Reviews for Right Here on Our Stage Tonight!: Ed Sullivan's America

The average rating for Right Here on Our Stage Tonight!: Ed Sullivan's America based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-12-27 00:00:00 Zem Nenka I would not recommend this book for two reasons. First, there is a negative current about Sullivan that runs throughout. It's almost as if the author had an ax to grind with Sullivan. Second, there are several historical facts that are simply incorrect. The author states several sources at the end of the book, but there seems to be minimal emphasis put on fact-checking. For example, Nachman writes about Sullivan's family, "Sullivan was the second of nine children." This is incorrect. He was the third of eight children. He also says that "His mother, the former Elizabeth Smith, from a proper once prosperous New York family of McNultys and Daileys..." Again incorrect. Elizabeth was not from the McNulty family line nor were either of these families ever prosperous. They were quite the opposite. I can say this with authority because I am the granddaughter of Sullivan and have done a great deal of research on our family genealogy. Later he says that Sullivan had "A younger sister that became a nun and a brother that became a priest." Again, not true at all. There are too many facts that are incorrect to list, but I will add just this one. One page 318, Nachman writes, "Sullivan was the only white sportswriter who wrote about a black basketball team that challenged the Boston Celtics. No Boston arena would rent to them." While researching this incident, I had a tough time finding information until I realized that Nachman meant the New York Celtics. The bottom line is that if you are looking for an unbias account of Sullivan's life based on solid research and fact checking, this is not the book for you.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-03-02 00:00:00 Scott Newlon Like everyone, Ed Sullivan was a more complex guy than he seemed on those Sunday nights that we oldies tuned in to watch him. Ed's vaudevillian variety show featured old talents near the end of their entertaining days, comedians on the rise, and of course musical acts brought into the living room that were beyond imagination. After years of listening to the radio, people were fascinated to actually be able to see a performer without having to pay for it. Ed had his personal demons. A Catholic from a small-ish town, he married a Jew and had little to do with his family. A loner, Ed paid attention to McCarthyism. He brought many Negro acts on his program. After the show was cancelled and his wife passed away, Ed's days were numbered. Interesting first hand accounts from many who knew him