Alan King
Alan King | |
|---|---|
 King in 1966 | |
| Born | Irwin Alan Kniberg December 26, 1927 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | May 9, 2004(aged 76) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1942–2004 |
| Spouse |
Jeanette Sprung (m.1947) |
| Children | 3 |
Alan King(bornIrwin Alan Kniberg;December 26, 1927 – May 9, 2004) was an American comedian, actor and satirist known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. 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 his later years, he helped many philanthropic causes.
Early life[edit]
King was born in New York City, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants Minnie (née Solomon) and Bernard Kniberg, a handbag cutter.[1][2]He had one older sister, Anita Kniberg. He spent his first years on theLower East SideofManhattan.Later, King's family moved toBrooklyn.King used humor to survive the tough neighborhoods, and performed impersonations on street corners for pennies.
When he was 14, King performed "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"on the radio programMajor Bowes Amateur Hour.He lost first prize, but was invited to join a nationwide tour. At 15, King dropped out of high school to perform comedy at the Hotel Gradus[3]in theCatskill Mountains.After one joke that made fun of the hotel's owner, he was fired, but he spent the remainder of that summer and the one that followed as emcee at Forman's New Prospect Hotel inMountaindale, New York.He later worked in Canada in aburlesquehouse while also fighting as a professionalboxer;he won 20 straight bouts[dubious–discuss].Nursing a broken nose, King decided to quit boxing and focus on comedy. He worked as a doorman at the popularnightclubLeon and Eddie's, while performing comedy under the last name of the boxer who beat him, King.
Career[edit]
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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 sawDanny Thomasin 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 1950s, his family and he lived inRockville Centre, New York,and later inKings Point,Long Island,where he lived for the rest of his life.[4]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 theCatskillcircuit known as theBorscht Belt.
He was soon opening forJudy Garland,Patti Page,Nat King Cole,Billy Eckstine,Lena Horne,andTony Martin.When Martin was cast in the movieHit 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."[5]Typical of this was his role as Sgt Buzzer in the WW2 filmOn the Fiddle(1961).
His career took off after appearances onThe Ed Sullivan Show,The Perry Como Show,andThe Garry Moore Show.
He emceed PresidentJohn F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961.
Living just outside New York City, King was frequently available whenEd Sullivanneeded a short-notice fill-in. He became a regular guest host forThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
He hosted the Oscars in 1972.
He headlined two unsold television pilots on CBS, both titledThe Alan King Show.The first aired on September 8, 1961; the second aired on July 12, 1986.[6]
King eventually expanded his range and made a name for himself in a wide variety of films. He frequently worked for directorSidney Lumet,beginning withBye Bye Braverman(1968) andThe Anderson Tapes(1971). Lumet later cast him in a starring role inJust Tell Me What You Want(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'sPrince of the City(1981).
He often portrayed gangsters, as inI, the Jury(1982) andCat's Eye(1985). He had another major role inMemories of Me(1988) as the so-called "king of the Hollywood extras", portrayingBilly Crystal's terminally ill father. King played the role of corrupt union official Andy Stone inMartin Scorsese's 1995 filmCasino.He appeared inNight and the City(1992), also starringRobert De Niro.
King was the long-standing host of theNew York Friars Clubcelebrity roasts and served as the club's historian.
King was the first recipient (1988) of the award for American Jewish humor from theNational Foundation for Jewish Culture.The award was ultimately named in his honor. He inspired other comedians, includingJoan Rivers,Jerry Seinfeld,Larry David,Billy Crystal,Robert Klein,andBill Cosby.
Personal life[edit]
King married Jeanette Sprung in 1947. They had three children: Andrew, Robert, and Elainie Ray. His wife persuaded him to move toForest Hills, Queens,for their children's sake..[7]In the 1950s, his family and he lived inRockville Centre, New York,and later inKings Point,Long Island,where he lived for the rest of his life.[4]
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Throughout his life, King was deeply involved incharitywork. He founded the Alan King Medical Center inJerusalem,raised funds for the Nassau Center for Emotionally Disturbed Children (near his home inKings Point, New York), and established a chair indramatic artsatBrandeis University.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 into a professional tournament atCaesars PalaceLas Vegas called theAlan King Tennis Classic,which was aired nationally on the TVS Television Network. He also created theToyotaComedy Festival.
Death[edit]
King, who smoked cigars heavily (a fact that came up in his routines from time to time), died atMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centerin Manhattan on May 9, 2004, from lung cancer. He was buried inMount Hebron CemeteryinFlushing, Queens.The filmChristmas with the Krankswas dedicated to his memory.[1]He is also recognized in the end credits ofRush Hour 3.
Work[edit]
Film[edit]
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Television[edit]
Stage[edit]
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Bibliography[edit]
- 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) withChris Chase
- Alan King's Great Jewish Joke Book(2002)
- Matzoh Balls for Breakfast and Other Memories of Growing Up Jewish(2005)
References[edit]
- ^abWeber, Bruce (May 10, 2004)."Alan King, Comic With Chutzpah, Dies at 76".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 14,2016.
- ^"Alan King Biography (1927-)".www.filmreference.com.
- ^"Hotel Gradus, Route 42, Kiamesha Lake, New York".Library of Congress.
- ^ab"Alan King's Love-Hate Relationship".The New York Times.August 30, 1998.RetrievedMarch 13,2022.
- ^"Comic and actor Alan King dead at 76".CNN.May 9, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon May 10, 2004.
- ^Terrace, Vincent (2009).Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007(Volume 1 A-E).Jefferson, NC:McFarland & Company.ISBN978-0-7864-3305-6.
- ^Ho, Janie (May 9, 2004)."Alan King, Comic, Actor Dies at 76".CBS News.Archived fromthe originalon December 6, 2010.RetrievedJune 18,2009.
King, who until then had been using worn-out one-liners, found his new material at home. His wife had persuaded the New Yorker to forsake Manhattan for suburban Forest Hills, Queens, believing it would provide a better environment for their children.
- ^O'Connor, John J. (November 30, 1990)."TV Weekend; James Garner as a Curmudgeon Pulled Back Into Life".The New York Times.
External links[edit]
- Alan KingatIMDb
- Alan Kingat theInternet Broadway Database
- Alan KingatFind a Grave
- Ephross, Peter."Alan King a Model for Seinfeld, Crystal".Jewish Journal.
- Author Unknown."Alan King Remembered As Comedic Terminator".WNBC.(May 12, 2004)
- Weber, Bruce.Alan King, Comic With Chutzpah, Dies at 76.The New York Times.(May 10, 2004)
- Williams, Stephen."The Comic Laureate Of Long Island".[permanent dead link],Newsday.(May 13, 2004)
- Vosburgh, Dick.Master of the 'angry' comic monologue,The Independent.(May 21, 2004)
- Sen, IndraniAlan King Dies at 76,Newsday.(May 2004)
- "Comic Alan King Dead at 76."Variety.(May 10, 2004)
- Cooper, Chet. "Prescription for Laughter: An Interview with Alan King."Ability Magazine.
- Bernstein, Adam. "Comedian and Actor Alan King Dies at 76".[dead link],The Washington Post.(May 10, 2004).
- "Alan King Award in American Jewish Humor".Accessed September 14, 2006.
- "Survived by his wife"onYouTube
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1927 births
- 2004 deaths
- 20th-century American comedians
- 20th-century American Jews
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American philanthropists
- 20th-century American singers
- 21st-century American comedians
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male singers
- 21st-century American philanthropists
- 21st-century American singers
- American humorists
- American male comedians
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male musical theatre actors
- American male stage actors
- American male voice actors
- American people of Russian-Jewish descent
- American stand-up comedians
- Burials at Mount Hebron Cemetery (New York City)
- Comedians from Brooklyn
- Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state)
- Jewish American male actors
- Jewish American comedians
- Jewish male actors
- Jewish male comedians
- Male actors from Brooklyn
- Male actors from Manhattan
- Male actors from Queens, New York
- Musicians from Brooklyn
- People from Forest Hills, Queens
- People from Kings Point, New York
- People from the Lower East Side
- Philanthropists from New York (state)
- Jews from New York (state)
- Comedians from Manhattan
- Comedians from Queens, New York