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 situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience dir ...
known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. King became well known as a
Jewish 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 ...
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 ...
of
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
. 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 (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...
. 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- ...
" on the radio program ''
Major Bowes Amateur Hour''. 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. 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. 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: 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
Jews. His style of comedy changed when he saw
Danny Thomas 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, and later in
Kings Point,
Long Island, where he lived for the rest of his life.
There, he developed comedy revolving around life in
suburbia. 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 no ...
.
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,
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 (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,'' and ''
The Garry Moore Show''.
He emceed President
John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961.
Living just outside New York City, King was frequently available when
Ed Sullivan 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, ...
''.
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, 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 suddenly ...
'' (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 novel of ...
'' (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 h ...
'' (1980), a provocative comedy about a ruthless business mogul and his TV-producer mistress (
Ali MacGraw). He also played in an uncredited cameo in Lumet's ''
Prince of the City'' (1981).
He often portrayed gangsters, as in ''
I, the Jury'' (1982) and ''
Cat's Eye'' (1985). He had another major role in ''
Memories of Me'' (1988) as the so-called "king of the Hollywood extras," portraying
Billy Crystal'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 many major accolades, incl ...
's 1995 film ''Casino''. ''
Night and the City'' (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 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 award was ultimately named in his honor.
He inspired other comedians including
Joan Rivers,
Jerry Seinfeld,
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 sev ...
,
Billy Crystal,
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'' (19 ...
, and
Bill Cosby.
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 for their children. In the 1950's he and his family lived in
Rockville Centre, New York, and later in
Kings Point,
Long Island, where he lived for the rest of his life.
Throughout his life, King was deeply involved in
charity 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), 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 ha ...
at
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational institution sponsored by the Jews, Jewish community, Brandeis was established on t ...
. 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 c ...
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.
Caesar ...
Las Vegas called the
Alan King Tennis Classic, 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 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 tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...
. 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 th ...
. The film ''
Christmas with the Kranks'' was dedicated to his memory.
He is also recognized in the end credits of ''
Rush Hour 3''.
Work
Film
* 1955 ''
Hit the Deck'' as Shore Patrol
* 1956 ''
Miracle in the Rain'' as Sergeant Gilbert 'Gil' Parker
* 1956 ''
The Girl He Left Behind'' as Maguire
* 1957 ''
The Helen Morgan Story'' as Benny Weaver
* 1961 ''
On the Fiddle'' as T. / Sergeant Buzzer
* 1968 ''
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 suddenly ...
'' as The Rabbi
* 1971 ''
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 novel of ...
'' as Angelo
* 1972 ''Come on Children'' (documentary)
* 1977 ''
Seventh Avenue'' (TV miniseries) as Harry Lee
* 1978 ''
How To Pick Up Girls'' as Manny Shiller
* 1980 ''
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 h ...
'' as Max Herschel
* 1981 ''
Prince of the City'' as Himself (cameo, uncredited)
* 1982 ''
I, the Jury'' 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 ''
Memories of Me'' as Abe
* 1989 ''Funny'' (documentary)
* 1989 ''
Enemies, A Love Story'' as Rabbi Lembeck
* 1990 ''
The Bonfire of the Vanities'' as Arthur Ruskin
* 1991 ''Dragon and Slippers'' as Narrator (voice)
* 1992 ''
Night and the City'' 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 enterta ...
'' as Andy Stone
* 1998 ''
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars'' as Supreme Commander (voice)
* 2001 ''
Rush Hour 2'' as Steven Reign
* 2002 ''
Sunshine State'' as Murray Silver
* 2004 ''
Mind the Gap'' 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 patte ...
'' as Himself
* 1980 ''
Pinocchio's Christmas'' 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 ...
'' 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 W ...
'' (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 a ...
'' 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 o ...
'' 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'' 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, Illinoi ...
'' 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:
* Marri ...
'' 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 Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ...
'' episode "There's Something About Paulie" as The Don (voice)
Stage
* ''
Guys and Dolls'' (actor)
15 performances* ''
The Impossible Years'' (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 co ...
'' (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
* ''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