Review by Choice Review
Despite the claims of the subtitle, the coverage of this book is almost entirely 20th century, in the form of a series of sketches of the careers of about 80 performers from vaudeville, radio, nightclub, stage, television, and film. Most of the old favorites are here (Sophie Tucker, Fanny Brice, Mae West, Bea Lillie), as well as more recent stars (Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore, Joan Rivers, Lily Tomlin, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn), but the most original contribution is the final chapter, devoted to ``Rising Stars'' (Geri Jewell, Elayne Boosler, Diane Nichols, Whoopi Goldberg, and 18 others). Unterbrink, who has previously written about jazz women pianists, makes only a modest attempt at critical or historical assessment, but has serviceably stitched together facts and quotations from a variety of acknowledged sources ranging from encyclopedias to newspaper and personal interviews. This book belongs on the reference shelves of school and public libraries. How else would one discover or recall, for instance, that Mrs. Nussbaum on ``Allen's Alley'' was played by Minerva Pious?-J. Ellis, Mount Holyoke College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
