Pat Cooper―How Dare You Say How Dare Me!: An Autobiography of a Life in Comedy - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 075700363X ISBN 13: 9780757003639

Publisher: Square One, 2011

Synopsis

FOREWORD BY JERRY LEWIS

Praise for Pat Cooper:
"He's the comedian's comedian. I think."—Jerry Seinfeld
"I'm one of his biggest fans."—Jerry Lewis
"He's a great actor-comedian—but I'm not sure which one."—Robert De Niro
"One of the funniest men on the planet . . . Venus."—Jason Alexander
"I've never met a funnier man. Sure I have—it's me!"—Billy Crystal

Few comics today can say they have worked with the likes of George Burns, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Bobby Darin—but Pat Cooper can. Born Pasquale Caputo, the legendary comedian didn’t appear on the show business radar until age thirty-two. But from that moment in 1963, when the young smart-mouthed Brooklynite was beamed into millions of homes via the Jackie Gleason Show, people throughout the country knew that they were watching something special. His brash, irreverent, and undeniably hilarious views of what is happening around him have always been honest, unyielding, and colored by his “comedic anger.” And now, in How Dare You Say How Dare Me!, he shares the amazing, offbeat story of his life.

In his unique no-holds-barred style, Cooper begins his story at the beginning—as a child growing up under the strict hand of Italian immigrant parents. He shares memorable, typically comical moments from his youth, including the loss of his virginity to a middle-aged yenta, and his efforts to join the military at age seventeen—only to be kicked out for having hammerhead toes! A seventh-generation bricklayer by trade, Pat recounts performing his stand-up routine in small clubs and theaters at night—until he got his big break into the big time. From that point on, Pat pulls no punches in relating story after story of his life as a top entertainer, including the good, the bad, and the side-splitting! From Las Vegas to Atlantic City and everywhere in between, it’s all here.

Every bit as brash, irreverent, and hilarious as ever, Pat Cooper proves in this very frank memoir that one can succeed in show business without being phony—just as long as you learn to duck, and you’re not too surprised when you’re fired. (Hey, one door closes and another opens.) Like any time spent with this comic genius in person, How Dare You Say How Dare Me! will leave you roaring!

About this title

About the Author

Steve Garrin is an audio-video editor and producer. He served as President of VideoActive Productions and is founder of the VoiceWorks(R)voiceover workshop.

Rich Herschlag is the author and coauthor of several books, including "Jack of All Trades", "The Interceptor", "Lay Low and Don't Make the Big Mistake", and "Women are from Manhattan, Men are from Brooklyn". He earned an engineering degree from Princeton University.

Reviews

Cooper begins his spirited memoir by discussing his early Italian family life in Brooklyn and his debut on the Fox Amateur Hour radio show, where his impressions won him first prize. He left school and worked as a brick layer and longshoreman before being drafted into the Army, and was the "man of the house" in his early 20s when his parents divorced and his father was mostly absent. Without much encouragement, Cooper never stopped performing, whether on the corner or at neighborhood events, and finally got his big break, at 30, on The Jackie Gleason Show. The Atlantic City and the Vegas of the Rat Pack era followed, with Cooper gaining notoriety as an "angry" comic; his routines were full of harsh wit that often cut close to home. Calling broadcasting the truth his version of therapy, Cooper cemented his status with regular appearances on The Howard Stern Show in the late '80s. But beneath the loud and relentless shtick was the darker side typical of many funny men, and he discusses strained relationships with his children, including a daughter who once called in to Stern's radio show to attack him. Still going strong at 80, Cooper believes "...in getting things out of my system," so the warts-and-all approach to his autobiography will come as no surprise to fans.
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Cooper has worked with big names from George Burns to Frank Sinatra, Martin Scorsese to Jerry Seinfeld, with an honest and irascible style that hasn’t always endeared him to egotistic performers. In this memoir foreworded by Jerry Lewis, Cooper details the root of his sense of humor. He was born Pasquale Caputo to an immigrant Italian family. He recalls Depression-era memories of growing up in Brooklyn, where he was expected to follow the legacy of six generations of bricklayers. He recalls early family discord and an array of low-paying jobs, particularly driving a cab while starting a career as a comic in small clubs and theaters. His big break came in 1963 with an appearance on The Jackie Gleason Show, when his brash style launched a career that would take him coast to coast, from Las Vegas to Atlantic City. He is brutally frank about run-ins with the stars and his own efforts to shun the ego-game-playing that is a part of entertainment. Photographs enhance this funny and revealing look at a comic’s life. --Vanessa Bush

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Foreword

For as many years as I can recall, a comic called a “comedian’s comedian” was nice, but didn’t always fit. This is certainly not the case with Pat Cooper, simply because he has this fantastic capacity to challenge the art form, and has done so with an exquisite approach to the human condition. I’ve seen Pat demolish pomposity and snobbery and take it to the level of excellence known as “down and dirty” comedy. He was and still is one of the funniest men working in our industry today. I’d love some of today’s younger comics to watch and learn from Pat Cooper—a true master of comedy. Go ahead—read his book and see if I’m right.

I’m quite proud of being a small part of this exciting time for Pat.

—Jerry Lewis

Edition details

• Publisher: Square One
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 075700363X
• ISBN 13: 9780757003639
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288