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

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