American comedians (old-timey historical thread)

(Shawn) Levy’s posted a note on Facebook, which Ray Pride passes along at Movie City News: “Jerry and I met twice while I was working on the book and spoke/wrote to each other perhaps a dozen times. Like many of his relationships with the press and his partners/subordinates, it ended badly, with Jerry hollering profanities at me in the cabin of his yacht in San Diego. I wrote about it in the epilogue to my book, and over the years I’ve had the scene quoted back to me by Steve Martin, Harry Shearer, Paul Provenza, and Penn Jillette. Tom Hanks once told me that he had a dinner with Paul Reiser and Martin Short at which Short spent the night imitating Jerry throwing me off the boat. Jerry was a lot of things: father, husband, chum, businessman, philanthropist, artist, innovator, clown, tyrant.”

Levy's bio of Lewis is def the one to read.

http://moviecitynews.com/quotes/biographer-shawn-levy-on-jerry-lewis-on-facebook/

Dick & Jerry

http://www.openculture.com/2017/08/the-comedic-legacies-of-dick-gregory-and-jerry-lewis-rip-a-study-in-contrasts.html

RIP Marty Allen, who I would have a tough time explaining to anyone under 50

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/marty-allen-dead-zany-comedian-was-95-925520

https://www.boomermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Marty_Allen-_Rossi-with-the-Beatles-_1964_courtesy-Marty-Allen.jpg

RIP Chuck McCann

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/chuck-mccann-new-york-comic-dead-83-article-1.3922794

RIP Will Jordan, who did his Ed Sullivan impression everywhere from Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway to a Billy Joel video

https://www.newsweek.com/will-jordan-dead-ed-sullivan-impression-billy-joel-1110525

As this thread could easily double as one for Gilbert Gottfried's podcast, I'll link this 2016 appearance from a then-80-year-old Jordan:

https://www.gilbertpodcast.com/will-jordan/

*89-year-old

I saw Jordan talk/perform briefly in a comedy club six (?) years ago for a Larry Storch birthday tribute. (Jake LaMotta and Marni Nixon, who have also shuffled off since, were also there.)

My comedian friend who is quoted in the Newsweek obit also knows Gilbert in the Friars Club.

happy 96th (tomorrow) to Mr Storch

https://www.facebook.com/andrewporetz/videos/10155713015951249/

https://travsd.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/95-years-of-larry-storch-only-2-of-agarn/

RIP Kaye Ballard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12uxvrPAg-s&fbclid=IwAR3B8eOgLKOPf2fqiayVWl76ov7dhDdlVXgkJriTOkvvDfuoLJVH1Cs3NpI

let's try again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12uxvrPAg-s

RIP Jack Burns

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jack-burns-dead-muppet-movie-muppet-show-writer-was-86-1274178

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBpjgEB1dmg

Aw man, I totally missed this, just read it elsewhere today. RIP, huh? Yeah. Huh? Yeah. Huh? Yeah, RIP.

Referring to Jack Burns passing, obviously.

It's strange that he hosted SNL (solo) in the second season.

Didn't know that. My parents watched lots of variety shows when I was a kid, but I mostly remember him from his stint replacing Don Knotts on Andy Griffith (where he wasn't too popular.)

a thankless job

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xknBQvt5jSI