ATTABOY

In this memoir, an Emmy-winning cameraman shares behind-the-scenes stories.

Growing up in rural New Jersey, Scurti was the oldest of three boys and was known as a “Good Kid” who stayed out of trouble. He decided, on a whim, to skip high school one day in 1964. After the school called and the jig was up, James’ father surprised him by taking them both to New York City for the day, and they ended up at a live taping of the popular game show The Price is Right. The experience left an impression on the author; indeed, it eventually led to a five-decade career as a camera operator, involving elaborate productions bursting with colorful characters. Scurti recounts an encounter with a formidable and darkly funny Bette Davis near the end of her career, a surprise commercial audition for his young children, and various shenanigans with legendary musicians, including opera star Placido Domingo and rock bands Kiss and U2, among other adventures. However, he doesn’t glamorize his profession, pointing out that the hours of a camera operator are long and late, and the cash flow is inconsistent. In this memoir, the author tells of surviving, and thriving, behind the scenes of soap operas, documentary series, and rock concerts. Scurti is an industry veteran with deep roots—his mother-in-law, June, was even a spokesmodel for The Price is Right back in the day—and every chapter of this remembrance is full of big names, including celebrity medium John Edward, daredevil Nik Wallenda, and pop sensation Lady Gaga, who he says sent him a baffling message, through an intermediary, warning him not to eat doughnuts in her presence: “Being blessed out personally by Lady Gaga herself, was certainly a way to start a show!” The memoir lacks a solid structure or clear organization, making it feel as if the author simply penned these anecdotes as he remembered them. That said, fans of celebrity culture, as well as on-set and backstage drama, will eat up Scurti’s sensational stories.  

An often entertaining, if disjointed, glimpse at the life and times of a camera operator.