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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Henry Winkler to Paul Zaza
Henny Youngman Biography (1906-1998)
Born January 12, 1906 (some sources say March 16, 1902), in London, England (some sources say Liverpool, England); immigrated to the United States; died of complications from influenza (one source says pneumonia), February 24, 1998, in New York City; married Sadie Cohen, c. 1928 (died, March 18, 1987); children: Gary (a film editor), Marilyn; grandchildren: two. Career: Comedian and actor. Henny Youngman and the Swanee Syncopaters, bandleader, mid-1920s; master of ceremonies and comedian, Catskills resorts and other venues, beginning in the early 1930s; first comedian of New York Telephone Company's Dial-a-Joke line, 1974. Performed in various theatres and nightclubs throughouthis career, including the London Palladium, London, England, and at New YorkCity sites, including Brooklyn's Fox Theatre and Paramount Theatre, Manhattan's Latin Quarter and the New York Yacht Club as well as the State Theatre and the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room; also appeared in other cities, including Atlantic City, NJ, and Las Vegas, NV. Played a violin, nicknamed "Stradivaricose," which was a prop in his act. Sometimes billed as Henry Youngman. Dubbed "the king of the one-liners." Also worked as a printer. Member: FriarsClub. Awards, Honors: Orange County Chapter of B'Nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League (California) Torch of Liberty Award, 1987; street corner named for him in the Manhattan borough of New York City.
- Nationality
- English
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Comedian, actor
- Birth Details
- January 12, 1906
- London, England
- Death Details
- February 24, 1998
- New York, New York, United States
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Film Appearances
- Henny, A Wave, a WAC, and a Marine, Monogram, 1944
- First driver, You Can't Run Away From It, Columbia, 1956
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Stage Show with the Dorsey Brothers, 1956
- Himself, The Unkissed Bride (also known as Mother Goose a Go-Go), VIP/Harris/U.S. Films, 1966
- Himself, Nashville Rebel, American International Pictures, 1966
- Marzdone Mobilie, The Gore-Gore Girls (also known as Blood Orgy), Lewis Motion Picture Enterprises, 1972
- Manny Farber, Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (also knownas Won Ton Ton), Paramount, 1976
- Fly-in-soup man, Silent Movie, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1976
- Himself, Death Wish II, Columbia, 1981
- Chemist, History of the World: Part I, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
- Lawyer, "Municipalians," National Lampoon Goes to the Movies (alsoknown as National Lampoon's Movie Madness), United Artists, 1982
- Himself, The Comeback Trail, Dynamite/Rearguard, 1982
- Himself, Take My Act-Please! (training film), Walt Disney Trainingand Development Programs, 1982
- Himself, "Roast Your Loved One," Amazon Women on the Moon (also known as Cheeseburger Film Sandwich), Universal, 1987
- Himself, "Henny Youngman's Jokes," Funny (documentary), Original Cinema, 1989
- Himself, GoodFellas (also known as Wise Guy), Warner Bros.,1990
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Film Work
- Technical advisor and joke supplier, Heartbeeps, Universal, 1981
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Television Appearances
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Series
- Host (with Rocky Graziano), The Henny and Rocky Show, ABC, 1955
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Specials
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A Show Business Salute to Milton Berle, NBC, 1973
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The Many Faces of Comedy, ABC, 1973
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Joey and Dad, CBS, 1975
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The Mad Mad Mad Mad World of the Super Bowl, NBC, 1977
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That Thing on ABC, ABC, 1978
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Night of 100 Stars (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), ABC, 1982
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Night of 100 Stars II (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), ABC, 1985
- "Just for Laughs II" (also known as "Juste pour rire II"), Showtime Comedy Spotlight, Showtime, 1987
- "Norman's Corner," Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1988
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Woodstock: Return to the Planet of the '60s, CBS, 1989
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Night of 100 Stars III (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), NBC, 1990
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Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys, The Disney Channel, 1992
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Episodic
- Manny the Mesopotamian, "I'll be a Mummy's Uncle," Batman, ABC, 1968
- Voice characterization as himself, "Henny Youngman Day," Tiny Toons Adventures (animated), syndicated, 1991
- Also appeared in The Ed Sullivan Show (also known as the Toastof the Town, CBS; Laugh-In, NBC; and The Tonight Show, NBC.
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Radio Appearances
- (As Henry Youngman), featured comedian, The Kate Smith Show, CBS,1936-38
- Also appeared as the host, Texaco Star Theater.
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Stage Appearances
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Night of 100 Stars (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1982
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Night of 100 Stars II (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), Radio City Music Hall, 1985
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Night of 100 Stars III (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), Radio City Music Hall, 1990
- Guest performer, Catskills on Broadway, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, NewYork City, 1991-93
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Major Tours
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Vaudeville U.S.A, 1934
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RECORDINGS
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Albums
- Recorded Take My Album, Please (Or Two Sets for the Price of One),Waterhouse; Henny Youngman's 128 Greatest Jokes, Rhino; and The Best of the Worst of Henny Youngman, Certhon; also appears on Comedy Classics, K-Tel.
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Taped Readings
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The World's Worst Jokes, Dove Books on Tape, 1987
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WRITINGS
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Nonfiction
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How Do You Like Me So Far?, foreword by Milton Berle, Citadel (Secaucus, NJ), 1963
- (With Carroll Carroll) Take My Wife.Please!, My Life and Laughs, Putnam (New York City), 1973
- (With Neal Karlen) Take My Life, Please!, Morrow (New York City),1991
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Humor
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Four Hundred Traveling Salesmen's Jokes, Citadel, 1966
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Best Salesmen's Jokes, Wolfe, 1968
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Henny Youngman's Greatest One-Liners, Trident Press (New York City), 1970
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Henny Youngman's Bar Bets, Bar Jokes, Bar Tricks, Citadel, 1974
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Don't Put My Name on This Book, Woodhill, 1978
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Insults for Everyone, Woodhill, 1979
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Henny Youngman's Five Hundred All-Time Greatest One-Liners, Pinnacle Books (New York City), 1981
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Take My Jokes, Please!, Richardson & Snyder/Dutton (New York City), 1983
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Henny Youngman's Giant Book of Jokes, Citadel, 1983
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The Best of Henny Youngman (contains How Do You Like Me So Far?,
Four Hundred Traveling Salesmen's Jokes, and Henny Youngman'sBar Bets, Bar Jokes, Bar Tricks), republished as Take This Book Please, illustrated by Sheila Greenwald and Fred Hausman, Grammercy (New YorkCity), 1984
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The Encyclopedia of One-Liners, Ballymote Books (Katonah, NY), 1989
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The Best Little Book of One Liners, edited by David Borgenicht, Running Press (Philadelphia, PA), 1992
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Henny Youngman's 10,000 One Liners, Ballymote Books, 1993
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Henny Youngman's 999 Funniest One Liners, illustrated by Jerry VanAmerongen, Wings Books (New York City), 1994
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Henny Youngman's 888 Greatest Insults, illustrated by Jerry Van Amerongen, Wings Books, 1995
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Henny Youngman's BIG Book of Insults (also known as The Big Book of Insults), Running Press, 1995
- Most famous one-liner, "Take my wife- please," was included in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 1988.
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Books:
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Contemporary Authors, Volume 134, The Gale Group, Farmington Hills, MI, 1992.
Periodicals:
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Chicago Tribune, February 25, 1998, pp. 1, 10.
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Detroit Free Press, February 25, 1998, p. 4B.
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Independent, February 26, 1998, p. 17.
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Los Angeles Times, February 25, 1998, p. B8.
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New York Times Magazine, November 20, 1994, p. 124.
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People Weekly, March 16, 1998, p. 62.
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Time, March 9, 1998, p. 52.
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TV Guide, May 23, 1998, p. 8.
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USA Today, February 25, 1998, p. 2D.
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Variety, March 2, 1998, p. 102.
Electronic:
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CNN, February 27, 1998, http://cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9802/24/youngman.obit.ap/index.html
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E! online, February 27, 1998, http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,2596,00.html
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Times, February 27, 1998, http://www.thetimes.co.uk/news/pa../02/26/timobiobi03002.html?1239183*
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