February 26th
Sunday February 26th
Fifty six years ago today, television history was made with the premiere of “Your Show of Shows.” This was in the very early days of the medium, when producers took more chances and the audience was more literate and had a longer attention span. The star of “Your Show of Shows” was a comic genius, Sid Caesar, and he was backed by a stellar supporting cast, including Imogene Coca, Howard Morris and Carl Reiner. The impact of this show is still felt, even a half century later, as it has inspired films like “My Favorite Year”, TV shows like “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and the Tony winning play, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor.” This groundbreaking show, done live for 90 minutes each week, paved the way for shows like “Saturday Night Live”, “In Living Color” and “Mad TV“, none of which could even compare to “Your Show of Shows.” Most of the credit for this enduring success is the direct result of the show’s writing staff, the best ever assembled for TV. It included luminaries like Neil Simon and his brother Danny (the inspiration for “Odd Couple’s" Oscar Madison) Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, and Woody Allen. I am too young to have seen the show live, but It’s replayed many times, and laugh every time I see an episode. I’m writing to the surviving cast members and writers.
Sid Caesar
Sid Caesar was born to Eastern European Jewish immigrants in Yonkers, New York, where his father ran a lunch counter where immigrant workers would gather. From them Sid learned to mimic many of the accents that he would use throughout his career. After graduating high school, he planned on a career in music, playing the saxophone. While he earned a reputation as a talented musician in the "Borscht Belt" in the Catskills, he also began performing comedy sketches, and became a sensation. Caesar served in the Coast Guard during World War II, organizing entertainment for the enlisted men. This took him to Los Angeles, where he got a part in two films, “Tars and Spars“, based on a wartime comedy routine he did, and “The Guilt of Janet Ames.” After “Your Show of Shows”, Caesar made several appearances, starring on Broadway in Neil Simon’s “Little Me“, as a guest star on television, and in movies like “It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”, “Mel Brooks’ Silent Movie” and as Coach Calhoun in “Grease.“ He has the honor of being in the inaugural class of the first ten people inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an actor, director, producer, writer and comedian. He is the father of actor and director Rob Reiner, and husband of Estelle Lebold Reiner, a minor comic actress best known as the lady who says "I'll have what she's having" at Katz's Delicatessen in When Harry Met Sally... after Meg Ryan's phony orgasm scene. Born in the Bronx, Reiner performed in several Broadway musicals, including “Inside U.S.A.”, and “Call Me Mister.” In 1961, Reiner created The Dick Van Dyke Show. In addition to usually writing the show, Reiner occasionally appeared as temperamental show host Alan Brady. Reiner began his directing career on the Van Dyke show. His first feature was the 1967 adaptation of the play “Enter Laughing.” Reiner played a large role in the early career of Steve Martin, by directing and co-writing four films for the comedian; “The Jerk“, “Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid“, “The Man with Two Brains“, and “All of Me.“ In 2000 Reiner was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In 2001, he played the character of Saul Bloom in George Clooney's “Ocean's Eleven”, and its 2004 sequel. In 2004 he voiced the lion Sarmoti in the animated TV series “Father of the Pride.”
Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart is a prolific comedy writer with over 50 years of credits. He began as a writer for the Danny Thomas radio show during the 1940s, and also wrote for Martin and Lewis and Bob Hope. After his work on “Your Show of Shows” Gelbart wrote the long-running Broadway farce “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” with Stephen Sondheim. In 1972, he was one of the main forces behind the creation of the TV series M*A*S*H. He wrote and produced some of the series' finest episodes, and left after the fourth season. Gelbart also wrote the screenplays to “Oh, God!” and “Tootsie.” Gelbart's other Broadway credits include the musical “City of Angels” and the Iran-contra satire “Mastergate.” Since May 2005, Gelbart has been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post.
Mel Brooks
Born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York, Mel Brooks served in the US Army during World War II as an engineer, stationed in North Africa. He started out in show business as a stand-up comic before becoming a comedy writer for television. In 1961, with Carl Reiner, he created the persona of the 2000 Year Old Man, a collection of ad libbed comedy routines made into a series of comedy records. With Buck Henry, he created the successful TV series “Get Smart.” In 1975, Brooks created “When Things Were Rotten“, a well-received Robin Hood TV parody that lasted only 13 episodes. He then moved into film, working as an actor, director, writer and producer. Among his most popular films have been “Young Frankenstein” (co-written with Gene Wilder) and “Blazing Saddles” (co-written with Richard Pryor), both of which were released in 1974. In 1980 Brooks became interested in producing the film "The Elephant Man" directed by David Lynch. Knowing that anyone seeing the poster with "Mel Brooks presents The Elephant Man" would expect a comedy, he set up the company Brooksfilm to produce the film. Brooksfilm has since produced a number of Oscar nominated non-comedy films. Brooks' most recent success has been a transfer of his film “The Producers” to the Broadway stage, which won a record 12 Tony Awards. Brooks is one of a select group who have received an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy.
Neil Simon
Though Neil Simon began his career as a TV comedy writer, he is most known as the author of over forty Broadway plays since 1961, ranging from the humorous and lighthearted (“Barefoot in the Park“, “The Odd Couple“) to darker, more autobiographical works (“Chapter Two“, the Eugene trilogy - featuring “Brighton Beach Memoirs“, “Biloxi Blues“, and “Broadway Bound.“) Simon also contributed librettos to such hit musical comedies as “Sweet Charity“, “Promises, Promises“, and “They're Playing Our Song.” His plays are known for their family-based New York settings, where world-weary characters use one-liners to hide often-fractured psyches. He has won three Tonys and one Pulitzer Prize (for “Lost In Yonkers”.)
Woody Allen
Allen Konigsberg was born in Brooklyn, NY. Nicknamed "Red" because of his hair, he impressed students with his extraordinary talent at card and magic tricks. To raise money, he began writing gags for the agent David O. Alber, who sold them to newspaper columnists. At sixteen, he started writing for show stars like Sid Caesar and began calling himself Woody Allen. After high school, he went to New York University where he studied communication and film but, never much of a student, he soon dropped out. At nineteen, he started writing scripts for The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and others. In 1957, he won his first Emmy Award. He started writing prose and plays, and in 1960, started a new career as a stand-up comic. He soon became an immensely popular comedian and appeared frequently in nightclubs and on television. Since moving into film in the late 1960‘s, Allen’s large body of work and cerebral style have made him one of the most widely respected and prolific filmmakers in the modern era. He writes and directs his own movies and has acted in many of them as well. Allen draws heavily on literature, philosophy, psychology, European cinema and, most importantly, New York City, where he has lived all his life, for much of his inspiration. Allen is the most frequently nominated person in the Academy Award category of Best Original Screenplay, with a total of 14 nominations. He has also been nominated many times as Best Director, and his actors are also among the most frequently nominated people in their respective categories. Allen himself was nominated for Best Actor for his role in his semi-autobiographical film “Annie Hall“, which won Best Picture.
Fifty six years ago today, television history was made with the premiere of “Your Show of Shows.” This was in the very early days of the medium, when producers took more chances and the audience was more literate and had a longer attention span. The star of “Your Show of Shows” was a comic genius, Sid Caesar, and he was backed by a stellar supporting cast, including Imogene Coca, Howard Morris and Carl Reiner. The impact of this show is still felt, even a half century later, as it has inspired films like “My Favorite Year”, TV shows like “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and the Tony winning play, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor.” This groundbreaking show, done live for 90 minutes each week, paved the way for shows like “Saturday Night Live”, “In Living Color” and “Mad TV“, none of which could even compare to “Your Show of Shows.” Most of the credit for this enduring success is the direct result of the show’s writing staff, the best ever assembled for TV. It included luminaries like Neil Simon and his brother Danny (the inspiration for “Odd Couple’s" Oscar Madison) Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, and Woody Allen. I am too young to have seen the show live, but It’s replayed many times, and laugh every time I see an episode. I’m writing to the surviving cast members and writers.
Sid Caesar
Sid Caesar was born to Eastern European Jewish immigrants in Yonkers, New York, where his father ran a lunch counter where immigrant workers would gather. From them Sid learned to mimic many of the accents that he would use throughout his career. After graduating high school, he planned on a career in music, playing the saxophone. While he earned a reputation as a talented musician in the "Borscht Belt" in the Catskills, he also began performing comedy sketches, and became a sensation. Caesar served in the Coast Guard during World War II, organizing entertainment for the enlisted men. This took him to Los Angeles, where he got a part in two films, “Tars and Spars“, based on a wartime comedy routine he did, and “The Guilt of Janet Ames.” After “Your Show of Shows”, Caesar made several appearances, starring on Broadway in Neil Simon’s “Little Me“, as a guest star on television, and in movies like “It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”, “Mel Brooks’ Silent Movie” and as Coach Calhoun in “Grease.“ He has the honor of being in the inaugural class of the first ten people inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an actor, director, producer, writer and comedian. He is the father of actor and director Rob Reiner, and husband of Estelle Lebold Reiner, a minor comic actress best known as the lady who says "I'll have what she's having" at Katz's Delicatessen in When Harry Met Sally... after Meg Ryan's phony orgasm scene. Born in the Bronx, Reiner performed in several Broadway musicals, including “Inside U.S.A.”, and “Call Me Mister.” In 1961, Reiner created The Dick Van Dyke Show. In addition to usually writing the show, Reiner occasionally appeared as temperamental show host Alan Brady. Reiner began his directing career on the Van Dyke show. His first feature was the 1967 adaptation of the play “Enter Laughing.” Reiner played a large role in the early career of Steve Martin, by directing and co-writing four films for the comedian; “The Jerk“, “Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid“, “The Man with Two Brains“, and “All of Me.“ In 2000 Reiner was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In 2001, he played the character of Saul Bloom in George Clooney's “Ocean's Eleven”, and its 2004 sequel. In 2004 he voiced the lion Sarmoti in the animated TV series “Father of the Pride.”
Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart is a prolific comedy writer with over 50 years of credits. He began as a writer for the Danny Thomas radio show during the 1940s, and also wrote for Martin and Lewis and Bob Hope. After his work on “Your Show of Shows” Gelbart wrote the long-running Broadway farce “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” with Stephen Sondheim. In 1972, he was one of the main forces behind the creation of the TV series M*A*S*H. He wrote and produced some of the series' finest episodes, and left after the fourth season. Gelbart also wrote the screenplays to “Oh, God!” and “Tootsie.” Gelbart's other Broadway credits include the musical “City of Angels” and the Iran-contra satire “Mastergate.” Since May 2005, Gelbart has been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post.
Mel Brooks
Born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York, Mel Brooks served in the US Army during World War II as an engineer, stationed in North Africa. He started out in show business as a stand-up comic before becoming a comedy writer for television. In 1961, with Carl Reiner, he created the persona of the 2000 Year Old Man, a collection of ad libbed comedy routines made into a series of comedy records. With Buck Henry, he created the successful TV series “Get Smart.” In 1975, Brooks created “When Things Were Rotten“, a well-received Robin Hood TV parody that lasted only 13 episodes. He then moved into film, working as an actor, director, writer and producer. Among his most popular films have been “Young Frankenstein” (co-written with Gene Wilder) and “Blazing Saddles” (co-written with Richard Pryor), both of which were released in 1974. In 1980 Brooks became interested in producing the film "The Elephant Man" directed by David Lynch. Knowing that anyone seeing the poster with "Mel Brooks presents The Elephant Man" would expect a comedy, he set up the company Brooksfilm to produce the film. Brooksfilm has since produced a number of Oscar nominated non-comedy films. Brooks' most recent success has been a transfer of his film “The Producers” to the Broadway stage, which won a record 12 Tony Awards. Brooks is one of a select group who have received an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy.
Neil Simon
Though Neil Simon began his career as a TV comedy writer, he is most known as the author of over forty Broadway plays since 1961, ranging from the humorous and lighthearted (“Barefoot in the Park“, “The Odd Couple“) to darker, more autobiographical works (“Chapter Two“, the Eugene trilogy - featuring “Brighton Beach Memoirs“, “Biloxi Blues“, and “Broadway Bound.“) Simon also contributed librettos to such hit musical comedies as “Sweet Charity“, “Promises, Promises“, and “They're Playing Our Song.” His plays are known for their family-based New York settings, where world-weary characters use one-liners to hide often-fractured psyches. He has won three Tonys and one Pulitzer Prize (for “Lost In Yonkers”.)
Woody Allen
Allen Konigsberg was born in Brooklyn, NY. Nicknamed "Red" because of his hair, he impressed students with his extraordinary talent at card and magic tricks. To raise money, he began writing gags for the agent David O. Alber, who sold them to newspaper columnists. At sixteen, he started writing for show stars like Sid Caesar and began calling himself Woody Allen. After high school, he went to New York University where he studied communication and film but, never much of a student, he soon dropped out. At nineteen, he started writing scripts for The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and others. In 1957, he won his first Emmy Award. He started writing prose and plays, and in 1960, started a new career as a stand-up comic. He soon became an immensely popular comedian and appeared frequently in nightclubs and on television. Since moving into film in the late 1960‘s, Allen’s large body of work and cerebral style have made him one of the most widely respected and prolific filmmakers in the modern era. He writes and directs his own movies and has acted in many of them as well. Allen draws heavily on literature, philosophy, psychology, European cinema and, most importantly, New York City, where he has lived all his life, for much of his inspiration. Allen is the most frequently nominated person in the Academy Award category of Best Original Screenplay, with a total of 14 nominations. He has also been nominated many times as Best Director, and his actors are also among the most frequently nominated people in their respective categories. Allen himself was nominated for Best Actor for his role in his semi-autobiographical film “Annie Hall“, which won Best Picture.
posted by Chris Lucas | 11:41 PM
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