Vicki!: The True-Life Adventures of Miss Fireball

by Vicki Lawrence and Marc Eliot

Book Overview

Vicki Lawrence, the comic co-star of The Carol Burnett Show, describes the high school fan letter that led to her meeting Carol Burnett, her achievements on Mama's Family, and her syndicated talk... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684802864
• ISBN13: 9780684802862
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Vicki Lawrence, this is your life!

I have always Vicki Lawrence since I was watching the Carol Burnett reruns as a child. I enjoy all the cast members. According to the Booklist review, what a wonderful country for somebody like Vicki to write an autobiography then they don't know too much about her. She was a key player on the Carol Burnett Show for several years. I like her honesty and candidness about her relationship with Carol. She is also very protective about her relationship with other cast members like Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, and Lyle Waggoner. Her relationship with her family is a lot less to be desired though. Her mother pushed her into entering contests despite her lack of interest. Vicki succeeded far beyond her wildest imagination. Carol Burnett was her guardian angel through it all. I am giving the book 4 stars because I would have liked her to elaborate on those years as Mama Harper, her most infamous creation. There is a reason that show lasted 130 episodes and was successful in syndication where network television got it all wrong. I wish they would bring back syndicated comedies like they did in the 1980s. Audiences like myself miss situation comedy just as we miss music videos on MTV. The book was written 1994 after her talk show was cancelled. I have to say that her talk show was more like Rosie or Ellen before they came along. Her pictures showed a good time on the set but not behind the scenes. Vicki, the talk show, would have been successful if the production company had let Vicki handle it her way. Maybe it's because she is a woman that she got screwed around from the business. Her first chapter is that I thought Show Business was supposed to be fun but I think over the years, her personality had to adjust to fit the cruel side of this business. Despite all that, she is in a long term marriage with Al Schultz and the mother of 2 wonderful children like Courtney and Garrett. I don't know what the production company like Group W was thinking when they mistreated Vicki Lawrence. She enjoyed her time as a talk show hostess. Vicki has played many roles over her years, Carol Burnett's sidekick, Mama Harper, Game Show Hostess, and Talk Show Hostess. I feel terrible that a great injustice was done to her. The Vicki show should have lasted longer. She was clearly better than Ellen and Rosie put together. Ellen's show is more like the Vicki show once was except that Vicki is a television legend. She's been around the block a few times. She's funny naturally and sweet too. Maybe she's too sweet for own good, maybe that's the business thought they screw around with her. Anyway, I am glad that Vicki has mended her relationships with Carol Burnett in this book. Carol and Vicki are more like sisters with their conflicts over the years but still remained friends. So Vicki criticizes the business. She has ever right to because if she did not. It would be like saying smooth sailing from her Carol Burnett days to the Vicki talk show. I knew that once Mama's Family was out

"Vicki!" is irresistible!

I just received an autographed copy of "Vicki!" for Christmas, and I read it in 7 hours. I couldn't put it down! Lawrence has incredible wit and humor in her writing, and frequently makes the reader laugh unexpectedly. It's amazing what a truly adventurous life she has lead! The only negative thing is seeing how horribly she was treated by her cruel sister, mother, first husband, and certain business affiliates. Lawrence not once appeared to be "mean-spirited" to anyone. Instead, she rightfully justified wrongs that were done to her. Otherwise, "Vicki!" is a joy to read, and has more pictures than any other autobiography I have read. From "The Carol Burnett Show" to "Mama's Family" to "Win, Lose, or Draw" to "Vicki!", this book is sure to entertain you for hours on end. I already can't wait for my next reading . . . and take it from me, it *does* make a great gift!

An enjoyable book.

I've always been a fan of Vicki Lawrence and purchased her autobiography knowing I would enjoy it. And I did. It's great to read about how Vicki broke into show business, being discovered at the age of seventeen by superstar Carol Burnett. As a result, Vicki was thrusted into the limelight when she became a regular on Burnett's new variety series in 1967. Vicki writes about her struggles to complete college while being on a hit show and being torn over wanting to quit over her parent's objections. Miss Lawrence also writes about her strained relationship with her mother, who often faked suicide to meet her demands. Vicki also takes us through her successes as a Number One pop artist and gives us behind-the-scene tales of portraying "Mama" on the long-running "Mama's Family" television series. I've read the book twice now and am going for a third. I really enjoyed it.