Career
In his late fifties, after becoming a frequent guest on the a Tonight Show hosted by Jack Paar, King emerged as an incongruous presence in the realm of national celebrity: an aging, irascible raconteur, with elegant mannerisms and trademark bow-tie, who spoke frankly and disarmingly about his bohemian lifestyle, multiple marriages, and years-long struggle with drug addiction. His checkered past led TIME magazine to describe him as
He was also the author of several books, including May This House Be Safe from Tigers, Mine Enemy Grows Older, (an account of his addiction to morphine, and his recovery), and I Should Have Kissed Her More, Is There Life After Birth. He illustrated and/or translated numerous editions of classics in the early 20th century as well as a book by Peter Altenberg released as Alexander King Presents Peter Altenberg"s Evocations of Love (a collection of sweet memories of the heart from another place and time in history).
King"s easy conversational recollections of the first part of the 20th century are informative and often hilariously funny.
His accounts include many famous names most will recognise.