is certainly as good as any and better than most. Rapp,whose Godmother was Fanny Brice and whose godfather was Eddie Cantor has written the book in anecdotal style,beginning with his birth to comedy legend Phillip Rapp,creator of "The Bickersons" and "Baby Snooks" and his subsequent childhood surrounded by such legends as The Marx Brothers, George Jessel, Milton Berle and many more. The book then segues into Rapp's many years as a sitcom writer - "Gilligan's Island", "McHale's Navy", the Donna Reed Show - over 200 episodes and several movies for his close friend Roger Corman. Then on to his career as Mr. Mother Earth, an inspirational story of an idea and a store that created an indoor plant industry and eneded in something of a bizzare tragedy featuring his ex-wife and a young guru. Anyone who's a fan of Tinseltown trivia dating back into the 1930s radio and really amusing stories about the behind-the-camera life writing TV sitcoms during the "Golden Age of TV" will love this book, I promise. Five stars for sure!

WOW! I LOVED IT
I just finished reading radio tv mother earth and me by joel rapp and i have to say that i grew up in the los angeles of joel rapp. i knew many of the celebs he writes about in this terrific book.
i have read possibly 80% of the books about this era and by far this book is the best. joel writes from a great comedic background and first hand knowledge of the people of whom he writes..he has written for radio and tv and knows the good , the bad and the ugly and it's all portrayed in this book. i highly recommend it to anyone who loves hollywood or just loves gossip and interesting tales.