Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions

by Steve Martin

Other authorsHarry Bliss (Illustrator)

Hardcover, 2022

Status

Available

Call number

PN2287.M522 A3

Genres

Graphic Novels and Comics

Graphic Novels

Comics

Nonfiction

Publication

Celadon Books (2022), 256 pages

Description

"Number One Is Walking is Steve Martin's cinematic legacy-an illustrated memoir of his legendary acting career, with stories from his most popular films and artwork by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss. Steve Martin has never written about his career in the movies before. In Number One Is Walking, he shares anecdotes from the sets of his beloved films-Father of the Bride, Roxanne, The Jerk, Three Amigos, and many more-bringing readers directly into his world. He shares charming tales of antics, moments of inspiration, and exploits with the likes of Paul McCartney, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford, and Chevy Chase. Martin details his forty years in the movie biz, as well as his stand-up comedy, banjo playing, writing, and cartooning, all with his unparalleled wit. With gorgeously illustrated cartoons and single-panel "diversions" in Steve and Harry's signature style, Number One Is Walking is full of the everyday moments that make up a movie star's life, capturing Steve Martin's singular humor and acclaimed career in film. The perfect gift from the team who brought you the #1 New York Times bestseller A Wealth of Pigeons"--… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Andy5185

I'm a huge Steve Martin fan. He has made me crack up for my whole life. From his early stand up records, SNL appearances, and movies like The Jerk and The Three Amigos his silliness is unparalleled. Over the years my fondness for him has grown. All of Me, Parenthood, My Blue Heaven and Roxanne are

all catalogued in my personal favorites ever category. This second collaboration with Harry Bliss highlights all the things I love about Steve: it's smart, witty, creative, and has a lot of heart.

Show Less

10 more

LibraryThing member Emily_Wai_Catan

NUMBER ONE IS WALKING by Steve Martin is an illustrated memoir about the highlights, hilarious antics and moments of inspiration of his career in the world of entertainment, mainly movies and stand-up comedy.

The excellent New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss illustrates expertly Steve Martin’s

wonderful moments of his days in the movie industry as well as other cartoons and single-panel “diversions”.

NUMBER ONE IS WALKING is entertaining and delightful, and will brighten one’s day anytime, anywhere!

I am truly amused and comforted by this book thanks to Celadon Books!

#NumberOneIsWalking
#CeladonBooks

Show Less

LibraryThing member GrandmaCootie

I ask you: who doesn't love Steve Martin? Doing stand-up comedy, making you laugh or cry in a movie, clap in rhythm when he plays that banjo, making you stop and think when he writes something serious . . . and now this! Wild and crazy, right?

Number One Is Walking is just a continuation of the

perfection we have come to know and love from the amazing talent that is Steve Martin (and oh, wow, those illustrations!). I first discovered Steve Martin in the early, early, early days of cable TV – 2 shows a month, shown twice a night. A stand-up comedy bit that was so unique, so original and Steve, how can you be so ***** funny?? We watched it over and over and over and soon those lines became part of our everyday language (and that of our small children) and still are to this day. All the shows, movies, albums, books . . . couldn’t wait and loved them all. Had a teeny, tiny moment of fear when he went “serious” but that body of work has been just as engaging and entertaining and enlightening as the comedy.

He can sing, he can dance (well, happy feet), he can act, he can write, and boy can he play that banjo. Whatever he’s doing, it transports you out of your ordinary life to somewhere special, and that’s the point, isn’t it? Which brings me to this book. Stories, observations, facts, memories in his own words with drawings by the marvelous Harry Bliss that make you snap back for a second look. The book is funny and serious and poignant and the more you look at the drawings the more you see.

Thanks so much to Celadon Books for giving me an advance copy of Number One is Walking and thanks for making me a Celadon Reader. How did they know Steve Martin is Number One to me? This book will be a valued addition to my library. It just made me feel good to read it. I was not required to provide a review but I recommend this book without hesitation. I loved it and you will, too. All opinions are my own.

Show Less

LibraryThing member khenkins

William James said, “A sense of humor is just common sense dancing.” And anyone who has seen Steve Martin become a “wild and crazy guy” knows that he definitely has a sense of humor . . . I mean common sense. Thank you, Mr. Martin, for providing comedy’s healing perspective throughout so

many stand-ups, books, plays and television programs.

But wait, there’s more! Number One is Walking is Martin’s account of an abundance of very funny moments in the movie-making world. Recalling being “Number One” and what happened on the sets of his movies often took me from a smile to an outright, out loud laugh. He is world-famous and #1 for millions, but he also has the humility to admit that on a film set with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin, he became “Number Three walking.”

The set-up is that Martin is talking either to Penny, the dog, or his friend Harry Bliss, The New Yorker cartoonist who contributes over half of the contents of this book. Bliss creates single panel or strips in the style of his Bliss comics in newspapers, but these contain Martin’s reminiscences. The second half of the book contains Bliss’s Other Diversions, many more of Bliss’s own hilarious cartoons. Bliss and Martin previously created A Wealth of Pigeons, which I plan to read soon.

I don’t necessarily care that Steve Martin knows Paul McCartney, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford and probably all the other stellar entertainers in the world. I just enjoyed reading the Academy, Emmy and Grammy award winner explain what happened when he was around them. He’s just too witty and charming for his own good, you know?

I received an advance copy of this book from Celadon Books. This is an honest review.

Show Less

LibraryThing member mpultroon

An unusual biographical structure executed to perfection as only Steve Martin (and H. Bliss) could pull off.

LibraryThing member jldarden

This was mildly amusing but seemed more like a shameless cash grab. Not much interesting in the stories' text and half the book is just single cell comic illustrations, most average at best though there were a couple exceptions. Not highly recommended.

LibraryThing member invisiblelizard

For fans of Steve Martin or Harry Bliss or their previous work "A Wealth of Pigeons" and probably no one else. But if you fall into any/all of those categories, this is a treat. The first half of the book is filled with beautifully illustrated glimpses into Martin's career in movies. The second

half is more of the same that you got from "Pigeons," mostly single frame cartoons sprung from the ironic and absurd mind of Martin. Although I will admit I was a little disappointed when I got to the second half of the book and found the format change. Reading the title of the book, I didn't realize that "Other Diversions" meant they didn't have enough Hollywood insider stories to fill up 250 pages, so they fleshed it out with more cartoons. Not that I'm complaining. All of them were great and some of them were brilliant. The bit about the dark underbelly of cartooning was especially good. Just sad that the better part of the book (imo) ended so soon.

Show Less

LibraryThing member ecataldi

This was a fun collection of memoir inspired comics, written musings, flashbacks about working in the movie industry and a collection of one panel cartoons worthy of any newspaper. Number One is Walking is part biography, part movie industry inside news, and all comedy. Done in a fun comic style -

this is unlike any other book I have read this year. Innovative and funny.

Show Less

LibraryThing member villemezbrown

For the first third of the book, Steve Martin offers up some anecdotes from his movie career, mostly along the lines of famous-people-I-have-met or shallow chatter he might share on a late night talk show. The tone is mostly upbeat and positive, so it's a little shocking when his stories about Dana

Delaney and Robin Williams take different tacks. Still, it's a pleasing breeze through a dozen of so of his major films.

The back end of the book is more like his first collaboration with Harry Bliss, A Wealth of Pigeons, a collection of single-panel New Yorker cartoon gags. Lightly amusing, gently zany.

Show Less

LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco

I am a fan of Steve Martin and was totally into reading this. But be warned:

THIS IS BARELY EVEN HALF A BOOK ABOUT STEVE MARTIN!

I'm not kidding. Over half this book is just some cartoons. They even have the guts to have a page at the end that says that there were 74 cartoons in this book and to give

a response to how you felt about it. And the final response choice is "I've Been Had". They actually know that they screwed the reader over.

I checked this out from the library, and I totally agree - "I've Been Had".

Show Less

LibraryThing member tgraettinger

Enjoyable, and maybe the right length for a celebrity biography. I didn't realize that it was a cartoon book, and initially I was disappointed. But, as I got into it, I enjoyed the format more than I expected.

Just be aware that only about one-third of the book focuses on Steve Martin. The last

two-thirds are the "Other Diversions" referenced in the title. I wasn't too excited by them, but there are some good chuckles there.

Show Less

Fewer