Archive for Comedians

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Redd Foxx

Posted in Palm Valley View Memorial Park with tags , on June 6, 2013 by Cade

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December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991

Note to all aspiring comedians: Choose your catchphrases wisely.

Redd Foxx (shockingly, not his real name) was a popular comedian and actor who rose to fame with raunchy, explicit comedy recordings throughout the 1950’s and ’60’s.  But it was his portrayal of Fred Sanford on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son that earned him his biggest success. The show ran for 5 years and followed the life of junkman, Fred Sanford (shockingly, Foxx’s actual father’s real name,) and, well…his son.  It featured a number of running gags, one of the more popular of which was Sanford often faking a heart attack claiming “This is the big one! I’m coming to join ya, Elizabeth!” Continue reading →

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Soupy Sales

Posted in Kensico Cemetery with tags , , on May 30, 2013 by Cade

January 8, 1926 – October 22, 2009

Milton Supman was a radio and television personality, actor and comedian who was known to the world by the nickname given to him as a boy: Soupy.  After hosting a number of local radio and TV shows, Sales started Lunch With Soupy on a Detroit local channel.  The show, which was a mélange of slapstick, puns, sight gags and pie throwing became a hit and in 1959, began to air nationally on ABC. Continue reading →

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George Burns and Gracie Allen

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , on May 28, 2013 by Cade

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January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996
July 26, 1895 – August 27, 1964

One of the great comedy teams of all-time, Burns and Allen were vaudeville, radio, film and television legends.  They met in New Jersey and embarked on a career – and life – together that would entertain audiences for decades. George was the classic straight man to Gracie’s madcap comic.  They eventually made the jump from stage to film and television and moved their popular radio program, The Burns and Allen Show, to television, where it ran for 8 years.  In 1964, after a long battle with heart disease, Gracie said “Goodnight” and died. Leaving George to continue his career without his partner and wife. Continue reading →

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Rodney Dangerfield

Posted in Westwood Memorial Park with tags , , on May 12, 2013 by Cade

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November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004

To the best of my knowledge, Jacob Rodney Cohen, known simply as Rodney Dangerfield, got no respect.  At least that’s what he told us over and over again. Dangerfield was a lovable actor/comedian whose bumbling roles in films like Caddyshack and Back to School embodied the public persona for which he was best known.  In the late 1960’s, Dangerfield’s comedy career started exploding with appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and The Dean Martin Show.He parlayed his over-the-top character into co-starring and starring film roles, television commercials and even, for reasons known only to God and himself, rap.

Seriously.

Seriously.

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Larry Fine

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , on April 8, 2013 by Cade

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October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975

Louis Feinberg – known to the world as Larry Fine – was a vaudeville and film entertainer who was a member of the classic comedy team, The Three Stooges. Larry was asked by creator Ted Healy to join brothers Moe and Shemp Howard1 in their stage act. He said ‘yes’ and the rest was history.

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Moe Howard

Posted in Hillside Memorial Park with tags , , on February 26, 2013 by Cade

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June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975

Larry, Moe and Curly.

Three names that almost anyone should recognize. The Three Stooges were a huge box office draw for more than 40 years.  Their manic slapstick was the stuff of male adolescent fantasy.  They eye-gouged and “wub-wub-wub”ed into the American pop-culture landscape and became a permanent fixture…even decades after all of them left us.  At the, and I use this term very loosely, grounded center of the trio, was always Moe (born Moses Horowitz.)  He was the “brains.” He was the leader, his trademark bowl haircut always jostling with every cartoonish reaction to his compatriots.

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Gilda Radner

Posted in Long Ridge Union Cemetery with tags , , , on February 24, 2013 by Cade

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June 28, 1946 – May 20, 1989

Best known for the hilarious characters she created as an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, Gilda Radner was a beloved comedienne and actress. Her exposure on SNL as well as movie roles and Broadway shows made her one of the most popular comic actors of the 1970s and ’80s.  She was married twice, most notably to actor Gene Wilder.

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