Alan King (born Irwin Alan Kniberg; December 26, 1927 – May 9, 2004) was an American actor and

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. King became well known as a

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

ish comedian and satirist. He was also a serious actor who appeared in a number of films and television shows. King wrote several books, produced films, and appeared in plays. In later years he helped many philanthropic causes.

Early life

King was born in New York City, the son of Russian

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

immigrants Minnie (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Solomon) and Bernard Kniberg, a handbag cutter. He had one older sister, Anita Kniberg. He spent his first years on the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. Later, King's family moved to

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. King used humor to survive the tough neighborhoods. King performed impersonations on street corners for pennies. When he was fourteen, King performed "

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" is one of the best-known American songs of the Great Depression. Written by lyricist Yip Harburg and composer Jay Gorney, it was part of the 1932 musical revue ''Americana''; the melody is based on a Russian-Je ...

" on the radio program ''

Major Bowes Amateur Hour The ''Major Bowes Amateur Hour'' was an American radio talent show broadcast in the 1930s and 1940s, created and hosted by Edward Bowes (1874–1946). Selected performers from the program participated in touring vaudeville performances, under ...

''. He lost first prize but was invited to join a nationwide tour. At fifteen, King dropped out of high school to perform comedy at the Hotel Gradus in the

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...

. After one joke that made fun of the hotel's owner, he was fired; however, he spent the remainder of that summer and the one that followed as emcee at Forman's New Prospect Hotel in

Mountaindale, New York Mountaindale is a hamlet (New York), hamlet (and census-designated place) in the town of Fallsburg, New York, Fallsburg in Sullivan County, New York, Sullivan County, New York (state), New York, United States, situated at an altitude of . History ...

. He later worked in Canada in a

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

house while also fighting as a professional

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

: he won twenty straight bouts . Nursing a broken nose, King decided to quit boxing and focus on comedy. He worked as a doorman at the popular

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

Leon and Eddie's while performing comedy under the last name of the boxer who beat him, King.

Career

King began his comedy career with one-liner routines and other material concerning mothers-in-law and

s. His style of comedy changed when he saw

Danny Thomas Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running si ...

in the early 1950s. King realized that Thomas was speaking to his audience, not at them, and was getting a better response. King changed his own style from one-liners to a more conversational style that used everyday life for humor. His wife had persuaded the New Yorker to forsake Manhattan for suburban Forest Hills, Queens. In the 1950's he and his family lived in

Rockville Centre, New York Rockville Centre, commonly abbreviated as RVC, is an incorporated village located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 24,023 at the 2010 census. Histo ...

, and later in Kings Point,

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

, where he lived for the rest of his life. There, he developed comedy revolving around life in

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

ia. With many Americans moving to the suburbs, King's humor took hold. Like many other Jewish comics, King worked the Catskill circuit known as the

Borscht Belt The Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange, and Ulster counties in the U.S. state of New York, straddling both Upstate New York and the north ...

. He was soon opening for

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously ...

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

, and Tony Martin. When Martin was cast in the movie '' Hit the Deck'', he got King his first movie role. He played small roles in movies in the 1950s, but disliked stereotypical roles that he described as "always the sergeant from Brooklyn named Kowalski." Typical of this was his role as Sgt Buzzer in the WW2 film

On the Fiddle ''On the Fiddle'' (released as ''Operation Snafu'' and ''Operation War Head'' in the United States) is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, Mi ...

(1961). His career took off after appearances on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

'', ''

The Perry Como Show Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

,'' and ''

The Garry Moore Show ''The Garry Moore Show'' is the name for several separate American variety series on the CBS television network in the 1950s and 1960s. Hosted by experienced radio performer Garry Moore, the series helped launch the careers of many comedic talent ...

''. He emceed President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

's inauguration in 1961. Living just outside New York City, King was frequently available when

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York ...

needed a short-notice fill-in. He became a regular guest host for ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...

''.

Dick Cavett Alan King Johnny Carson Friars Club Carson roast 1968

He hosted the Oscars in 1972. He headlined two unsold television pilots on CBS, both titled ''The Alan King Show''. The first aired on September 8, 1961; the second aired on July 12, 1986. King eventually expanded his range and made a name for himself in a wide variety of films. He frequently worked for director

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. He was nominated five times for the Academy Award: four for Best Director for ''12 Angry Men'' (1957), ''Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), ''Network'' (1976), ...

, beginning with ''

Bye Bye Braverman ''Bye Bye Braverman'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lumet. The screenplay by Herbert Sargent was adapted from the 1964 novel ''To an Early Grave'' by Wallace Markfield. Plot When minor writer Leslie Braverman dies suddenl ...

'' (1968) and ''

The Anderson Tapes ''The Anderson Tapes'' is a 1971 American crime film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Sean Connery and featuring Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam and Alan King. The screenplay was written by Frank Pierson, based upon a best-selling 1970 nov ...

'' (1971). Lumet later cast him in a starring role in ''

Just Tell Me What You Want ''Just Tell Me What You Want'' is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars Ali MacGraw, Peter Weller and Alan King, and was also Myrna Loy's final film. The screenplay by Jay Presson Allen, adapted from her novel, won he ...

'' (1980), a provocative comedy about a ruthless business mogul and his TV-producer mistress (

Ali MacGraw Elizabeth Alice MacGraw (born April 1, 1939) is an American actress and activist. She gained attention with her role in the film ''Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She gained an ...

). He also played in an uncredited cameo in Lumet's ''

Prince of the City ''Prince of the City'' is a 1981 American neo-noir crime drama film directed and co-written by Sidney Lumet. The film follows Daniel Ciello, an officer of the New York Police Department who chooses, for idealistic reasons, to expose corruption ...

'' (1981). He often portrayed gangsters, as in ''

I, the Jury ''I, the Jury'' is the 1947 debut novel of American crime fiction writer Mickey Spillane, the first work to feature private investigator Mike Hammer. Plot summary The novel opens as private detective Mike Hammer is called to the apartment of i ...

'' (1982) and '' Cat's Eye'' (1985). He had another major role in ''

Memories of Me Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...

'' (1988) as the so-called "king of the Hollywood extras," portraying

Billy Crystal William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. ...

's terminally ill father. King played the role of corrupt union official Andy Stone in

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

's 1995 film ''Casino''. ''

Night and the City ''Night and the City'' is a 1950 film noir directed by Jules Dassin and starring Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney and Googie Withers. It is based on the Night and the City (novel), novel of the same name by Gerald Kersh. Shot on location in Londo ...

'' (1992), also starring

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

. King was the long-standing host of the

New York Friars Club The Friars Club is a private club in New York City. Famous for its risqué roasts, the club's membership is composed mostly of comedians and other celebrities. Founded in 1904, it is located at 57 East 55th Street, between Park Avenue and Madi ...

celebrity roasts and served as the club's historian. King was the first recipient (1988) of the award for American Jewish humor from the

National Foundation for Jewish Culture The Foundation for Jewish Culture (formerly the National Foundation for Jewish Culture) was an advocacy group for Jewish cultural life and creativity in the United States. Founded in 1960, it supported writers, filmmakers, artists, composers, ch ...

. The award was ultimately named in his honor. He inspired other comedians including

Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona—heavi ...

Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing a Jerry Seinfeld (character), semi-fictionalized version of himself in the sitcom ''Seinfeld'', which he ...

Larry David Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer. He and Jerry Seinfeld created the television sitcom ''Seinfeld'', on which David was head writer and executive producer for the first seve ...

Robert Klein Robert Klein (born February 8, 1942) is an American stand-up comedian, singer, and actor. He is known for his appearances on stage and screen. He has released four standup comedy specials: ''A Child of the 50s'' (1973), ''Mind Over Matter'' (197 ...

, and

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

Personal life

King married Jeanette Sprung in 1947. They had three children: Andrew, Robert, and Elainie Ray. His wife persuaded him to move to

Forest Hills, Queens Forest Hills is a mostly residential neighborhood in the central portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is adjacent to Corona to the north, Rego Park and Glendale to the west, Forest Park to the south, Kew Gardens to the southeast, ...

for their children. In the 1950's he and his family lived in

, and later in Kings Point,

, where he lived for the rest of his life. Throughout his life, King was deeply involved in

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

work. He founded the Alan King Medical Center in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, raised funds for the Nassau Center for Emotionally Disturbed Children (near his home in

Kings Point, New York Kings Point is a village located on the Great Neck Peninsula in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 5,005 at the 2010 census. History The Village of Ki ...

), and established a chair in

dramatic arts Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , pro ...

. He also created the Laugh Well program, which sends comedians to hospitals to perform for patients. In the 1970s, King turned his passion for

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

into a pro tournament at

Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesars P ...

Las Vegas called the

Alan King Tennis Classic The Alan King Tennis Classic was a men's tennis tournament held in Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada from 1972-1985. It was an event of the World Championship Tennis, WCT Tour in 1972 before joining the Grand Prix tennis circuit from 1978 until ...

, which was aired nationally on the TVS Television Network. He also created the

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

Comedy Festival.

Death

King, who smoked cigars heavily (a fact that came up in his routines from time to time), died at

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital. MSKCC is one of 52 National Cancer Institute– ...

in Manhattan on May 9, 2004, from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

. He was buried in Mount Hebron Cemetery in

Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the ...

. The film ''

Christmas with the Kranks ''Christmas with the Kranks'' is a 2004 American Christmas comedy film based on the 2001 novel ''Skipping Christmas'' by John Grisham. It was directed by Joe Roth, written and produced by Chris Columbus, and starring Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Da ...

'' was dedicated to his memory. He is also recognized in the end credits of ''

Rush Hour 3 ''Rush Hour 3'' is a 2007 American buddy action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner, written by Jeff Nathanson, and starring Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Hiroyuki Sanada, Noémie Lenoir, Yvan Attal and Youki Kudoh. It is the thi ...

''.

Work

Film

* 1955 '' Hit the Deck'' as Shore Patrol * 1956 ''

Miracle in the Rain ''Miracle in the Rain'' is a United States home front during World War II-themed novella by veteran screenwriter Ben Hecht, published in the April 3, 1943 issue of ''The Saturday Evening Post'' weekly magazine then, within six months, issued in b ...

'' as Sergeant Gilbert 'Gil' Parker * 1956 ''

The Girl He Left Behind ''The Girl He Left Behind'' is a 1956 American romantic comedy film starring Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood. The supporting cast includes Jim Backus, Alan King, James Garner, and David Janssen. The film was written by Guy Trosper and directed by Dav ...

'' as Maguire * 1957 ''

The Helen Morgan Story ''The Helen Morgan Story'', released in the UK as ''Both Ends of the Candle'', is a 1957 American biographical film directed by Michael Curtiz starring Ann Blyth and Paul Newman. The screenplay by Oscar Saul, Dean Riesner, Stephen Longstreet, ...

'' as Benny Weaver * 1961 ''

'' as T. / Sergeant Buzzer * 1968 ''

'' as The Rabbi * 1971 ''

'' as Angelo * 1972 ''Come on Children'' (documentary) * 1977 '' Seventh Avenue'' (TV miniseries) as Harry Lee * 1978 ''

How To Pick Up Girls ''How to Pick Up Girls!'' is a 1978 American made-for-television comedy film shot on location in New York City starring Desi Arnaz Jr., Bess Armstrong and Fred McCarren. Based loosely on the 1968 best-selling book of the same title by author ...

'' as Manny Shiller * 1980 ''

'' as Max Herschel * 1981 ''

'' as Himself (cameo, uncredited) * 1982 ''

'' as Charles Kalecki * 1982 '' Author! Author!'' as Kreplich * 1983 '' Lovesick'' as Dr. Lionel Gross, M.D. * 1985 '' Cat's Eye'' as Dr. Vinny Donatti * 1987 ''You Talkin' to Me?'' as Himself * 1988 ''

'' as Abe * 1989 ''Funny'' (documentary) * 1989 '' Enemies, A Love Story'' as Rabbi Lembeck * 1990 ''

The Bonfire of the Vanities ''The Bonfire of the Vanities'' is a 1987 novel by Tom Wolfe. The story is a drama about ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed in 1980s New York City, and centers on three main characters: WASP bond trader Sherman McCoy, Jewish as ...

'' as Arthur Ruskin * 1991 ''Dragon and Slippers'' as Narrator (voice) * 1992 ''

'' as Ira 'Boom Boom' Grossman * 1995 ''

Casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

'' as Andy Stone * 1998 ''

The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars ''The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars'' is a 1998 American animated musical film. It is based on the 1988 novella of the same name by Thomas M. Disch. It is the sequel to ''The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue'' (1997). The film was released ...

'' as Supreme Commander (voice) * 2001 ''

Rush Hour 2 ''Rush Hour 2'' is a 2001 American buddy action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Jeff Nathanson, based on the characters created by Ross LaManna. A sequel to '' Rush Hour'', it is the second installment in the ''Rush Hour'' f ...

'' as Steven Reign * 2002 '' Sunshine State'' as Murray Silver * 2004 ''

Mind the Gap "Mind the gap" () or sometimes "watch the gap" is an audible or visual warning phrase issued to rail passengers to take caution while crossing the horizontal, and in some cases vertical, spatial gap between the train door and the station ...

'' as Herb Schweitzer (final film role)

Television

* 1974-1984 ''

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast ''The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast'' is a series of television specials hosted by entertainer Dean Martin and airing from 1974 to 1984. For a series of 54 specials and shows, Martin and his friends would "roast" a celebrity. The roasts were patter ...

'' as Himself * 1980 ''

Pinocchio's Christmas ''Pinocchio's Christmas'' is a 1980 Christmas stop motion television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions that is a holiday adaptation of the 1883 novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' by Carlo Collodi. The special was originally aired on A ...

'' as Maestro Fire-Eater (voice) * 1990 ''

Thirtysomething ''Thirtysomething'' is an American drama television series created by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz for United Artists Television (under MGM/UA Television) and aired on ABC from September 29, 1987, to May 28, 1991."The 'don't trust anyo ...

'' episode "Prelude to a Bris" as Dr. Ben Teitelman * 1990 '' Alan King: Inside the Comedy Mind'' Host and (producer) * 1990 '' Great Performances - The World of Jewish Humor'' * 1991 ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

'' (1991); episode "Melodrama" (guest), as Mel Bushman, Blanche's On-Off Beau * 1992 ''

Blossom In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring. Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as wel ...

'' episode "Losing Your … Religion", as Rabbi Hyman Greenblatt * 1993 ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...

'' episode "Securitate" (guest) as Jonathan Shapiro * 1995 '' The State (TV Series)'' The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special as Himself * 1998 ''

Murphy Brown ''Murphy Brown'' is an American television sitcom created by Diane English that premiered on November 14, 1988, on CBS. The series stars Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for ''FYI'', a ...

'' episode "Now You Can Say Goodbye" (guest) as God * 1999 ''

Chicago Hope ''Chicago Hope'' is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charitable hospital in Chicago, Illinois. ...

'' episode "Big Hand for the Little Lady" (guest) as Larry Lensky * 1999 ''

Family Law Family law (also called matrimonial law or the law of domestic relations) is an area of the law that deals with family matters and domestic relations. Overview Subjects that commonly fall under a nation's body of family law include: * Marriage, ...

'' episode "The Nanny" (guest) as Hy Adlin * 2000 ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...

'' episode "There's Something About Paulie" as The Don (voice)

Stage

* ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'' (actor)
15 performances
* ''

The Impossible Years ''The Impossible Years'' is a 1965 comedy play written by Robert Fisher and Arthur Marx, son of comedian Groucho Marx. After two previews, the Broadway production, directed by Arthur Storch, opened on October 13, 1965, at the Playhouse Theatre, ...

'' (actor) * ''

The Lion in Winter ''The Lion in Winter'' is a 1966 play by James Goldman, depicting the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their children and their guests during Christmas 1183. It premiered on Broadway at the ...

'' (producer) * '' Something Different'' (producer) * ''Mr. Goldwyn'' (actor) * ''

Festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...

'' (writer)

Bibliography

* ''Anybody Who Owns His Own Home Deserves It'', with Kathryn Ryan (1962) * ''Help! I'm a Prisoner in a Chinese Bakery'' (1964) * ''Is Salami and Eggs Better Than Sex? Memoirs of a Happy Eater'' (1985) * ''Name Dropping: The Life and Lies of Alan King'' (1996) with

Chris Chase Chris Chase (born Irene Greengard; January 12, 1924 – October 31, 2013), also known by the stage name Irene Kane, was an American model, film actress, writer, and journalist.Miller, Betty Jean. (April 1, 1975). "Writing brings fame for Chris Ch ...

* ''Alan King's Great Jewish Joke Book'' (2002) * ''Matzoh Balls for Breakfast and Other Memories of Growing Up Jewish'' (2005)

References

External links

* * * * Ephross, Peter
"Alan King a Model for Seinfeld, Crystal"
''Jewish Journal''. * Author Unknown

''WNBC''. (May 12, 2004) * Weber, Bruce

''The New York Times''. (May 10, 2004) * Williams, Stephen
"The Comic Laureate Of Long Island"
, ''Newsday''. (May 13, 2004) * Vosburgh, Dick

''The Independent''. (21 May 2004) * Sen, Indran
Alan King Dies at 76
''Newsday''. (May 2004) *
Comic Alan King Dead at 76
" ''Variety''. (May 10, 2004) * Cooper, Chet.

" ''Ability Magazine''. * Bernstein, Adam.

. , ''The Washington Post''. (May 10, 2004). *

. Accessed 14 September 2006. * {{DEFAULTSORT:King, Alan 1927 births 2004 deaths Burials at Mount Hebron Cemetery (New York City) American humorists American male film actors American male television actors American male musical theatre actors American male stage actors American people of Russian-Jewish descent American male voice actors Philanthropists from New York (state) American stand-up comedians Jewish American male actors Jewish American male comedians Male actors from New York City People from Forest Hills, Queens People from Kings Point, New York People from the Lower East Side Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Deaths from lung cancer Musicians from Brooklyn Comedians from New York City 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American philanthropists 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews