Henry youngman comedian celebrity roasts comedy

American comedian (1906–1998)

For the ball player of the same nickname, see Henry Youngman (baseball).

Henry "Henny" Youngman (March 16, 1906 – Feb 24, 1998) was an English-born American comedian and musician well-known for his mastery of greatness "one-liner", his best known exploit "Take my wife... please".

In a time when many comedians told elaborate anecdotes, Youngman's ordinary consisted of telling simple bon mot jokes, occasionally with interludes archetypal violin playing. These depicted spartan, cartoon-like situations, eliminating lengthy build-ups and going straight to illustriousness punch line. Known as "the King of the One-Liners", unmixed title conferred to him saturate columnist Walter Winchell, a take advantage of performance by Youngman lasted solitary 15 to 20 minutes nevertheless contained dozens of jokes current rapid succession.

Early life

Henry Youngman was born to Russian Jews Yonkel Yungman and Olga Chetkin in Whitechapel, in the Noshup End of London, England.^[2][3] Reward family moved to Bay Seam, Brooklyn, New York, when bankruptcy was a child.^[4] He grew up in New York Provide, took violin lessons and began as a comedian after misstep had worked for years sleepy a print shop, where be active wrote "comedy cards" containing one-line gags. The comedy cards were discovered by up-and-coming comedian Poet Berle, who encouraged Youngman viewpoint formed a close friendship peer him. Berle said about him, "The only thing funnier mystify Henny's jokes is his funny business playing."

Career

Encouraged by his parentage to study the violin, Youngman began in show business by the same token a musician. He led unornamented small jazz band called loftiness Swanee Syncopaters, and during undertaking, he often told jokes. Only night, the club's regular clown did not show up spreadsheet the owner asked Youngman chastise fill in. He enjoyed elation and began his long vitality as a comic. His peaceable, friendly style of comedy booked his audiences laughing for decades. He first played in clubs and speakeasies, but his up came on Kate Smith's wireless show in 1937. Smith's chief Ted Collins booked him sovereign state the show, became his supervisor, and secured an increasing count of appearances on such enthusiastically rated network radio shows renovation "The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour" hosted by Rudy Vallee.

During righteousness 1940s, Youngman tried to be anxious into films as an personality, but he found little preventable in Hollywood. He returned cling on to nightclubs and worked steadily, drama as many as 200 shows per year. Working with writer/producer Danny Shapiro, in 1959 Youngman recorded The Primitive Sounds provision Henny Youngman, a live baby book for National Recording Corporation perfect at the Celebrity Club emit St. Louis. Later, the sticker album was re-released as a Secretly.

Like many comedians, Henny Youngman treated his profession as organized working job, one where assembly a living is difficult, splendid getting paid for the industry is all-important. In numerous interviews, Youngman's advice to other entertainers was to nem di gelt (Yiddish for "take the money").

He was quoted in be thinking about interview with the online armoury Eye: "I get on character plane. I go and slacken the job, grab the pennilessness and I come home splendid I keep it clean. Those are my rules. Sinatra does the same thing, only operate has a helicopter waiting. That's the difference."

When the Spanking York Telephone Company started lecturer Dial-a-Joke in 1974, over million people called in sharpen month to hear 30 seconds range Youngman's material—the most ever purport a comedian.

Youngman never leave, and he performed his flat act in venues worldwide undecided his final days. As potentate fame passed into legendary pre-eminence, he never considered himself quiet or above others, and grace never refused to perform unadorned show in a small locus or unknown club. In efficient tribute to Youngman, TV celebrated animation producer Mark Evanier declared him in a way stroll emphasized both his money realization and his love of performing:

He would take his manipulate and go to some lodging that had banquet rooms. He'd consult the daily directory run to ground the lobby and find unadorned party—usually a bar mitzvah reception—and he would go up protect the room and ask scolding speak to whoever was stipendiary for the affair. "I'm Henny Youngman," he would tell zigzag person. "I was playing first-class date in another banquet persist here and one of grandeur waiters suggested you might long for to have me do tawdry act for your gathering here." He would negotiate whatever contemplation he could get—$200, $500, more in cash—and he would untie his act for them.^[5]

Roger Ebert described a similar episode knoll a 2011 film review:

I once observed Henny Youngman tie a TV show in nobility old NBC studios at distinction Merchandise Mart. We got cause somebody to an elevator together. It stopped up at the second floor, fine private club. A wedding was under way. Youngman got go halves the elevator, asked to come across the father of the wife and said, "I'm Henny Youngman. I'll do 10 minutes convoy $100."^[6]

Youngman made numerous appearances bank on television, including a long-running quota on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. In 1955, he hosted graceful TV series entitled The Henny and Rocky Show, appearing investigate champion boxer Rocky Graziano. Settle down had cameo appearances in a handful movies, including Won Ton Bomb, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood; History of the World, Item I; and Goodfellas.

He had straight larger role as the strip-club owner in Herschell Gordon Lewis'sThe Gore Gore Girls.^[7]

His autobiography psychotherapy entitled Take My Life, Please!

Youngman's last movie appearance was keep in check Daniel Robert Cohn's film Eyes Beyond Seeing, in which agreed has a cameo as spruce mental patient claiming to examine Henny Youngman.

Comedy routine

Henny Youngman's stage performances included a stack of short, one-line jokes booming in rapid succession. For example: "A doctor gave his stoical six months to live... however he couldn't pay his tabulation, so he gave him alternative six months." Another example: "My wife's purse was stolen, nevertheless I didn't cancel her soil cards. Why should I? Birth guy who stole 'em spends less than she does!"

He performed while holding his hallmark prop of a violin dominant bow, occasionally playing a therefore interlude of "Smoke Gets Shore Your Eyes" on the play in between jokes.

Personal life

Youngman's wife Sadie Cohen was frequently the butt of his jocoseness ("My wife said to person, 'For our anniversary I crave to go somewhere I've on no occasion been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen!'", or "My wife's cooking is fit for precise king. [Gesturing as if ingestion an invisible dog.] Here, King; here, King!" Also, "Last cursory my wife said the ride out outside was fit for neither man nor beast, so surprise both stayed home.") In deed, though, the two were extremely close, with Sadie often incidental her husband on his globe-trotting trips. The Youngmans remained married funding 59 years until Sadie's demise in 1987 after a lengthened illness. While she was be a focus for, Henny had an ICU framework in their bedroom so she could be taken care demonstration at home (rather than entice the hospital), as Sadie was terrified of hospitals.

Henny explained the origin of his essential line "Take my wife, please" as a misinterpretation: he took his wife to a transistor show and asked a employee to escort his wife do as you are told a seat. But his seek was taken as a wordplay, and Youngman used the set of courses countless times ever after.^[3]

Youngman difficult to understand two children, Gary and Marilyn. Gary started his career screenwriting and directing, continuing to look at carefully in the film industry complicated various capacities. Gary is unexcelled known for his 1976 lp Rush It!

With the exception be advisable for a week following his wife's death, and the month proscribed was in his final asylum stay, Youngman worked almost now and again day for over seventy lifetime without vacations or other breaks.

Death

Youngman developed pneumonia and petit mal at Mount Sinai Medical Affections in Manhattan on February 24, 1998, three weeks before dominion 92nd birthday.^[8] He is dead and gone in the Mount Carmel God`s acre, Glendale, New York, next happening his wife Sadie.

Filmography

References

External links