Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart | |
---|---|
Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
Died | September 11, 2009 | (aged 81)
Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, Culver City, California |
Other names | Francis Burns, Elsig |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1944–2009 |
Spouse | |
Children | 5 |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Rank | Sergeant |
Unit | Armed Forces Radio Service |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Signature | |
Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009)[1] was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series M*A*S*H, and as co-writer of the Broadway musicals A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and City of Angels.
Biography
Early life
Gelbart was born in Chicago, Illinois, to
His family later moved to Los Angeles and he attended Fairfax High School. Drafted into the United States Army shortly after World War II, Gelbart worked for the Armed Forces Radio Service in Los Angeles.[3] Attaining the rank of sergeant, Gelbart was honorably discharged after serving 1 year and 11 days. Those last 11 days prevented Gelbart from being drafted for service during the Korean War.[4]
Television
Gelbart began as a writer at the age of sixteen for Danny Thomas's radio show after his father, who was Thomas's barber, showed Thomas some jokes Gelbart had written. During the 1940s Gelbart also wrote for Jack Paar and Bob Hope. In the 1950s, his most important work in television involved writing for Red Buttons, Sid Caesar on Caesar's Hour, and in Celeste Holm's Honestly, Celeste!, as well as with writers Mel Tolkin, Michael Stewart, Selma Diamond, Neil Simon, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Woody Allen on two Caesar specials.[5]
In 1972, Gelbart was one of the main forces behind the creation of the television series
Films
Gelbart's best known screen work is perhaps the screenplay for 1982's Tootsie, which he co-wrote with Murray Schisgal. He was nominated for an Academy Award for that script,[6] and also was Oscar-nominated for his adapted screenplay for 1977's Oh, God! starring John Denver and George Burns. On his relationship with actor Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, Gelbart is reported to have said, "Never work with an Oscar-winner who is shorter than the statue".[7] He later retracted this statement, saying it was just a joke.[citation needed]
He collaborated with Burt Shevelove on the screenplay for the 1966 British film The Wrong Box. Gelbart also co-wrote the golden-era film spoof Movie Movie (1978) starring George C. Scott in dual roles, the racy comedy Blame It on Rio (1984) starring Michael Caine and the 2000 remake of Bedazzled with Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan Fraser. His script for Rough Cut (1980), a caper film starring Burt Reynolds, Lesley-Anne Down and David Niven, was credited under the pseudonym Francis Burns.[citation needed]
Gelbart-scripted films for television included Barbarians at the Gate (1993), a true story about the battle for control of the RJR Nabisco corporation starring James Garner that was based on the best-selling book of that name; the original comedy Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997) starring Ben Kingsley and Gabriel Byrne as rival media moguls; and And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003) starring Antonio Banderas as the Mexican revolutionary leader.[citation needed]
Broadway
Gelbart co-wrote the long-running
Gelbart's other Broadway credits include the musical
Memoirs
In 1997, Gelbart published his memoir, Laughing Matters: On Writing M*A*S*H, Tootsie, Oh, God! and a Few Other Funny Things.[2]
Blogger
Gelbart was a contributing blogger at
Honors
In 1995, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[9]
He won a Tony Award for the book of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum.
He won an
In 2002, Gelbart was inducted into the
In 2008, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.[11]
Death
Gelbart was diagnosed with cancer in June and died at his Beverly Hills home on September 11, 2009, aged 81. His wife of 53 years, Pat Gelbart, said that after being married for so long, "we finished each other's sentences." She declined to specify the type of cancer he had.[1][12] He was interred at the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.[13]
Writing credits
- Duffy's Tavern (1941–1951) (Radio)
- The Red Buttons Show (1952) (TV)
- Honestly, Celeste! (1954) (TV)
- Caesar's Hour (1954–1957) (TV)
- The Patrice Munsel Show (1957) (TV)
- The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1958) (TV)
- The Art Carney Show (1959) (TV)
- Startime(1959) (TV)
- The Best of Anything (1960) (TV)
- Hooray for Love (1960) (TV)
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (with Burt Shevelove) (1962) (Theater)
- The Notorious Landlady (with Blake Edwards) (1962)
- Judy and her guests, Phil Silvers and Robert Goulet (1963) (TV)
- The Thrill of It All (1963) (story only)
- The Danny Kaye Show (1963) (TV)
- The Wrong Box (with Burt Shevelove) (1966)
- Not with My Wife, You Don't! (with Norman Panama and Peter Barnes) (1966)
- A Fine Pair (1967) (uncredited)
- Eddie (1971) (TV)
- The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine (1971) (TV)
- M*A*S*H (1972–1983) (TV) (also Co-Creator, with Gene Reynolds)
- Roll Out (1973) (TV)
- If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever? (1974) (TV)
- Karen (1975) (TV)
- Sly Fox (1976) (Theater)
- Three's Company (1976) (TV) (unaired pilot)
- Oh God! (1977)
- Movie Movie (1978)
- United States (1980) (TV)
- Rough Cut (1980) (as Francis Burns)
- Neighbors (1981)
- Tootsie (with Murray Schisgal) (1982)
- AfterMASH (1983–1984) (TV) (also Creator)
- Blame it on Rio(1984)
- In The Beginning (1988) (with Maury Yeston) (Theater)
- City of Angels (1989) (Theater)
- Mastergate(1990) (Theater)
- Barbarians at the Gate (1993) (TV)
- Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997) (TV)
- Laughing Matters: On writing M*A*S*H, Tootsie, Oh, God! And A Few Other Funny Things (1999) (Autobiography)
- C-Scam (2000) (TV)
- Bedazzled (with Harold Ramis and Peter Tolan) (2000)
- And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003) (TV)
M*A*S*H episodes
The following is a list of M*A*S*H episodes (42 Total) written and/or directed by Gelbart.
Season one (9/17/72–3/25/73)
- Episode 1: The Pilot (Written)
- Episode 4: "Chief Surgeon Who?" (Written)
- Episode 11: "Germ Warfare" (Written)
- Episode 12: "Dear Dad" (Written)
- Episode 18: "Dear Dad...Again" (Written with Sheldon Keller)
- Episode 21: "Sticky Wicket" (Teleplay with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 23: "Ceasefire" (Teleplay with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 24: "Showtime" (Teleplay with Robert Klane; Story)
Season two (9/15/73–3/2/74)
- Episode 1: "Divided We Stand" (Written)
- Episode 2: "Five O'Clock Charlie" (Written with Laurence Marks & Keith Walker)
- Episode 6: "Kim" (Written with Marc Mandel & Laurence Marks)
- Episode 7: "L.I.P. (Local Indigenous Personnel)" (Written with Carl Kleinschmitt & Laurence Marks)
- Episode 9: "Dear Dad...Three" (Written with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 11: "Carry On, Hawkeye" (Written with Bernard Dilbert & Laurence Marks)
- Episode 12: "The Incubator" (Written with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 13: "Deal Me Out" (Written with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 16: "Henry in Love" (Written with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 19: "The Chosen People" (Written Laurence Marks & Sheldon Keller)
- Episode 20: "As You Were" (Written with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 21: "Crisis" (Written with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 23: "Mail Call" (Written with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 24: "A Smattering of Intelligence" (Written with Laurence Marks; Directed)
Season three (9/10/74–3/18/75)
- Episode 1: "The General Flipped at Dawn" (Directed)
- Episode 2: "Rainbow Bridge" (Written with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 4: "Iron Guts Kelly" (Written with Sid Dorfman)
- Episode 5: "O.R." (Written with Laurence Marks)
- Episode 10: "There's Nothing Like a Nurse" (Written)
- Episode 16: "Bulletin Board" (Written with Simon Muntner)
- Episode 17: "The Consultant" (Story)
- Episode 19: "Aid Station" (Written with Simon Muntner)
- Episode 23: "White Gold" (Written with Simon Muntner)
- Episode 24: "Abyssinia, Henry" (Directed)
Season four (9/12/75–2/24/76)
- Episode 1: "Welcome to Korea" (Written with Everett Greenbaum & Jim Fritzell)
- Episode 3: "It Happened One Night" (Teleplay with Simon Muntner)
- Episode 9: "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?" (Directed)
- Episode 13: "The Gun" (Written with Gene Reynolds)
- Episode 15: "The Price of Tomato Juice" (Written with Gene Reynolds)
- Episode 18: "Hawkeye" (Written with Simon Muntner; Directed)
- Episode 21: "Smilin' Jack" (Written with Simon Muntner)
- Episode 22: "The More I See You" (Written with Gene Reynolds)
- Episode 23: "Deluge" (Written with Simon Muntner)
- Episode 24: "The Interview" (Written and Directed)
References
- ^ a b McLellan, Dennis (2009-09-11). "'MASH' writer Larry Gelbart dies at 81". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ ISBN 0-679-42945-X.
- ^ "Larry Gelbart dies at 81; 'MASH' writer - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. 1928-02-25. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
- ^ "M.A.S.H" creator Larry Gelbart on his army days. Television Academy Foundation: The Interviews via YouTube. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ISBN 0-8108-4772-8.
- ^ "Tootsie", IMDb, retrieved 2021-03-08
- ^ Obituary, independent.co.uk. Accessed August 3, 2023.
- ^ See e.g. Barthel, Joan (February 25, 1968). "Life for Simon—-Not That Simple". The New York Times. p. D9., cited in
Popik, Barry (September 11, 2009). "If Hitler's still alive, I hope he's out of town with a musical (Larry Gelbart)". The Big Apple. Retrieved March 8, 2016. and the Book for In The Beginning, a musical satire on the Bible with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston.
According to Martin Gottfried, when producer ISBN 978-0-306-81284-2.
- ^ "Palm Springs Walk of Stars : Listed by Date Dedicated" (PDF). Palmspringswalkofstars.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-13. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
- ^ "32nd Annual Theatre Hall of Fame Inductees Announced; Mamet, Channing, Grimes Among Names – Playbill.com". 209.183.229.132. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
- ^ "Television Hall of Fame Honorees: Complete List". Emmys.com. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
- ^ "'M-A-S-H' writer Larry Gelbart dies at 81". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ Resting Places
Bibliography
- Isenberg, Barbara. State of the Arts: California Artists Talk About Their Work. 2005
External links
- Larry Gelbart at the Internet Broadway Database
- Larry Gelbart at IMDb
- Larry Gelbart – Daily Telegraph obituary
- Abrogate – Larry Gelbart play, online @ BBC Radio 4
- Old Time Radio Researchers Database of People and Programs
- Larry Gelbart Archive of American Television Interview
- Nonstop Laughs Larry Gelbart, TIME Magazine