| Title | : | Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250815290 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250815293 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published November 15, 2022 |
Steve Martin has never written about his career in the movies before. In
Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions Reviews
-
4.5⭐
Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions marks the second collaboration (the first being
A Wealth of Pigeons : A Cartoon Collection ) between the inimitable Steve Martin and renowned The New Yorker illustrator Harry Bliss.
In the first segment of the of the book Martin takes us through his career as a standup comic and his Hollywood career sharing anecdotes from his personal experiences, some behind the scenes stories about some of his movies and his interactions with his co-stars and other celebrities including Paul McCartney and the late Robin Williams. The stories are shared in cartoon format with Harry Bliss’s brilliant illustrations bringing Martin’s memories to life. Martin also shares some hilarious exchanges between himself and his collaborator, with both himself and Harry Bliss appearing as cartoon versions of themselves along with Harry Bliss's pet dog Penny who is absolutely adorable. The latter half of the book features The New Yorker style cartoons illustrated by Harry Bliss in varying themes that are thoroughly entertaining. While I am a huge fan of Harry Bliss and The New Yorker cartoons and truly enjoyed those featured in this book, I absolutely loved Steve Martin’s humorous take on his career and wished that the memoir segment would have been longer than it was.
Overall, this is an entertaining read and a perfect pick-me-up between more serious reads or for just when you need a laugh. I loved getting to know more about Steve Martin and his movies in such a unique format. I’m eager to see what this duo comes up with next! -
This book is just as funny and insightful as you would expect from Steve Martin, especially in comic book form! I loved the illustrations. No one tells a story quite like Steve Martin and yes he does know everyone in show business! I thank @CeladonBooks and @BlissCartoons for the opportunity to read and review this book.
-
If you want a truly unique coffee table book, here you go. If you want a unique walk through the life of a comic (and musical) superstar, well, you get that here as well. The cartoon-style graphics alone are incredible, and when coupled with insights by one of America's best-known (and arguably best-loved) entertainers, it just doesn't get much better.
My description will be brief, simply because this is a book that's better seen than talked about. Basically, it outlines the experiences of the incomparable Steve Martin in motion pictures - he made 40 of them before, about 15 years ago, leaving that industry for, among other things, a successful other career in music (he's a banjo player extraordinaire). His recollections of the movie years include clever and witty depictions of "The Jerk," "Three Amigos," Roxanne" and more; I just named three of my favorites. All are depicted in cartoon format with amusing, sometimes downright funny, narratives. Also included are references to many of his well-known partners in the funny business, like Carl Reiner, Robin Williams and Diane Keaton. The whole thing ends with "And Other Diversions," an extensive series of cartoons.
In short (which reminds me, his buddy and fellow comedian Martin Short is another who gets some page time here), this is a very well-written and perhaps even better-illustrated book I think any student of comedy - and certainly any Martin fan - will enjoy. It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but why settle? This delightful book delivers the best of both. Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me a hardcover pre-release copy to read and review. -
Steve Martin’s brand of comedy is different, and while some find it moderately funny, I, on the other hand, LOVE IT! As a massive fan of the actor, Number One is Walking is such a wonderful gift, a walk down memory lane as Steve shares anecdotes from his time acting in movies in his trademark comic style. That the book is illustrated only makes it all the more fun. Steve Martin is genuinely one of the most versatile and talented people I’ve seen, and he continues to delight us all in new ways, this book being just another addition to his marvels.
-
This is a slight book, and everything that's in it is charming--there just really isn't very much actually in it; I finished the whole book in 45 minutes or so. I would love to have a complete book from Martin in which he applies his critical intelligence and sly humor to his career as an actor, in the same way he did in Born Standing Up to his career as a stand-up comedian. But instead, this book includes 20 or so clever, sometimes whimsical and wise, anecdotes and observations about some of Martin's movies, and some of the directors, screenwriters, and performers essential to them, all of them artfully illustrated by Harry Bliss; and the the rest of the book (really about 70% of the total) are one-panel, New Yorker-style cartoons that Martin and Bliss came up with. They made me smile, which is all I really got out of this book; I wish there had been more.
-
Number One Is Walking is a fun collection of anecdotes, cartoons, and comic strips, only half of which are about Steve Martin's movie career. The illustrations are delightful, and the cartoonist's dog steals the show!
-
While he started as a comedy writer, many people discovered Steve Martin in the 1970s on Saturday Night Live. He then became a successful actor in the movies with hits such as Father of the Bride, Roxanne, The Jerk, Three Amigos, he's written movies, plays, novellas and so much more. And yes, there's that banjo too! To call Steve Martin a Renaissance Man would not be an exaggeration.
In 2020, Martin and Harry Bliss, the talented cartoonist from The New Yorker, created the clever and witty book, A Wealth of Pigeons: A Cartoon Collection. The two have a new collaboration entitled Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions. To explain the title, "number one is walking" is an expression used on movie sets. The lead actor is called number one. And then there's number two, three, etc. The primary actors’ names aren’t used on the set, just their numbers. And soon into his movie career, Martin became number one, which was a bit embarrassing for him.
About half of the book is about Martin's movie career and life in Hollywood. He reflects on his film experiences with interesting and funny stories and anecdotes which are greatly enhanced by Bliss' artwork, done in both a classic comic strip style to lovely portrait-like drawings, mainly of Martin's celebrity friends. Popular comic-strip characters (like Snoopy) whimsically pop into the scenes. After Martin notes that he is now done with acting in the movies, moving on to new projects, the book shifts to works by Bliss, with cartoons that are much like the ones he does for The New Yorker.
I enjoy reading memoirs of people whose work I admire. While not a traditional memoir, this was a wonderfully creative way for Steve Martin to provide stories and memories of a very significant part of his career. It's an attractive coffee table book too. The section devoted to Bliss' work is also enjoyable. From his early wild and crazy days to his current popular television series, Only Murders in the Building, with Martin Short and Selena Gomez, Steve Martin is a remarkable talent. This new book demonstrates his unique ability to entertain us in so many ways. If you're a fan, you'll want to check this book out.
Many thanks to Celadon Books for providing a copy of Number One Is Walking in advance of its publication.
Review to be posted on
MicheleReader.com.
Rated 4.5 stars. -
For the first third of the book, Steve Martin offers up some anecdotes from his movie career, mostly along the lines of famous-people-I-have-met or shallow chatter he might share on a late night talk show. The tone is mostly upbeat and positive, so it's a little shocking when his stories about Dana Delaney and Robin Williams take different tacks. Still, it's a pleasing breeze through a dozen of so of his major films.
The back end of the book is more like his first collaboration with Harry Bliss,
A Wealth of Pigeons: A Cartoon Collection, a collection of single-panel New Yorker cartoon gags. Lightly amusing, gently zany. -
A little bit of Martin’s life in movies and a whole lot of cartoons.
The illustrations are well done, but I felt that most of celebrities were somehow off a bit.
I got a signed copy for Christmas. I loved Shopgirl and haven’t read anything else by Martin. Clearly the man is talented and has a dry sense of humor. -
Steve Martin writes about his experiences in the movies and doing standup and cartoonist Harry Bliss illustrates Martin's stories.
-
This is a memoir about Steve Martin's career in the movies, told in comic strip form. He shares behind the scenes stories from favorite films such as The Jerk to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, which I absolutely loved as I watched these and loved when I was younger. I loved the insights and Steve’s humor comes through the pages, I just really enjoyed this book so much. It is a great coffee table book that I plan on leaving out for folks to flip through and enjoy as well.
Thank you to @celadonbooks @SteveMartinReally and @BlissCartoons for the #gifted copy to review. -
It was so fun to reminisce through the comic strip collection of stories that left me smiling ear to ear.
-
Perfectly charming. Not at all deep. Exquisite illustration. Highly recommended.
-
This was a fun collection of memoir inspired comics, written musings, flashbacks about working in the movie industry and a collection of one panel cartoons worthy of any newspaper. Number One is Walking is part biography, part movie industry inside news, and all comedy. Done in a fun comic style - this is unlike any other book I have read this year. Innovative and funny.
-
I'm a huge Steve Martin fan. He has made me crack up for my whole life. From his early stand up records, SNL appearances, and movies like The Jerk and The Three Amigos his silliness is unparalleled. Over the years my fondness for him has grown. All of Me, Parenthood, My Blue Heaven and Roxanne are all catalogued in my personal favorites ever category. This second collaboration with Harry Bliss highlights all the things I love about Steve: it's smart, witty, creative, and has a lot of heart.
-
This was the funnest memoir I have ever read. I have always loved Steve Martin. His ability to capture an audience, and perform so brilliantly is truly a gift. I have grown up watching him in so many movies, and this book touches on his experiences with some of those. I remember being a young girl, and watching Little Shop of Horrors. His character, Orin Scrivello, commanded the screen. Martin played that part so well that you couldn't hate the guy even though he was an addict and abuser. I also loved him in My Blue Heaven as the cocky mobster turned informant, Vinnie Antonelli. I truly fell in love with Steve Martin when he starred in Roxanne. You'll learn more about his efforts to get that movie made in the book. This was such a genius way to write a memoir in that Steve's friend and internationally famous cartoonist, Harry Bliss illustrated this book. His comic style illustrations made Steve's story jump off the pages. You literally see Steve describing all these events to Harry, but he has a special friendship with Harry's dog, Penny. Also in the book, we get to see some of Harry's own work that is truly remarkable. The man is a talent! I finished this book with such a good feeling, and couldn't help the smile on my face. I feel like I got to know one of the best actors, comedians, and overall person that makes Steve Martin who he is in the best way possible. Harry Bliss made that happen, and I applaude him tremendously.
-
Book #5 - Number One Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions by Steve Martin. This illustrated memoir (with illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss) is fascinating,
funny and clever. Martin tells charming stories about his film career and shares many great anecdotes about cast mates and celebrities he has met, including Paul McCartney, Diane Keaton, Robin Williams and Chevy Chase. More than half of the book is a collection of New Yorker–style cartoons that Martin and Bliss did together.
I'm a big fan of Martin and this is a great addition to his body of work. He also writes of his decision to stop making movies, his return to standup via his work with Martin Short and the
awesome television series Only Murders in the Building.
This book is a great follow up from his excellent 2008 memoir, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life, which goes into more detail about his stand up career and why, after much success, he decided to switch to a movie career. I give this book an 8. -
Steve Martin and cartoonist Harry Bliss crisply recount Martin's movie career in Number One Is Walking. It's mostly accolades for fellow actors on Martin's part, with a few real stories mixed in. The format fits Martin's style of humor, with his character in the book occasionally catching Bliss's character off guard with sly wit.
That's the first 90 pages. Then Martin writes a "farewell to movies!" essay and the book moves on to 150 pages of Sunday funnies, Far Side-style. These are occasionally amusing, but definitely fall in the Other Diversions category. For such a handsome production, you wish there was more actual material. Martin's
Born Standing Up is far better in that regard. -
We are officially in Holiday Season, and we all know books make wonderful gifts.
I bet most of you recognize Steve Martin, a beloved comedian and movie star. He has written a unique memoir - in the form of a graphic novel illustrated by Harry Bliss.
In 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, Mr. Martin describes some of his biggest movies in comic strip form. And then he moves into life after movies. Although not an in-depth, tell-all life story, you get Mr. Martin’s great humor and a lot of other famous faces.
This is the perfect gift if you have movie buffs or comedy lovers on your holiday list.
Thank you to @celadonbooks for this gifted copy. And thanks to @stevemartinreally for all the laughs. -
I was hoping for another book like Born Standing Up, Martin’s book on his standup career. That, and his three books of fiction, were all super awesome. This one is far lighter, full of illustrations by Harry Bliss, and is only half about the movies (the other half is comic panels that are wry rather than funny. Still, I really enjoyed it for what it was. I’m not going to rate a good book lower because it wasn’t what I thought it would be. But I still want more prose or in-depth stuff by him!
-
Light and entertaining, as inoffensive as its star, this is an unusually presented memoir told in cartoons; Martin shares anecdotes and observations from his long career, highlighting the most famous of his movies, and interspersed are full-page, one-panel New Yorker style cartoons. This is a lot of fun to leaf through. Adult.
-
I've never bought a celebrity book before but I really admire Steve Martin so maybe I'll buy this one. Maybe.
-
This was delightful!
-
"You always aim high at something low"
I'm very conflicted on how to rate this. I really enjoyed reading about Steve Martin and his work on various movies. The other diversions section were a miss for me :/ -
I enjoyed it thoroughly, but it left me wanting so much more. Half the book is the memoir, which doesn’t touch on all of Martin’s films and reserves just a couple of pages for one, sometimes two, anecdotes per film that it does cover. The other half is mostly single panel cartoons, which are witty. There are a lot of blank pages between sections of the memoir and between each of the “diversions” in the second half, which just reinforces how much more ground there was to cover. Too quick a read for such a rich subject. I really wanted to read about the production of “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid,” for goodness’ sake!
