Archive for Comedians

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Jackie “Moms” Mabley

Posted in Ferncliff Cemetery with tags , on February 27, 2014 by Cade

mabley1March 19, 1894 – May 23, 1975

Did you hear the one about the young girl from North Carolina who lost both of her parents tragically as a child, was raped twice before the age of 14 and had to give up the resulting children for adoption? Hoo-boy! It’s hilarious!

Such were the beginnings of one of the most influential female stand-up comics of all time. Jackie Mabley (born Loretta Aiken) ran away from all that to start a life of comedy…because that’s really all you can do at that point. Fast forward a few years and we find “Moms” -as she’s now referred – as a very popular comedian who is known for her racy material and frumpy on-stage persona. Continue reading →

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Phil Silvers

Posted in Mt. Sinai Memorial Park with tags , , on February 26, 2014 by Cade

silvers1May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985

Comedian and actor, Phil Silvers, got his start in movie houses entertaining audiences when the projectors would break down. He spent the early parts of his career on the Broadway stage and in short subject films. Made the leap to feature pictures, but found his biggest fame as Sgt. Ernest Bilko on the CBS television show You’ll Never Get Rich – which was later named The Phil Silvers Show, once it was deemed a hit. Silvers was known as “The King of Chutzpah” for his physical, slap-sticky brand of comedy. Continue reading →

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Ernie Kovacs

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , on December 17, 2013 by Cade

kovacs1January 23, 1919 – January 13, 1962

Modern television owes just about everything to the unbridled genius of Ernie Kovacs. His spontaneous, unexpected and often eccentric comedy style is either directly or indirectly responsible for shows like Saturday Night Live, The Muppet Show, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In and Captain Kangaroo. He also influenced nearly all of the major talk show hosts of the last 30 years from Conan O’Brien to David Letterman. Kovacs was a true original. Continue reading →

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Marty Feldman

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on December 17, 2013 by Cade

feldman1July 08, 1934 – December 02, 1982

Just about everyone knows Marty Feldman and his distinctive (and ridiculous) eyes from his performance as Igor in Mel Brooks’ classic comedy Young Frankenstein. But, Feldman got his start in more famous circles even than that. As a young comedian in the U.K., Feldman appeared on television and wrote with many future comedy legends, including John Cleese and Graham Chapman – who would go on to co-found the iconic Monty Python comedy group. In fact some of Python’s more memorable sketches (“Four Yorkshiremen,” “Bookshop”) were co-written by Marty. Continue reading →

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Morey Amsterdam

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , , on October 17, 2013 by Cade

amsterdam1December 14, 1908 – October 27, 1996

Nicknamed “The Human Joke Machine,” Morey Amsterdam was considered by many to be a…human joke machine. His ability to make a spontaneous joke about anything in rapid-fire succession led to many appearances on early TV variety shows and series. But, his biggest success was playing the role of comedy writer Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show. The role suited Amsterdam perfectly and allowed him to spitfire his natural flowing comedy within the perfect context of writing for the show’s fictitious The Alan Brady Show. Continue reading →

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Jimmy Durante

Posted in Holy Cross Cemetery (CA) with tags , , on October 15, 2013 by Cade

durante1February 10, 1893 – March 29, 1980

James Frances Durante and his nose were born in New York City to Italian immigrant parents. Young Jimmy dropped out of school to become a jazz and ragtime pianist. Something he was very good at. By the time he was 27, Durante had his very own New Orleans Jazz Band. But, his piano chops aside, Jimmy Durante was most famous for being a comedian. His self-deprecating humor – he called himself “The Great Schnozzola” because, well… – intentionally butchered language and staccatoed speech patterns earned him fame on the Vaudeville stages, the radio and, ultimately, film and television. Continue reading →

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Gummo Marx

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , on September 5, 2013 by Cade

marx3

October 21, 18921 – April 21, 1977

Milton “Gummo” Marx was the 2nd youngest of the Marx Brothers comedy team.  He was a part of the family’s early vaudeville days but was drafted into the Army near the end of World War I and never joined them in their film careers.  After his military service, he returned to show business as an agent. He represented his brother, Groucho, and a number of other writers and actors. Continue reading →

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Chico Marx

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , , on September 5, 2013 by Cade

marx1

March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961

Leonard “Chico” Marx was the oldest of the legendary Marx Brothers comedy team.  Born in New York City, Chico (pronounced “Chick-o”) and his brothers performed from an early age in vaudeville with their uncle.  All of the brothers were talented musicians, but it was the more-or-less accidental discovery that they were hilarious that eventually launched them into super-stardom.  Chico adopted a stage persona of a rural Italian who dressed in baggy clothes and Bavarian hat. Continue reading →

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Buster Keaton

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on August 7, 2013 by Cade

keaton1October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966

Joseph Frank Keaton, known to the world as “Buster,” was one of the biggest names in comedy throughout the silent film era of the late 1910’s and ’20’s. Keaton got his start as a boy in vaudeville being thrown around stage by his father…seriously. His time spent onstage with his parents taught a young Buster the art of physical comedy. A talent which he would parlay into film and go on to become one of the most iconic comedians of all time.  His classic deadpan expression belied the hysterical goings-on around him in most of his films which only made them funnier. Continue reading →

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Stan Laurel

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on June 14, 2013 by Cade

laurel1

June 16, 1890 – February 23, 1965

On October 2, 1910 an English ocean liner named Cairnrona arrived in Quebec after a 10-day journey from Southampton. History and the way of the world at the time would indicate that this was no special ship or voyage.  That is, except for the fact that the vessel carried a troupe of comedians headed for America which included Charlie Chaplin and a 20 year-old man named Stanley Jefferson.  Jefferson would eventually change his name to Laurel and America was about to laugh…a lot.  But as impressive of a pairing as Chaplin and Laurel were on that same ship, it was Stan’s later partnership with another comedian that would make him a legend.

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