Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009) was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. T ...

'', and as co-writer of the Broadway musicals ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman playwright Plautu ...

'' and '' City of Angels''.

Biography

Early life

Gelbart was born in Chicago, Illinois, to

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 Harry Gelbart, "a barber since his half of a childhood in

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

," and Frieda Sturner, who migrated to America from Dąbrowa Górnicza,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. Marcia Gelbart Walkenstein was his sister. His family later moved to Los Angeles and he attended Fairfax High School. Drafted into the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

shortly after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Gelbart worked for the Armed Forces Radio Service in Los Angeles. Attaining the rank of sergeant, Gelbart was honorably discharged after serving 1 year and 11 days. Those last 11 days prevented Gelbart from being drafted for service during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

Television

Gelbart began as a writer at the age of sixteen for

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 sitc ...

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

show after his father, who was Thomas's

barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...

, showed Thomas some jokes Gelbart had written. During the 1940s Gelbart also wrote for

Jack Paar Jack Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 – January 27, 2004) was an American talk show host, author, radio and television comedian, and film actor. He was the second host of '' The Tonight Show'' from 1957 to 1962. ''Time'' magazine's obituary of Paar rep ...

and

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...

. In the 1950s, his most important work in

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

involved writing for

Red Buttons Red Buttons (born Aaron Chwatt; February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role in the 1957 film '' Sayonara''. He was nominated for awards for his acting work ...

, for

Sid Caesar Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor, comedian and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950� ...

on '' Caesar's Hour'', and in

Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American stage, film and television actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in ''Come to ...

's '' Honestly, Celeste!'', as well as with writers

Mel Tolkin Mel Tolkin ( Shmuel Tolchinsky; August 3, 1913 – November 26, 2007) was a television comedy writer best known as head writer of the live sketch comedy series ''Your Show of Shows'' (NBC, 1950–1954) during the Golden Age of Television. Ther ...

, Michael Stewart,

Selma Diamond Selma Diamond (August 5, 1920 – May 13, 1985) was a Canadian-born American comedian, actress, and radio and television writer, known for her high-range, raspy voice and her portrayal of Selma Hacker on the first two seasons of the NBC televisio ...

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

and

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

on two Caesar specials. In 1972, Gelbart was one of the main forces behind the creation of the television series ''M*A*S*H'', acting as "Radar", writing the pilot (for which he received a "Developed for Television by __" credit); then producing, often writing and occasionally directing the series for its first four seasons, from 1972 to 1976. ''M*A*S*H'' earned Gelbart a Peabody Award and an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series and went on to considerable commercial and critical success.

Films

Gelbart's best known screen work is perhaps the screenplay for 1982's ''

Tootsie ''Tootsie'' is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Dustin Hoffman. Its supporting cast includes Pollack, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, Geo ...

'', which he co-wrote with

Murray Schisgal Murray Joseph Schisgal (November 25, 1926 – October 1, 2020) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Life and career Schisgal was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He was the son of Jewish immigrants, Irene (Sperling), a bank clerk, and Ab ...

. He was nominated for an Academy Award for that script, and also was Oscar-nominated for his adapted screenplay for 1977's '' Oh, God!'' starring John Denver and

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...

. On his relationship with actor Dustin Hoffman in ''

'', Gelbart is reported to have said, "Never work with an Oscar-winner who is shorter than the statue

He later retracted this statement, saying that it was just a joke. He collaborated with Burt Shevelove on the screenplay for the 1966 British film ''

The Wrong Box ''The Wrong Box'' is a 1966 British comedy film produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the 1889 novel '' The Wrong Box'' by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne. It was made by ...

''. Gelbart also co-wrote the golden-era film spoof ''

Movie Movie ''Movie Movie'' is a 1978 American double bill directed by Stanley Donen. It consists of two films: ''Dynamite Hands'', a boxing ring morality play, and ''Baxter's Beauties of 1933'', a musical comedy, both starring the husband-and-wife team of G ...

'' (1978) starring

George C. Scott George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was an American actor, director, and producer who had a celebrated career on both stage and screen. With a gruff demeanor and commanding presence, Scott became known for his port ...

in dual roles, the racy comedy ''

Blame It on Rio ''Blame It on Rio'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and written by Charlie Peters and Larry Gelbart based on the 1977 French film ''Un moment d'égarement'', starring an ensemble cast led by Michael Caine, Joseph ...

'' (1984) starring

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

and the 2000 remake of '' Bedazzled'' with

Elizabeth Hurley Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is an English actress and model. As an actress, her best-known film roles have been as Vanessa Kensington in ''Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997) and as the Devil in ''Bedazzled (2000 ...

and

Brendan Fraser Brendan James Fraser ( ; born December 3, 1968) is an American-Canadian actor known for his leading roles in blockbusters, comedies, and dramatic films. Having graduated from the Cornish College of the Arts in 1990, he made his film debut in '' ...

. His script for ''

Rough Cut In filmmaking, the rough cut is the second of three stages of offline editing. The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when film stock was physically cut and reassembled, but is still used to describe projects that are recorded and ...

'' (1980), a caper film starring Burt Reynolds,

Lesley-Anne Down Lesley-Anne Down (born 17 March 1954) is a British actress, singer and former model. She achieved fame as Georgina Worsley in the ITV drama series '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1973–75). She received further recognition for her performances in ...

and

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

, was credited under the pseudonym Francis Burns. Gelbart-scripted films for television included ''

Barbarians at the Gate ''Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco'' is a 1989 book about the leveraged buyout (LBO) of RJR Nabisco, written by investigative journalists Bryan Burrough and John Helyar. The book is based upon a series of articles written by th ...

'' (1993), a true story about the battle for control of the RJR Nabisco corporation starring

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy ...

that was based on the best-selling book of that name; the original comedy ''

Weapons of Mass Distraction ''Weapons of Mass Distraction'' is a 1997 television film directed by Stephen Surjik and written by Larry Gelbart, about two media moguls and their fight over ownership of a professional American football team. The film starred Gabriel Byrne and B ...

'' (1997) starring

Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and tw ...

and

Gabriel Byrne Gabriel James Byrne (born 12 May 1950) is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, audiobook narrator, and author. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined London's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's s ...

as rival media moguls; and ''

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself ''And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself'' is a 2003 American made-for-television western film for HBO in partnership with City Entertainment and starring Antonio Banderas as Pancho Villa, directed by Bruce Beresford, written by Larry Gelbart and ...

'' (2003) starring Antonio Banderas as the Mexican revolutionary leader.

Broadway

Gelbart co-wrote the long-running

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musical farce ''

'' with

Burt Shevelove Burt Shevelove (September 19, 1915 – April 8, 1982) was an American musical theater playwright, lyricist, librettist, and director. Biography Born in Newark, New Jersey, he graduated from Brown University and Yale (Master's degree). At ...

and Stephen Sondheim in 1962. After the show received poor reviews and box-office returns during its previews in Washington, D.C., rewrites and restaging helped; it was a smash Broadway hit and ran for 964 performances. Its book won a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

. In a 1991 published edition of the musical, Gelbart wrote "it remains for me the best piece of work I've been lucky enough to see my name on." A film version starring Zero Mostel and directed by

Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for directing the Beatles' films '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) and '' Help!'' (1965), and the superhero films ' ...

, was released in 1966. Gelbart was critical of the movie, as most of his and Shevelove's libretto was largely rewritten. Gelbart's other Broadway credits include the musical '' City of Angels'', which won him the

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. For two years, in addition to the award ...

, the

Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligib ...

, and an Edgar Award and an off-Broadway musical, ''In The Beginning'', a satirical take on the Bible, with music and lyrics by

Maury Yeston Maury Yeston (born October 23, 1945) is an American composer, lyricist and music theorist. He is known as the initiator of new Broadway musicals and writing their music and lyrics, as well as a classical orchestral and ballet composer, Yale Uni ...

. He also wrote the Iran-contra

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...

Mastergate ''Mastergate'' is a play by Larry Gelbart, which he describes as "A Play On Words". The title refers to a fictional political scandal enacted on "Master Pictures Studios", a fictional movie company that is actually a cover for arms trading. The ti ...

'', as well as ''

Sly Fox ''Sly Fox'' is a comedic play by Larry Gelbart, based on Ben Jonson's ''Volpone'' (''The Fox''), updating the setting from Renaissance Venice to 19th century San Francisco, and changing the tone from satire to farce. The play revolves around the ...

'' and a musical adaptation of the

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. In 1941, he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film '' The Great McGinty'' (1940), h ...

movie ''

Hail the Conquering Hero ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' (1944) is a satirical comedy-drama film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines and William Demarest, and featuring Raymond Walburn, Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson ...

'', whose grueling development inspired Gelbart to utter what evolved into the classic quip, "If

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

is alive, I hope he's out of town with a musical."

Memoirs

In 1997, Gelbart published his memoir, ''Laughing Matters: On Writing M*A*S*H, Tootsie, Oh, God! and a Few Other Funny Things''.

Blogger

Gelbart was a contributing blogger at ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', and also was a regular participant on the alt.tv.mash

Usenet Usenet () is a worldwide distributed discussion system available on computers. It was developed from the general-purpose Unix-to-Unix Copy (UUCP) dial-up network architecture. Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979, and it wa ...

newsgroup as "Elsig".

Honors

In 1995, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him. He won a Tony Award for the book of ''A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum.'' He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1974 for ''M*A*S*H''. In 2002, Gelbart was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was inducted into the

Television Hall of Fame The Television Academy Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to U.S. television. The hall of fame was founded by former Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) president John H. Mitchell (1921–1988). ...

Death

Gelbart was diagnosed with

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

in June and died at his Beverly Hills home on September 11, 2009. His wife of 53 years, Pat Gelbart, said that after being married for so long, "we finished each other's sentences." She declined to specify the type of cancer he had. He was buried at the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.''Resting Places''
/ref>

Writing credits

* ''

Duffy's Tavern ''Duffy's Tavern'' is an American radio situation comedy that ran for a decade on several networks ( CBS, 1941–42; NBC-Blue Network, 1942–44; and NBC, 1944–51), concluding with the December 28, 1951, broadcast. The program often featured ...

'' (1941–1951) (Radio) * ''

The Red Buttons Show ''The Red Buttons Show'' premiered on the CBS television network On October 14, 1952, and ran for two years on that network, then moved to NBC for the final 1954–55 season. Red's catch phrase from the show, "Strange things are happening!" entere ...

'' (1952) (TV) * '' Honestly, Celeste!'' (1954) (TV) * '' Caesar's Hour'' (1954–1957) (TV) * '' The Patrice Munsel Show'' (1957) (TV) * ''

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to May 1963. The series was sponsored by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors and its theme song, sung by Shore, ...

'' (1958) (TV) * '' The Art Carney Show'' (1959) (TV) * '' Startime'' (1959) (TV) * ''The Best of Anything'' (1960) (TV) * ''Hooray for Love'' (1960) (TV) * ''

'' (with

) (1962) (Theater) * ''

The Notorious Landlady ''The Notorious Landlady'' is a 1962 American comedy mystery film starring Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, and Fred Astaire.'' Variety'' film review; June 27, 1962, page 6.'' Harrison's Reports'' film review; June 30, 1962, page 98. The film was dire ...

'' (with

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...

) (1962) * ''Judy and her guests,

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

and Robert Goulet'' (1963) (TV) * '' The Thrill of It All'' (1963) (story only) * ''

The Danny Kaye Show ''The Danny Kaye Show'' was an American variety show, hosted by the stage and screen star Danny Kaye, which aired on Wednesday nights from September 25, 1963, to June 7, 1967, on the CBS television network. Directed by Robert Scheerer, it premi ...

'' (1963) (TV) * ''

'' (with

) (1966) * '' Not with My Wife, You Don't!'' (with Norman Panama and Peter Barnes) (1966) * ''

A Fine Pair ''A Fine Pair'' (original title ''Ruba al prossimo tuo'') is a 1968 Italian crime-comedy film directed by Francesco Maselli. It stars Rock Hudson and Claudia Cardinale, who had co-starred together two years earlier in the romantic drama, ''Blindfo ...

'' (1967) (uncredited) * ''Eddie'' (1971) (TV) * ''

The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine ''The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine'' is a 1971 comedy-variety sketch series, starring British comedian Marty Feldman. Co-produced by ATV in the UK and ABC TV in the United States, it was recorded at ATV's Elstree Studios. It features opening ...

'' (1971) (TV) * ''

'' (1972–1983) (TV) (also Co-Creator, with

Gene Reynolds Eugene Reynolds Blumenthal (April 4, 1923 – February 3, 2020) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He was one of the developers and producers of the TV series ''M*A*S*H''. Early life Reynolds was born on April 4, 1923, ...

) * ''

Roll Out ''Roll Out'' is an American sitcom that aired Friday evenings on CBS during the 1973-1974 television season. Starring nightclub comedian Stu Gilliam and Hilly Hicks, and featuring Ed Begley Jr. and Garrett Morris, the series was set in France d ...

'' (1973) (TV) * ''If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever?'' (1974) (TV) * ''

Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...

'' (1975) (TV) * ''

'' (1976) (Theater) * ''

Three's Company ''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom '' Man About the House''. The story revolves around three single room ...

'' (1976) (TV) (unaired pilot) * '' Oh God!'' (1977) * ''

'' (1978) * ''

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

'' (1980) (TV) * ''

'' (1980) (as Francis Burns) * '' Neighbors'' (1981) * ''

'' (with

) (1982) * ''

AfterMASH ''AfterMASH'' is an American sitcom television series produced as the first spin-off (second overall) and a continuation of ''M*A*S*H'' that aired on CBS from September 26, 1983 to May 31, 1985. It was developed as the sequel series as it takes ...

'' (1983–1984) (TV) (also Creator) * ''

Blame it on Rio ''Blame It on Rio'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and written by Charlie Peters and Larry Gelbart based on the 1977 French film ''Un moment d'égarement'', starring an ensemble cast led by Michael Caine, Joseph ...

'' (1984) * ''In The Beginning'' (1988) (with

) (Theater) * '' City of Angels'' (1989) (Theater) * ''

'' (1990) (Theater) * ''

'' (1993) (TV) * ''

'' (1997) (TV) * ''Laughing Matters: On writing M*A*S*H, Tootsie, Oh, God! And A Few Other Funny Things'' (1999) (Autobiography) * ''C-Scam'' (2000) (TV) * '' Bedazzled'' (with

Harold Ramis Harold Allen Ramis (; November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014) was an American actor, comedian, director and writer. His best-known film acting roles were as Egon Spengler in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984) and ''Ghostbusters II'' (1989), and as Russell ...

and

Peter Tolan Peter James Tolan III (born July 5, 1958) is an American television producer, director, and screenwriter. Early life and career Tolan was born in Scituate, Massachusetts, where he was a perennial favorite in the high school's dramatic production ...

) (2000) * ''

'' (2003) (TV)

''MAS*H'' episodes

The following is a list of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes (42 Total) written and/or directed by Gelbart.

Season one (9/17/72–3/25/73)

* Episode 1:

The Pilot A pilot is a person who flies or navigates an aircraft. Pilot or The Pilot may also refer to: * Maritime pilot, a person who guides ships through hazardous waters * Television pilot, a television episode used to sell a series to a television netw ...

(Written) * Episode 4: "Chief Surgeon Who?" (Written) * Episode 11: "Germ Warfare" (Written) * Episode 12: "Dear Dad" (Written) * Episode 18: "Dear Dad...Again" (Written with

Sheldon Keller Sheldon Bernard "Shelly" Keller (August 20, 1923 – September 1, 2008) was an American screenwriter and composer. Life and career Keller was born in Chicago and attended University of Illinois, where he began writing comedy with his fraternity br ...

) * Episode 21: "Sticky Wicket" (Teleplay with Laurence Marks) * Episode 23: "Ceasefire" (Teleplay with Laurence Marks) * Episode 24: "Showtime" (Teleplay with Robert Klane; Story)

Season two (9/15/73–3/2/74)

* Episode 1: " Divided We Stand" (Written) * Episode 2: "Five O'Clock Charlie" (Written with Laurence Marks & Keith Walker) * Episode 6: "Kim" (Written with Marc Mandel & Laurence Marks) * Episode 7: "L.I.P. (Local Indigenous Personnel)" (Written with Carl Kleinschmitt & Laurence Marks) * Episode 9: "Dear Dad...Three" (Written with Laurence Marks) * Episode 11: " Carry On, Hawkeye" (Written with Bernard Dilbert & Laurence Marks) * Episode 12: "The Incubator" (Written with Laurence Marks) * Episode 13: "Deal Me Out" (Written with Laurence Marks) * Episode 16: "Henry in Love" (Written with Laurence Marks) * Episode 19: "The Chosen People" (Written Laurence Marks & Sheldon Keller) * Episode 20: "As You Were" (Written with Laurence Marks) * Episode 21: "Crisis" (Written with Laurence Marks) * Episode 23: "Mail Call" (Written with Laurence Marks) * Episode 24: "A Smattering of Intelligence" (Written with Laurence Marks; Directed)

Season three (9/10/74–3/18/75)

* Episode 1: "The General Flipped at Dawn" (Directed) * Episode 2: "Rainbow Bridge" (Written with Laurence Marks) * Episode 4: "Iron Guts Kelly" (Written with Sid Dorfman) * Episode 5: "O.R." (Written with Laurence Marks) * Episode 10: "There's Nothing Like a Nurse" (Written) * Episode 16: "Bulletin Board" (Written with Simon Muntner) * Episode 17: " The Consultant" (Story) * Episode 19: "

Aid Station An aid station is a temporary facility (often a tent, table, or general rest area) established to provide supplies to endurance event participants or medical first aid and provisions during major events, disaster response situations, or military ...

" (Written with Simon Muntner) * Episode 23: "

White Gold Pure gold is slightly reddish yellow in color, but colored gold in various other colors can be produced by alloying gold with other elements. Colored golds can be classified in three groups: * Alloys with silver and copper in various proportions ...

" (Written with Simon Muntner) * Episode 24: "

Abyssinia, Henry "Abyssinia, Henry" is the 72nd episode of the ''M*A*S*H'' television series, and the final episode of the series' third season. It was written by Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, and first aired on March 18, 1975. The episode is notable for i ...

" (Directed)

Season four (9/12/75–2/24/76)

* Episode 1: " Welcome to Korea" (Written with Everett Greenbaum & Jim Fritzell) * Episode 3: "It Happened One Night" (Teleplay with Simon Muntner) * Episode 9: "

Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler? "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?" was the 82nd episode of the ''M*A*S*H'' television series, and the tenth of season four. The episode aired on November 7, 1975. " Quo Vadis" is Latin for "Where are you going?" and is a reference to a conversation r ...

" (Directed) * Episode 13: "The Gun" (Written with

) * Episode 15: "The Price of Tomato Juice" (Written with Gene Reynolds) * Episode 18: "Hawkeye" (Written with Simon Muntner; Directed) * Episode 21: "Smilin' Jack" (Written with Simon Muntner) * Episode 22: "The More I See You" (Written with Gene Reynolds) * Episode 23: "Deluge" (Written with Simon Muntner) * Episode 24: "

The Interview ''The Interview'' is a 2014 satirical alternate history action-comedy film co-produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their second directorial work, following ''This Is the End'' (2013). The screenplay was written by Dan Ste ...

" (Written and Directed)

References

Bibliography

* Isenberg, Barbara. ''State of the Arts: California Artists Talk About Their Work.'' 2005

External links

* *
Larry Gelbart
– Daily Telegraph obituary
''Abrogate'' – Larry Gelbart play, online @ BBC Radio 4

Old Time Radio Researchers Database of People and Programs

Larry Gelbart Archive of American Television Interview

Larry Gelbart, TIME Magazine {{DEFAULTSORT:Gelbart, Larry 1928 births 2009 deaths American comedy writers 20th-century American memoirists American male dramatists and playwrights American male screenwriters 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Film producers from New York (state) American television directors Television producers from New York City American television writers Deaths from cancer in California Drama Desk Award winners Edgar Award winners Jewish American comedy writers Jewish American dramatists and playwrights Jewish American screenwriters People from Greater Los Angeles Tony Award winners Emmy Award winners Writers from Chicago Writers Guild of America Award winners HuffPost writers and columnists Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery American male television writers 20th-century American male writers American male non-fiction writers Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Illinois Television producers from Illinois Film producers from Illinois 20th-century American screenwriters