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Alan King Biography (1927-)

Original name, Irwin Alan Kniberg (some sources spell the surname Kinberg); born December 26, 1927, in Brooklyn, NY; son of Bernard (a handbag cutter) andMinnie (maiden name, Solomon) Kniberg; married Jeanette Sprung, February 1,1947; children: Robert, Andrew, Elaine Ray. Addresses: Agent: International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1934.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Comedian, actor, producer, author

Birth Details

December 26, 1927

Brooklyn, New York, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Alan King: Inside the Comedy Mind, Comedy Central, 1991-1993
• The College of Comedy with Alan King, PBS, 1997
• Specials
• The ABC Comedy Hour, ABC, 1972
• Joys (also known as Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope in "Joys),"1976
• Judy Garland: The Concert Years, 1985
• Harry Belafonte: Don't Stop the Carnival, 1985
• Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz, 1985
• Great Confrontations at the Oxford Union: Resolved That Englishmen AreFunnier than Americans, PBS, 1987
• "An Evening with Alan King at Carnegie Hall," On Location, HBO, 1987
• Caesar's 20th Birthday Celebration, Showtime, 1987
• America's Tribute to Bob Hope (also known as America at Its Finest: A Tribute to the Bob Hope Cultural Center), NBC, 1988
• The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast, syndicated, 1989
• "The World of Jewish Humor," Great Performances, PBS, 1990
• Super Bowl Saturday Nite, CBS, 1990
• The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show, CBS, 1991
• Street Scenes: New York on Film, American Movie Classics, 1992
• HBO's 20th Anniversary--We Hardly Believe It Ourselves (also knownas HBO's 20th Anniversary Special--We Don't Believe It Ourselves), HBO, 1992
• The 10th Annual Montreal Comedy Festival, Showtime, 1992
• Host, "A New York Night--Live!" HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1993
• Comic Relief VI, HBO, 1994
• The State's 43rd Annual Halloween Special, CBS, 1995
• The Ed Sullivan All-Star Comedy Special (also known as The VeryBest of Ed Sullivan IV), CBS, 1995
• A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman, NBC, 1995
• 20 Years of Comedy on HBO, HBO, 1995
• Interviewee, "Dean Martin: Everybody Loves Somebody," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1995
• Gail Sheehy's New Passages, ABC, 1996
• Interviewee, "Lena Horne: In Her Own Voice," American Masters, PBS, 1996
• Interviewee, "Judy Garland: Beyond the Rainbow," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1997
• AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies, CBS, 2000
• The Last Days of Judy Garland: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2001
• Appeared in Comedy Is King, NBC.
• Pilots
• Alan "Coop" Cooper, The Alan King Show, CBS, 1986
• Host, "The College of Comedy with Alan King," Great Performances,PBS, 1997
• Movies
• Rabbi Hier, The Infiltrator (also known as In Hitler's Shadow), HBO, 1995
• Bernie, Dad, the Angel, and Me, The Family Channel, 1995
• Miniseries
• Harry Lee, Seventh Avenue, NBC, 1977
• Narrator, Baseball, ABC, 1994
• Episodic
• The Garry Moore Show, CBS, 1961
• Mystery guest, What's My Line?, 1961
• "Season Premiere," The Jack Benny Program, 1961
• Guest host, The Kraft Music Hall, NBC, multiple appearances between 1967 and 1971
• That's Life, ABC, multiple appearances between 1968 and 1969
• The Jackie Gleason Show, 1969
• "Harry and the Hoods," The Corner Bar, ABC, 1972
• Conversation with Cassini, Arts and Entertainment, 1989
• Dr. Ben Teitelman, "Prelude to a Bris," thirtysomething, 1990
• Mel Bushman, "Melodrama," The Golden Girls, 1991
• Burt Wolf/Eating Well, PBS, 1992
• Jonathan Shapiro, "Securitate," Law and Order, NBC, 1993
• God, "Never Can Say Goodbye: Part 2," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1998
• Larry Lensky, "Big Hand for the Little Lady," Chicago Hope, CBS, 1999
• Hy, "The Nanny," Family Law, CBS, 1999
• Appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show (more than ninety appearances), The Perry Como Show, and The Bob Hope Show.
• Other
• Manny Shiller, How to Pick Up Girls!, ABC, 1978
• (Uncredited) Pleasure Palace, CBS, 1980
• Television Work
• Series
• Executive producer, The Corner Bar, ABC, 1972-1973
• Creator, Alan King: Inside the Comedy Mind, Comedy Central, 1991
• Executive producer, The College of Comedy with Alan King, PBS, 1997
• Also executive producer of the series Ivan the Terrible.
• Executive Producer; Other
• Return to Earth, 1976
• How to Pick Up Girls!, ABC, 1978
• "The College of Comedy with Alan King" (pilot), Great Performances, PBS, 1997
• Film Appearances
• The Glenrowan Affair (also known as A Message to Kelly), British Empire, 1951
• Member of shore patrol, Hit the Deck, 1955
• Maguire, The Girl He Left Behind, Warner Bros., 1956
• Sergeant Gil Parker, Miracle in the Rain, Warner Bros., 1956
• Benny Weaver, The Helen Morgan Story (also known as Both Ends of the Candle and Why Was I Born?), Warner Bros., 1957
• Top Sergeant Buzzer, Operation Snafu (also known as On the Fiddle and Operation Warhead), American International Pictures, 1961
• The rabbi, Bye Bye Braverman, Warner Bros., 1968
• Pat Angelo, The Anderson Tapes, Columbia, 1971
• Max Herschel, Just Tell Me What You Want, Warner Bros., 1980
• Voice, Pinocchio's Christmas, Rankin-Bass Productions, 1980
• Prince of the City, Warner Bros., 1981
• Kreplich, Author! Author!, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1982
• Charles Kalecki, I, the Jury, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1982
• Dr. Vinnie Donatti, "Quitter's Inc.," Stephen King's "Cat's Eye" (also known as Cat's Eye), United Artists, 1983
• Dr. Lionel Gross, Lovesick, Warner Bros., 1983
• Himself, You Talkin' to Me?, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Second GenerationFilms, 1987
• Funny (documentary), Original Cinema, 1988
• Abe, Memories of Me, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1988
• Rabbi Lembeck, Enemies, a Love Story, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1989
• Arthur Ruskin, Bonfire of the Vanities, Warner Bros., 1990
• "Boom-Boom" Grossman, Night and the City, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1992
• Andy Stone, Casino, Universal, 1995
• Carl Carobelli, Under the Gun (also known as Iron Fist), [Australia], 1995
• Voice of Supreme Commander, The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars(animated), Walt Disney Home Video, 1998
• Let Me In, I Hear Laughter (documentary), Cinemas, 1999
• Charlie, Saltwater, Buena Vista Ireland, 2000
• Steven Reign, Rush Hour 2, New Line Cinema, 2001
• Sunshine State, Sony Pictures Classics, 2001
• Film Work
• Executive Producer
• Wolfen, Warner Bros., 1981
• Producer
• Happy Birthday, Gemini, United Artists, 1980
• Cattle Annie and Little Britches, Universal, 1981
• Lovesick, Warner Bros., 1983
• "Quitter's Inc.," Stephen King's "Cat's Eye" (also known as Cat's Eye), United Artists, 1983
• (With Billy Crystal and Michael Hertzberg) Memories of Me, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1988
• Stage Appearances
• The Impossible Years, Broadway production, 1966
• The Investigation, 1966
• Dinner at Eight, Broadway production, 1966
• Something Different, Broadway production, 1967
• A Celebration of the Music of Judy Garland, Theatre at Carnegie Hall, New York City, 1998
• Samuel Goldwyn, Mr. Goldwyn, New York Stage and Film, Theatre at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, 2001, then off-Broadway production, 2002
• Also appeared in Guys and Dolls, City Center Theatre, New York City.
• Major Tours
• Producer, Toyota Comedy Festival, 1993
• RECORDINGS
• Albums
• Alan King in Suburbia, Seeco, 1962
• Also recorded The Best of Alan King, Seeco.
• Videos
• "Hommage to Steve," Steve Martin Live, 1986
• WRITINGS
• Television Specials
• Nothing Upstairs, CBS, 1990
• Other
• (With Kathryn Kyan) Anybody Who Owns His Own Home Deserves It, Dutton (New York City), 1962
• (With Jack Shurman) Help, I'm a Prisoner in a Chinese Bakery, Dutton, 1964
• (With Mimi Sheraton) Is Salami and Eggs Better than Sex?, Little,Brown (Boston, MA), 1985
• (With Chris Chase) Name-Dropping: The Life and Lies of Alan King,Scribner (New York City), 1996
• Contributor to periodicals, including Show.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• Contemporary Authors, Volumes 89-92, 1980

Periodicals

• New York Times, May 19, 1993
• People Weekly, September 16, 1996, p. 46