Papa, Play for Me

Book excerpt: The heartwarming autobiography of a vintage Jewish comedian, with a new introduction highlighting his relevance to contemporary culture and cultural studies. Mickey Katz (1909 - 1985), a Jewish comedian and musician, is best known for his parodies — "Theme from Moulin Rouge (Where is My Heart)" became "Where is My Pants?", "(How Much is that) Doggie in the Window" became "Pickle in the Window" — incorporating Yiddish words and accents. His very first English-Yiddish recording, "Haim afen Range," was an instant hit and he went on to record ninety singles and ten albums for RCA and Capitol. Father of performer Joel Grey and grandfather of actress Jennifer Grey, Mickey Katz's irreverent blend of Jewish story-telling, vaudeville routines, African-American jazz, Jewish klezmer and popular dance band music have had a lasting impact on American culture. In this rollicking autobiography, first published in 1977 and reissued here with a new introduction, the King of the Borscht Capades talks frankly about politics, music, family, identity and show business.