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Fresh from the Second City troupe in Toronto, Gilda Radner created such memorable characters as Emily Litella and Roseanne Roseannadanna as a member of the original cast of Saturday Night Live. The wife of Gene Wilder, Gilda was plagued by persistent health problems and two miscarriages, and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1986.

Brave, funny, and painfully honest, the twentieth-anniversary edition of It's Always Something is the story of Gilda's journey while living with cancer and her determination to continue laughing. "Cancer," she said, "is about the most unfunny thing in the world." But Gilda's gutsy and unique sense of humor never left her as she describes two years of cancer treatment -- surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment, as well as the high and low points of her own career.

Told as only Gilda could tell it, and newly revised to include a resource guide for those living with cancer, It's Always Something is the inspiring story of a courageous, funny woman determined to enjoy life no matter the circumstances. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

It's Always Something
When I received this product in the mail, it wasn't the 20th anniversary edition, it was the original from 20 years ago, torn and tattered, bad condition.

Even better the second time around
I found that this was even better the second time I read it.When speaking with friends, they all remember the book with fondness and had all lost track of their original.Seems when it first came out it was borrowed over and over.I think people forget that not only did Gilda Radner bring us enduring entertainment, but she also opened the world eye to ovarian cancer.This is an excellent read and reminds you what a difference one person can make.

Still Wonderful After 20 Years
This twentieth anniversary edition proves the timelessness of Gilda's story. Her courage and humor shine through in her writing, and they are just as apt in their dealings with illness and life as they were in 1989.Just like her characters on Saturday Night Live, Gilda seems to be at once vulnerable yet incredibly strong. This comes from her ability to be utterly honest about her fears and flaws during her life and her experiences with cancer.
I can read this book over and over again. Whenever I want a sort of pep-talk for life,I turn to Gilda. Whether you loved her on SNL, are living with cancer, or just want to read an amazing story about one of the funniest and brave women of our time, Gilda's book will not disappoint. This new edition also has an interesting introduction by one of Gilda's friends and former SNL writer Alan Zweibel, and and afterword by Gilda's cancer mentor Joanna Bull. Bull includes a helpful resource guide for those living with cancer and a nice overview of Gilda's Club, the network of cancer support groups set up in memory of Gilda. ... Read more

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"I had wanted to wrap this book up in a neat little package. I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned the hard way that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end."

The world fondly remembers the many faces of Gilda Radner: the adamant but misinformed Emily Litella; the hyperkinetic Girl Scout Judy Miller; the irrepressibly nerdy Lisa Loopner; the gross-out queen of local network news, Rosanne Rosannadanna. A supremely funny performer, Gilda lost a long and painful struggle in May 1989 to "the most unfunny thing in the world"--cancer. But the face she showed the world during this dark time was one of great courage and hope. It's Always Something is the story of her struggle told in Gilda's own remarkable words--a personal chronicle of strength and indomitable spirit and love undiminished by the cruel ravages of disease.

This is Gilda, with whom we laughed on Saturday Night Live: warm, big-hearted, outrageous, and real. This is Gilda's last gift to us: the magnificent final performance of an incomparable entertainer whose life, though tragically brief, enriched our own lives beyond measure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Smoky
When I opened the package all I could smell was cigarette smoke.The pages of the book were saturated with nicotine and I was very disappointed.
I tried to contact the seller for a replacement book but have been unsuccessful.
It took a little over a week to receive the book.
My over all score for this item would be (1).

An Amazing Lady
My own mom died of breast cancer when I was 15 years old, and my dad wrote a book in memory of her. Here, comedienne, Gilda Radner, writes her own story of her fight against ovarian cancer. It's funny how occasionally when a celebrity dies one feels the sadness one might feel when a friend passes. I sensed that emotion when Steve McQueen, Karen Carpenter, and John Candy died, and, again, when Gilda Radner passed.
Call me old school but I still think that the Saturday Night live troupe of which she was a part was the funniest ever. And she never seemed to have a dud sketch on the show. Everything she did, every character she played was funny.
Though her book is gut-wrenching, now and then she displays that irrepressible humor that makes you laugh out loud in spite of yourself. I'm glad she tells of the full range of emotions she experienced throughout the battle with cancer. She's very real and transparent and even childlike at times. We were happier people for having known Gilda Radner.

Inspiration Personified
Reading Gilda's story is to get to know the beautiful, courageous, funny, caring person she was in real life. Her book is a lasting gift to all her fans, as well as an inspiration to those whose lives have been touched by cancer.
It ia also a moving love story. She and Gene Wilder made quite a pair. It was surprising to discover that while Gene is such an outrageous comic onscreen, he is actually a shy person at heart.
While cancer took its toll on both of them, it never diminished the deep love and respect they had for each other. Parts of the book are difficult to read, as Gilda shares the torment of her many treatments and her eventual physical decline. Yet, she always manages to uplift us with some ironic twist, or practical joke on her caregivers.
Through it all, she kept hope alive and did her best to enjoy life. We can all learn a lot from her journey. Cancer eventually conquered her body, but it never defeated her spirit. A wonderful read, highly recommended!

Brilliant, Cry Laugh and Remember Gilda
This is a fun and tearful biograph about Gilda Radner. She talks about her life with a weight issues and her battle with cancer. She gives an indepth account of Chemotherapy and the things that got her through. I will alway miss Gilda. This is an excellent book to read.

Gilda Radner
If you want to understand what Gilda felt as she described her cancer experience this is the book for you. I thourghly enjoyed this read. Her courage in the face of all this was truly inspiring.... ... Read more

Product Description
In an intimate biography of the comedienne who created Roseanne Roseannadanna and other memorable characters for "Saturday Night Live" and Second City, a longtime friend of Gilda's reveals what she was like before her final bout with cancer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Unnecessary
Having just finished 'It's Always Something', written by Gilda Radner herself,I'm admittedly only at the halfway mark of 'Gilda: An Intimate Portrait' and am surprised Saltman wasn't sued for plagiarism. For such a "close friend" of Radner's, there are few personal, original reminiscences; all Saltman seems to do on basically every other page is quote (usually verbatim) - sometimes sentences, sometimes paragraphs - directly from Radner's book.Again, I'm not quite halfway through Saltman's book,but there have already been several anecdotes from 'It's Always Something', reprinted here. These have been only slightly re-worded, with sentences added here and there, to continually remind the reader "hey guys, I was *there*, as a loyal pal and confidant to Beloved Comedy Star Gilda Radner!"
Occasionally Saltman will directly reference 'It's Always Something', so it's not as if he's trying to pass everything off as his own writing (which would obviously be impossible anyway, since Radner's book was first-person). However, having just finished the aforementioned book, counting the replicated quotes and rehashed memories here is unavoidable and distracting.
I'd like to think that Saltman truly intended this book as a proper tribute to a dear friend whose vibrant life was tragically snuffed out way too soon, and not some crass attempt at publicity or money, but ultimately, this book feels unnecessary. There are some rare, typically winsome photos of Radner, all taken from a 1977 magazine shoot, but no personal shots, and none of the author and Radner together.
When I finish 'An Intimate Portrait', if Saltman's original, personal stories and memories far outweigh the repeated lines, jokes, and stories read elsewhere, I'll gladly amend this review. But for now, anyone wanting to read about the charming and talented Gilda Radner would do far better reading the words directly from her, in 'It's Always Something'.

Show off
Gilda Radner was a gifted comedian and inspiration as a person.This book does not do her justice.Rather than concentrate on Gilda, Saltman uses it as an opportunity to mention the fact that he was friends with famous people and could make everyone but Al Franken laugh.

A actor who was willing to share how she felt.
Ifirst saw Gilda on Saturday night live. Every chance I got to see her, I did.When I read this book, it gave me an insight into how people with cancer deal with it and know that there's no cure.My son has Aids and hasbeen told that he has any where from 3 months to the end of the year.He'sonly 32 and has a son 12. His son knows that he has Aids but doesn't knowat what stage it's at.Gilda was very brave to take on all that she didand still have to deal with cancer and the chemo and what it's effect ithas on you and your loved ones. She is someone that all who have a deadlydecease should look at how she lived her life and try to have some of thebraveness she had. ... Read more

Product Description
The author of North pays tribute to the late comedienne, capturing his extraordinary relationship with the late Gilda Radner, from their first hilarious encounter to her tragic death from cancer. 25,000 first printing.Amazon.com Review
Subtitled "Gilda Radner: A Sort of Love Story," thisautobiographical play tries to recapture the non-sexual, but deeplyfelt relationship between Radner, one of Saturday Night Live'soriginal Not Ready-for-Prime-Time players, and Alan Zweibel, who was awriter for the show. Alternately comic and heartbreaking, the playfollows these two overgrown kids as they ride their bumper-car livesright up to Radner's death from ovarian cancer. Their loyalty and loveglows through every scene. The book is illustrated with photos ofRadner from Zweibel's personal albums. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

It's why I wish my sisters, Bunny! Bunny!every month
What a wonderful friendship Alan Zweibel had with Gilda Radner. I gave this book to my sisters to read and it's the reason I send to them EVERY month a picture of a bunny and wish them BUNNY BUNNY. It's a good read. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll enjoy.

Bunny Bunny!!!!!!!!

Genius!
Although, I felt as though I was reading a monologue rather than a story, I was able to finish the whole book in a little less than an hour (because it was THAT good).

I just wish they would've ended up together (like together together, not just "together")..
but friendship is always stronger..

Very thin, more like a skit script
Maybe as a homage to the fact Zweibel wrote skits for Gilda Radner when they both worked on "Saturday Night Live," this whole book is written like a series of skits, some funny, some poignant, just the dialogue without stage direction, details, exposition or anything. So you have to fill in all the rest yourself and imagine you're watching two people on a stage. You learn a little about their relationship, but not much. You have many blanks to fill in.

I wouldn't mind seeing this as a play, but as a book, it was kind of hollow.

Heart Warming
I found this book to be very touching and sentimental. I only hope when I am gone my friends will remember me in a way like this.

Bunny Bunny-Funny Funny
For the true Gilda fan, Or someone who enjoys the comedy of Alan Zweibel.I thought it was a sweet book.I laughed, I cried, I read it quick! ... Read more

Product Description
Fourteen outfits and a cardboard Gilda figure familiar to SNL viewers of the late 1970's. ... Read more

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This digital document, covering the life and work of Gilda Radner, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1849 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

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Chapters: John Belushi, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Phil Hartman, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Adam Sandler, Billy Crystal, Bill Murray, Don Novello, Larry David, Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, Garrett Morris, Brian Doyle-Murray, Joe Piscopo, Stephen Colbert, Terry Southern, Conan O'brien, Al Franken, Dennis Miller, Sarah Silverman, Rob Schneider, Martin Short, Norm Macdonald, George Meyer, John Swartzwelder, Jon Lovitz, Dave Attell, David Spade, Marc Shaiman, James Belushi, Michael O'donoghue, Bob Odenkirk, Jason Sudeikis, Jack Handey, Jim Downey, Mike Judge, Colin Quinn, Seth Meyers, Jay Mohr, Rich Hall, Carol Leifer, Kevin Nealon, Robert Smigel, Spike Feresten, Mark Mckinney, Andy Breckman, Tim Meadows, J. J. Philbin, David Mandel, Jorma Taccone, Adam Mckay, Greg Daniels, Michael Schur, Bruce Mcculloch, Alan Zweibel, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Jerry Minor, Patricia Marx, Anne Beatts, Tim Kazurinsky, Tom Gammill and Max Pross, Matt Piedmont, Max Brooks, Mary Gross, Steve Higgins, Robin Duke, Terry Sweeney, Jon Vitti, Peter Aykroyd, Akiva Schaffer, John Lutz, Drake Sather, Tom Davis, Leo Allen, Walter Williams, Simon Rich, Tom Schiller, Barry Sobel, Tim Herlihy, Brad Hall, Eliot Wald, Jessi Klein, Bonnie and Terry Turner, Herb Sargent, Robert Carlock, T. Sean Shannon, Glenn Rockowitz, A. Whitney Brown, Steve Koren, Lewis Morton, Liz Cackowski, Warren Hutcherson, Tom Gianas, Norm Hiscock, Kevin Brennan, Jordan Black, Jillian Bell, David Sheffield, James Anderson, John Solomon, Pamela Norris. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 633. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Sir Stephen Tyrone Colbert, KSJ, DFA, (pronounced ; born on May 13, 1964) is an American political satirist, writer, comedian and television host. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=335195 ... Read more

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Chapters: Gilda Radner, Jessica Tandy, Caitlin Clarke, Joyce Hatto, Ann Dunham, Alma Cogan, Dinah Shore, Coretta Scott King, Laura Nyro, Loretta Young, Loret Miller Ruppe, Carol Bly, Madeline Kahn, Diana Dors, Maryam Babangida, Glenda Adams, Dianne Heatherington, List of Women With Ovarian Cancer, Lou Halsell Rodenberger, Alice Pearce, Linda Smith, Doris Dungey, Sandy Dennis, Jeannie Ferris, Marcheline Bertrand, Eileen Barton, Laurie Beechman, Sharon Tyler Herbst, Joan Hackett, Ella T. Grasso, Dawn O'donnell, Susan Fleetwood, Mari Yonehara, Margi Scharff, Janet Margolin, Helen Cresswell, Claudia Cohen, Patsy Ramsey, Susan Fernandez, Ursula Nordstrom, Barbara Ansell, Anita Morris, Tina Brozman, Anca Parghel, Grace Keagy, Robert Eads, Cassandra Harris, Jolie Christine Rickman, Linda Grover, Julie Parrish, Evelyn Ankers, Lovette George, Clare Boylan, Francess Lantz, Mary Millar, Shizuko Kasagi, Catherine Gaskin, Miriam Mone, Meryl O'loughlin, Dixie Lee, Akemi Negishi, Veronica Castang, Debbie Goad, Liz Tilberis, Marjorie Gross, Jill Chaifetz, Fakhriya Abdel Karim. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 300. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Joyce Hatto (5 September 1928, London, England 29 June 2006, Cambridge, England) was a British pianist and piano teacher. She became famous late in life, when unauthorized copies of commercial recordings made by other pianists were released under her name, earning her high praise from critics. The fraud did not come to light until a few months after her death. As a promising young professional Hatto played at a large number of concerts in London and throughout Britain and Europe beginning in the 1950s. There were concertos (accompanied by the Boyd Neel, Haydn and London Symphony Orchestras and many others), solo recitals at the Wigmore and Queen Elizabet...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4173231 ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 128 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

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Chapters: Dan Castellaneta, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, John Candy, Mike Nichols, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Dave Thompson, Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Farley, Alan Arkin, Bonnie Hunt, Stephen Colbert, Joan Rivers, Martin Short, Steve Carell, Peter Boyle, David Koechner, Phil Lamarr, Amy Poehler, Edward Asner, Harold Ramis, Barbara Harris, Valerie Harper, Colin Mochrie, Dave Thomas, List of Alumni of the Second City, Fred Willard, James Belushi, Eugene Levy, Andy Richter, Shelley Long, Bob Odenkirk, Jason Sudeikis, Brian Stack, Linda Lavin, Rick Moranis, Amy Sedaris, Del Close, Catherine O'hara, Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller, Jayne Eastwood, David Steinberg, George Wendt, Elaine May, Rachel Dratch, Viola Spolin, Tony Rosato, Andrea Martin, Victor Wong, Keegan-Michael Key, Nia Vardalos, Joe Flaherty, Scott Adsit, Patrick Whitley, Dana Andersen, Jon Glaser, Robert Klein, Jeffrey Weissman, Tim Meadows, Horatio Sanz, Avery Schreiber, Kathy Greenwood, Severn Darden, Ivan Reitman, Paul Mazursky, Richard Kind, David Rasche, Adam Mckay, Ike Barinholtz, Brian Mccann, Ian Gomez, Shelley Berman, Jerry Minor, Colin Ferguson, Jack Mcbrayer, Joel Murray, Tim Kazurinsky, Jack Burns, Valri Bromfield, Jeff Richmond, Jackie Hoffman, Philip Baker Hall, Julianne Buescher, Frances Callier, Mary Gross, Melinda Dillon, Paul Sand, Frangela, Rebecca Northan, Martin de Maat, Tim O'malley, T. J. Jagodowski, Robin Duke, Mick Napier, Stephnie Weir, Sheldon Patinkin, Betty Thomas, Derek Mcgrath, Peter Aykroyd, Nyima Funk, Jim Zulevic, John Lutz, Nancy Carell, Frank Caeti, Angela V. Shelton, Larry Joe Campbell, the Players Workshop, Ron Leibman, Bernard Sahlins, Paul Dinello, Henry Jaglom, Elvira Kurt, Dan Bakkedahl, Michael G. Hagerty, Albert Howell, David Pasquesi, Judy Graubart, Tom Virtue, Richard Libertini, Debra Mcgrath, Pat Kelly, Susan Messing, Aurora Browne, Meagen Fay, Liz Cackowski, Jack Hourigan, Rosemary Radcliffe, Monteith and...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=335195 ... Read more

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Chapters: John Belushi, Christopher Guest, Paul Reubens, Harry Shearer, Phil Hartman, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Don Novello, Larry David, Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, Ben Stiller, Brian Doyle-Murray, Michael Mckean, Chris Elliott, Michael Richards, Stephen Colbert, Conan O'brien, Al Franken, Sarah Silverman, Will Ferrell, Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Dave Chappelle, Martin Short, Andy Dick, Steve Carell, David Koechner, David Cross, Jimmy Fallon, Amy Poehler, Harold Ramis, Fred Armisen, Patton Oswalt, Jon Lovitz, Scott Aukerman, Rob Riggle, David Spade, Demetri Martin, Bill Hader, Zach Galifianakis, Casey Wilson, Michael Ian Black, Michael O'donoghue, Andy Richter, H. Jon Benjamin, Rob Corddry, Bob Odenkirk, Jason Sudeikis, Jack Handey, Brian Stack, Louis C.k., Brendon Small, Paul Scheer, Ed Helms, Jim Downey, Amy Sedaris, Wayne Federman, Aziz Ansari, Michael Mcdonald, Brian Posehn, Colin Quinn, Del Close, Damon Wayans, Seth Meyers, Catherine O'hara, Rich Hall, Kristen Schaal, Kevin Nealon, Alex Borstein, Crista Flanagan, Robert Smigel, Rachel Dratch, Alex Winter, Nicole Parker, Spike Feresten, David Wain, Will Forte, Simon Helberg, Matt Walsh, Jordan Peele, Craig Anton, Keegan-Michael Key, Eric Wareheim, Joe Flaherty, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Scott Adsit, Bobby Moynihan, Michael Showalter, Jon Glaser, Gregg Turkington, Tim Meadows, Maria Bamford, Eugene Mirman, Horatio Sanz, Rich Fulcher, Charlyne Yi, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Dino Stamatopoulos, Thomas Lennon, Paul F. Tompkins, Jorma Taccone, Tom Scharpling, Matt Braunger, Adam Mckay, Ike Barinholtz, Rob Schrab, Joe Lo Truglio, Michael Schur, James Adomian, Brian Mccann, Andy Samberg, Matt Besser, Alan Zweibel, Chris Hardwick, Jason Woliner, Jerry Minor, Josh Meyers, Tim Kazurinsky, Tommy Blacha, Andrea Rosen, Todd Barry, Donald Glover, Rob Huebel, Tim Heidecker, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Dave Allen, Nick Kroll, Dan Oster, Dannah Feinglass, Michael Hitchc...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=335195 ... Read more