The Comedians
Page 48
Chaperau, Albert, 35–36
Chaplin, Charles, 16–17, 38, 120–121
Chappelle, Dave, 325
Cheech & Chong, 243, 246, 247, 277
Cherry Sisters, 8
Chez Paree nightclub, 61–62
child acts in vaudeville, 8–10
Child’s Garden of Grass, A, 247–248
Chitlin’ Circuit, 184–185, 221, 222–223, 291
Chong, Tommy. See also Cheech & Chong
on the benefits of psychedelic drugs, 246
as Committee fan, 243
Foxx praised by, 291
Foxx’s influence on, 192
with Motown group, 221, 222
Ciro’s, 280–281
Clark, Ron, 122–123, 282
Clark, Wilbur, 139
Clay, Andrew Dice, 326–327
Clinton, Bill, 344
Close, Del, 169–170, 204
Coca, Imogene, 108, 123
cocaine. See drug use
Cohen, Jack. See Dangerfield, Rodney (Jack Roy)
Cohn, Harry, 37
Colbert, Stephen
Colbert Report, The, 350
as Daily Show contributor, 349
as Dana Carvey Show writer, 343
O’Brien met by, 340
performance in front of Bush, 350–351
Colbert Report, The, 350
Colby, Paul, 181
Cole, Nat King, 289
Colgate Comedy Hour, The, 81–82
Colomby, Harry, 283
Colson, Chuck, 240–241, 267
Columbia Wheel burlesque circuit, 6
“Comedian, The,” 99
Comedian Backstage documentary, 211–213
Comedy Boom, 306–329
artistic model for, 304–305
business model for, 304
comedy channels on cable TV, 327–328
comedy club proliferation during, 313–314, 315, 324, 325
comedy oversaturation and, 328
end of, 328
Make Me Laugh as boost to, 303–304
in movies, 324–325
number of working comedians during, 325
older comics not favored by, 312–313
stand-up on cable TV and, 324
VHS rentals and, 315
Comedy Cellar, 334
Comedy Central, 328
Comedy Channel, The, 328
comedy clubs. See also specific clubs
closed at the end of the Comedy Boom, 329
drug use in, 315–316
nightclubs compared to, 274
Pips and The Improvisation as the first, 274
proliferating during the Comedy Boom, 313–314, 315, 324, 325
Comedy Store
comedians’ meeting about pay, 306–307
comedians’ strike at, 307–308
gimmicky prop acts at, 283
left to Mitzi Shore in divorce, 284
Leno living behind, 296
Letterman and, 294, 295
money lost by, 283–284
opened by Shore and De Luca, 282–284
performers not paid by, 306
Prinze’s success at, 297
reopened after strike, 308
second branch of, 304
television careers launched from, 282–283, 298
variety TV dominated by comedians from, 301–302
Williams at, 298–299
Comic Strip, the, 308–309
Comic View, 333
Committee, The, 241–243, 244
Communism. See Red Scare
Compass Players, 168–170
Concord resort, Catskills, 74–75
Connell, Jim, 182–183
Cook, Dane, 351–352
Cooper, Pat
on Greene’s greatness, 146
NY presentation houses’ influence on, 78
on Roy’s anger, 91
on Storm, 75
on Sullivan’s lack of talent, 111
Copacabana nightclub, 62–64, 106
Corey, Irwin, 111, 215
Correll, Charles, 31–32
Cosby, Bill
assassination of King and, 219–220
comedy records by, 224
confidence of, 223
Gregory compared to, 223–224
influences on, 223
Pryor hated by, 229
start in stand-up, 223
as Tonight Show guest, 224
Woody Allen and, 224
Cosmo Alley, 176
Costello, Frank, 62
Costello, Lou, 81, 116–117. See also Abbott & Costello
Coulter, E. M., 219
Counterattack, 118
Crane, Les, 236–237
Crawford, Joan, 38
Crescendo, 162, 164, 218
crime, organized. See Mob, the
Crosby, John, 122
Crosby, Norm, 156, 302–303
cross-dressing, 100–101
cruelty in vaudeville, 7–8, 9, 12
Crystal Palace, St. Louis, 170–171
CTV (Comedy Television), 328
Cullen, Don, 268
Curtis, Dick
on Bruce at the Crescendo, 162
on Bruce’s shocking acts, 159
Comedy Store criticized by, 283
on the Mob, 56
Mob clubs worked by, 65
on the Mob naming stand-up comics, 53
on the Mob’s move to Vegas, 67
on Shore’s poor taste, 282
Curtiss, Jackie, 68, 214
Dagmar, 127, 128
Daily Show, The, 347–348, 349–350
Dana, Bill, 123, 130, 194
Dana Carvey Show, The, 343–344
Dangerfield, Rodney (Jack Roy)
act rented by Irwin, 91–92
angry character of, 90–91
comedy club opened by, 276
Dean’s help for, 93–94
difficult marriage of, 91
home improvement scam of, 92–93
jokes sold at Hanson’s by, 92
Kinnison aided by, 326
Klein praised by, 275
manager found by, 94
name change by, 92, 93, 94
pot as life-changing for, 90
on Pully’s lewdness, 68
unlikable persona of, 91, 93–94
as Young Comedians Special host, 325
Dann, Artie, 59, 66
Darden, Severn, 169, 170
David, Larry
Bilko program loved by, 103
as cult favorite, 311
early routines of, 310
friendship with Lewis, 309
hired for Fridays, 311–312
Improv comics watched by, 309
Lewis originally disliked by, 309
response to hecklers and fans by, 310–311
on returning to stand-up, 354
on road gigs, 311
stand-up as last resort of, 310
teamed with Pope, 312
David Letterman Show, The, 317–319
Davidson, John, 257, 273
Davis, Bette, 38
Davis, Sammy Jr., 289
Dean, John, 267
Dean, Stanley, 93–94, 140
Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, The, 286–288
Def Comedy Jam, 332–333
Delaney, Rob, 354
Delaney & Bonnie, 238
Dell, Gabe, 130
De Luca, Rudy
Comedy Store opened with Shore, 282–284
falling out with Shore, 284
> Four Star International opened by, 284
Peeping Times written by, 298
in the Three Bananas, 281
as Tim Conway writer, 281–282
as writer for Shore, 282
Delugg, Milton, 125, 127
DeLyon, Leo, 150
Diamond, Mickey, 67
Diamond, Neil, 279
Dick, Andy, 337
Dick Cavett Show, The, 240–241
Dickinson, Rube, 3
Dietrich, Marlene, 139
Diller, Phyllis, 80, 213, 268–269
dirty talk
by Abbott & Costello, 31
becoming increasingly vulgar, 353
Bruce’s freedom to use, 158
Bruce’s guts to use, 88, 163
in burlesque, 7
by Carlin, 259–260, 289
by Clay, 327
on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, 287
by Foxx, 188
by Hackett, 144
on HBO specials, 299–301
by Hughley, 333
by McCormick, 287
in Miami Beach, 69–70
moralists’ attack on comics for, 67–68
not allowed at the Copacabana, 63–64
origin of term “working blue,” 7
Pully’s, 68–69
records as outlet for comics using, 71, 72, 192, 193
by Rickles’s early act, 151
in Seinfeld’s early act, 309
by Sullivan, offstage, 111
vaudeville’s chaste policy, 1–2, 7
by Williams, 299
by Youngman, 287
Donald, Peter, 10
Door, William H., 194
Dooto Records, 191–192, 291
Doud, Earle, 136, 196, 197
Douglas, Jack, 136
Douglass, Charley, 113, 114
Downey, James, 353
Downs, Doug, 211
Drake, Allan, 65
Dreeson, Tom
on the Comedy Store, 284, 306, 307
on David’s response to fans, 311
on Letterman’s destiny as talk show host, 296
on the Playboy Clubs, 214
Drozen, David, 292, 294
Drozen, Lou, 291–294
drug use
alcohol as vaudeville comedians’ downfall, 5–6
by Belushi, 316
by Brent, 204
by Bruce, 89–90, 158, 204, 224–225, 226, 228, 243
by Carlin, 174, 175, 228, 244, 246, 257, 258, 290
changing attitude toward, 290
by Cheech & Chong, 246
by Close, 204
in comedy clubs, 315–316
by Committee members, 243
emulating Bruce, 204
by the Firesign Theatre, 247
by Foxx, 187, 290, 291
Groucho Marx’s use of LSD, 244–245
by Hackett in Los Angeles, 142–143
by Hanson’s crowd, 90
Hope’s jokes about pot, 264
influences on comedy in the ’60s, 244–246, 247–248
by Kinnison, 326
by Lulu Roman, 257
by Michaels, 272
by Murray Roman, 253
by Preminger, 244
by Pryor, 228, 272, 293
by Saturday Night Live performers, 316
by Smothers Brothers, 253, 254
by Tomlin, 272
by vaudeville comedians, 5
by Wilson, 257, 289, 290
Duke, Roy, 94
Duncan, Andrew, 169
Dunn, Nora, 327
Dyer, Johnny, 14
Earwolf, 355
Ebersol, Dick, 273
Ed Sullivan Show, The, 111–113, 172–173, 209–210
Edwards, Chris, 347
Edwards, Gus, 10
Ed Wynn Show, The, 96
Egnor, Virginia (Dagmar), 127, 128
Einstein, Bob
Another Nice Mess directed by, 267
on Cy Howard, 252
on his father’s death, 46
as Smothers Brothers writer, 43, 251
on the success of the third season, 253–254
Einstein, Charles, 42–43
Einstein, Clifford, 43
Einstein, Harry, 40–46
Entratter, Jack, 139, 144
Esquire Show Lounge, 215
Evans, Robert, 245
Evening at the Improv, An, 323–324
Falkenburg, Jinx, 125
Favale, Vinnie, 328, 345, 346
Fax Records, 194
Fay, Frank, 14–16, 132, 155
Faye, Herbie, 103
FCC
drug lyrics forbidden by, 248
interference with Paulsen by, 251
Section 315 (equal time provision), 238
Federman, Wayne, 304–305, 322, 324
Feiffer, Jules, 164
Feller, Howard, 335
Fetchit, Stepin, 221
Fielding, Jerry, 115–116
Fields, Totie, 183
Fields, W. C., 4, 17, 21, 100
Fine, Larry, 10, 12
Finkel, Bob, 270
Firesign Theatre, 247
First Family, The, 196–198, 200
Fisher, Art, 17
Fisher, Eddie, 82
Five O’Clock Club, 59–60
Flicker, Ted
in the Compass Players, 169
on Elaine May, 169
The Living Premise started by, 203
living with the Landesmans, 171
new Compass opened by, 169
on paying off government inspectors, 203
The Premise started by, 202–203
The Troublemaker written by, 203–204
Flip Wilson Show, The, 289–290
FM radio in the ’60s, 246–247, 248
Fonda, Henry, 250–251
Foster, George, 196
Four Star International, 284
Foxx, Redd
arrested for selling pot, 187
at Basin Street East, 189–190
Chong influenced by, 192
comedy records of, 190, 191
dirty talk by, 188, 190
drug use by, 187, 290, 291
with Foxx & White, 187–188
Gregory’s benefit to, 220–221
gun carried by, 291
Pryor influenced by, 231
in Sanford and Son, 290–291
as a street hustler, 187
Strip City audition by, 188
Foxx & White, 187–188
Franklin, George, 234
Fratianno, Jimmy, 232–233
Freberg, Stan, 167–168, 265
Fred Allen Show, The, 46–48
Freed, Fred, 212–213
Freeman, Devery, 107
Friars Club, 22–23, 44–45, 154, 232–233
Fridays, 311–312
Friedberg, Billy, 105
Friedberg, William, 143
Friedman, Budd, 274, 275, 306, 308
Frisco, Joe, 10
Fuchs, Michael, 300, 301
Gallagher, 306
Gallagher and Shean, 16
Gardner, Hy, 120–121, 131
Garlin, Jeff, 340
Garofalo, Janeane, 337
Garrett, Hank, 104, 314–315
Garrison, Greg, 99, 286, 287
Gautier, Dick, 183–184
Gelbart, Larry, 123, 124
Giancana, Sam, 54–55, 65, 233
Gilford, Jack, 119
Gilliam, Stu, 290
Giuliani, Rudolph, 346–347
Givot, George, 41–42
Glaser, Jon, 343, 346, 347
Gleason, Jackie, 58, 97, 149, 245
Glucksman, Ernie, 109
Goldenson, Leonard, 207
Goldman, Alfred, 45
Gong Show, The, 301–302
Good, Sandy, 243
Good Times, 296
Gosden, Freeman, 31–32
Gosfield, Maurice, 103, 104
Gottlieb, Carl
on The Committee, 242, 243
on Cy Howard, 252
on Grecco, 174
on Groucho Marx’s use of LSD, 245
on Preminger, 244
on Roman, 253
on the Smothers Brothers cancellation, 254
on St. Louis, 171
on Tom Smothers’s delay tactics, 254
Gould, Dana, 316, 336, 337
Grant, Cary, 38
Grant, John, 116–117
Gray, Irving, 130
Graziano, Rocky, 102
Great Depression, 25
Grecco, Vic (Gus Mocerino), 171, 172–174
Green, Eddie, 22
Greenbaum, Everett, 102–103
Greene, Shecky
anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder of, 146–147
beaten at Sinatra’s request, 148
drunken bouts of, 147
on the Five O’Clock Club, 60
friendship with Hackett, 144–145
Laff Records sued by, 293–294
as Las Vegas star, 144–145, 147–148
on Lester getting fired, 128
loved by other comics, 146
Mason disliked by, 210
nonconformist act of, 146, 147–148
parodies of, 145–146
on Rickles and Leonard, 153
show business hated by, 146
television offers to, 147
Gregory, Dick
arrests of, 218, 219
assassination attempts on, 217
assassination of King and, 220
career made at the Playboy Club, 214, 215–216
as civil rights activist, 217–220
comedy changed by, 157
controversy surrounding, 214–215
Cosby compared to, 223–224
Foxx’s benefit from, 220–221
Kennard won parole by, 217
March on Washington speech by, 219
media fame of, 216
nightclub engagements missed by, 218
old jokes told for white consumption by, 216–217
politics and fading career of, 262
presidential bid by, 239–240
at SNCC rally in Selma, 218
start at the Esquire Show Lounge, 215
success resented by others, 221
Griffin, Andrew F., 71
Griffin, Merv, 206
Gross, Ben, 27, 85–86
Guitar Red, 215
Gump, H. S., 69
Hackett, Buddy
cast in The Phil Silvers Show, 103
Comedy Store strike denounced by, 307
dirty language of, 144