You most likely know Hank Garrett in the role of Officer Ed Nicholson of the popular 60’s sit-com Car 54 Where Are you?” It would be hard to conceive a fictional character that even comes close to Hank’s actual life.He has traveled such a labyrinthine path from childhood to film-stardom you might wonder how he ever stayed on the road, as he says, from Harlem hoodlum to Hollywood heavyweight.
So many good questions. What was his last name? Who was his father? Why keep his last name a secret from the authorities? Slept in cardboard boxes on the streets? His mother once denying maternity? Two Italian adopted brothers? How did he keep the neighborhood bullies at bay? Professional wrestler when? Wresting hall of fame? Karate hall of fame? Cop? Comedian? Catskill success? How did Sammy Davis Junior come into his life and rescue him from what might have been jail or death. Frank Sinatra and the standing ovation?
I know it may sound as if I am babbling here. I am not. All true and the tip of the iceberg. To get a more complete picture it is best to hear it all in Hank’s own voice. And to see him close up on his Love Letters Live Youtube episode, of course, gives a whole other dimension.
His love letter? Yes, his sweetheart Deanna Marie, who sat him down to take notes on every aspect of his life to create the book on Hank, From Harlem Hoodlum to Hollywood Heavyweight. Even the most bewildering road can be traveled with the right map, and yes, this book is a fabulous guide along the road to understanding Hank Garrett’s life.
