My buddy Howard Storm has had one of the most amazing careers in show business as an actor, a writer, a stand-up comedian and most recently, a director. Anyone who could direct Robin Williams on Mork & Mindy for several seasons has to be a helluva director and that's just one of Howard's many credits. He's directed at least fifty different situation comedies including Everybody Loves Raymond, Major Dad, Laverne & Shirley, Rhoda and Too Close for Comfort. His acting credits go back to The Untouchables and he was seen in a couple of Woody Allen movies. (He was Woody's assistant on several.)
Anyone who comes to this blog because they like the way I tell show biz stories should rush to order Howard's autobiography, The Imperfect Storm: From Henry Street to Hollywood. When it comes to telling anecdotes from the entertainment industry, he's The Master, partly because he's a funny guy and partly because he's been everywhere, done everything, worked with everybody. And this book was written in collaboration with another pal o' mine, Steve Stoliar, who's pretty darned good with an anecdote himself.
Don't take my word for it. Listen to Billy Crystal: "I've known Howard Storm for almost 40 years. I know him a lot better now. From the lower east side to the borscht belt, from the comedy clubs of the Village to the sound stages of Hollywood, this hilarious and touching book is like having an intimate conversation with a funny charming man who has seen almost everything and everyone from in front of and behind the camera."
You can order the paperback edition here and that's available now with a hardback coming out in a week or so. What I'd really like is a link to have Howard just read it to me across the table in a good delicatessen.