Ever wonder how the late Len Lesser, better known as Uncle Leo on Seinfeld, exploded onto the Hollywood scene at the age of sixty-eight? Would it surprise you to learn that by the time the world got hit with his first “Jerry … helloooo!” he had been acting for some forty-odd years? Or that Uncle Leo actually played Lesser against type … that for most of his career he’d been a “heavy,” i.e. a villain or a gangster?
If you replied “yes” to any of the above, or if you were just a fan of the man who played Jerry Seinfeld’s uncle with such gravitas, you’d better get yourself a copy of Lesser’s soon-to-be released memoir, Where’s the Watch?!
Filled with all sorts of great anecdotes and commentary on Hollywood throughout the years, Lesser’s recounting of his life in showbiz provides an intriguing picture of a man who was so much more than the over-the-top uncle on a show that appears on his resume in the latter stages of his career. A career that included stints on shows like General Electric Theater True TV, The Red Skelton Show, The Untouchables, Get Smart, and The Monkees, and movies alongside the likes of Walter Matthau, William Shatner, Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, Angie Dickinson, Donald Sutherland, Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffman, Steve McQueen, and Barbra Streisand. Lesser had seen and done it all before sitting down to audition for Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David.
And yet the truth is that his Uncle Leo was the first character of his that crossed many of our radar’s, mine included. And Lesser doesn’t appear to have minded that too much. For forty years he was searching for a character that would leave its mark on the viewing public; Uncle Leo did that for him, and he knew it and he loved it.
Not surprisingly, Lesser’s tale begins from the beginning, coursing its way through his early life, his time in the Army, and his struggles to move beyond summer stock and small production plays to the big time. But perhaps because Uncle Leo is who I started reading for — and Garvin, but more on that later — Lesser’s early years didn’t quite hook me in. He and co-author Tama Ryder do a great job of keeping things light and enjoyable, but aside from his humorous tone and voice there isn’t a uniqueness, per say, to a story about a kid from New York who joined the Army during World War II. No offense to Lesser, but that’s not what brought me to the party.
But as soon as Len hits Hollywood, everything changes. I may not have known in advance that Lesser had the career that he did, but that part of his story is told so well that I was no longer thinking about how long it would be before Seinfeld entered his life. The book in its entirety isn’t very long, but the bulk of it encompasses the pre-Seinfeld days … believe me when I say that that’s no filler material.
The book is brimming with praise from all manner of Hollywood players. Lesser was clearly a man whose craft was respected by those in the know. And the quotes and gushing from the Seinfeld cast? To this fan it carries a lot of weight.
What I’m disappointed by is how little time Lesser’s turn as Garvin on Everybody Loves Raymond gets. There’s a back story that I’ll let you discover for yourselves, but where’s Ray Romano’s quote at the beginning of the book? Where’s the casts’ recognition of the great character that was Garvin — “Hey, Ray’s here! Hahaha!” — or the great actor that Lesser was? It’s a weird fast forward to the end at that point, and I was disappointed to get the impression that it didn’t necessarily mean that much to him. Or him to them. For me Lesser was Uncle Leo and Garvin; if fifty percent of that was an afterthought, where does that leave things?
But the Everybody Loves Raymond years aside, Where’s the Watch?! is a thoroughly enjoyable read, including both a piece of Hollywood history as well as a picture of a man who left a mark on millions of lives.
Len Lesser passed away in February, and the book includes a foreword by his best friend, Ed Asner. Lesser may not be here to promote the story of his life, but the collection of famous names who are out there shilling for him, making sure that he’s not forgotten, is astounding. I know you’ll never forget Uncle Leo — and maybe Garvin, either? — but do yourself a favor: learn a little something about the man behind the character. Len Lesser led a full life; it didn’t all begin at the end.
This review is based on a complimentary copy, provided to CliqueClack, solely for the purpose of this review.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Oct 31, 2011 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
