I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-Up Comedy's Golden Era by William Knoedelseder (40 page)

Lewis, Richard

Miller’s memorial, 2–3, 4, 7

416th, The
(TV show), 170

move to LA, 40–41, 47

background/family, 9–14

movies, 106

Boosler and, 72

Prinze and, 82–83

Brenner and, 23, 32

props and, 86

Comedy Store, 125–126

The Tonight Show
appearance, 89–90

Curb Your Enthusiasm
(HBO series), 2

The Tonight Show
/Letterman conflict,
Dairy of a Young Comic
(movie),

2–4, 258

141–146

The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno
, 3, early career, 12–13, 16, 17, 32, 42–44

4, 55

Improv/Friedman, 12–13, 16, 17, 32,

Leonard, Sugar Ray, 106

44, 72, 93

Let’s Get Small
(Martin), 102

labor dispute, 170

Let’s Make a Deal
(TV show), 71

Letterman and, 3

Letterman, David

Los Angeles Times
article, 238

after strike, 2–4, 256, 258–259,

Lubetkin and, 13, 15–17, 32, 41–42,

262–264

43, 44, 96–97, 109, 142–144, 167,

attorney, 154

236, 241

background, 48

Lubetkin’s suicide/memorial and, 243,

Boosler and, 73

247, 248, 249, 251–252, 262

Canter’s, 76

Miller’s memorial, 2

Carson and, 49, 107

move to LA, 62–63

Comedy Store/Shore, 49–51, 52, 54,

Nina van Pallandt and, 94, 96,

55, 62, 72, 75, 87, 106–107, 111,

145, 243

118, 267

Sonny and Cher, 62–63, 94–96

Dreesen and, 3, 49, 51–52, 55, 56, 69,

style, 132

107–108, 208–209, 262–264

The Tonight Show
, 42–44, 90–91, 144

early career, 49–51, 55–58

Williams and, 104

Ebony Genius Management, 55, 74

Winger and, 93–94

labor dispute, 120, 123, 165, 170–171,

Life
magazine, 94

193, 201, 209, 215

Little House on the Prairie
, 113, 114

Late Night
, 3–4, 258

Long Goodbye, The
, 94

Leno and, 2–4, 51, 54–55, 258–259

Lonow, Mark

Los Angeles Times
article, 238

An Evening at the Improv

Miller and, 1, 2, 3, 6, 128, 201

(cable series), 257

Miller’s memorial and, 2–3

background, 77, 160

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276

Index

Lonow, Mark
(continued)

suicide/suicide note, 240–242

clubs/Friedman and, 255, 257

Susan Evans and, 63–64, 97, 109,

labor dispute, 158, 159–160, 173, 189,

142–143, 168, 194, 225, 236–237,

223, 226–228, 229, 239, 265

238, 241

on Shore, 265

The Tonight Show
/Johnny Carson,

Los Angeles County Federation of Labor,

31–32, 41–42, 97

226, 234

Lubetkin, Ziviah, 15

Los Angeles Herald Examiner
, 192

Lubetkin & Evans, 97, 98–99, 109, 166

Los Angeles Times
, 1, 55, 102, 105, 157, 158, 163, 164, 181–182, 192, 194,

Mandell, Howie, 60

196, 211, 214, 233, 238, 257, 260,

Margaret, Ann, 33

266, 267

Marshall, Gary, 105

Lubetkin, Barry

Martin, Dean, 9, 84

background/brother and, 14, 15,

Martin, Steve, 101–102, 105, 106, 130

38–39, 96, 97–98, 166–167,

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
(TV

238–239, 241

show), 66, 111

brother’s suicide, 242, 245, 246–247,

Mary
(TV show), 107

248–249

Mary Tyler Moore Show, The

Lubetkin, Evelyn, 14, 15, 238, 241

(TV show), 103

Lubetkin, Ginny, 238, 241, 245, 246,

Masada, Jamie, 6, 255, 260–261, 264

247, 248

Mason, Jackie, 22, 83, 115, 215

Lubetkin, Jack

Match Game
(TV show), 92

background/son and, 14, 15, 38, 39,

Mathis, Johnny, 67, 90

97–98, 109, 196, 241

May, Elaine, 10

son’s suicide, 245, 248–249

Maynard, Biff, 85, 116, 129, 172, 178,

Lubetkin, Steve

197, 226–228, 259

1978, 109–110

McCartney, Paul, 106

after labor “settlement,” 235–236, 237,

McCawley, Jim, 34, 90

238–240

McGraw, Barbara, 176

background/family, 14–15, 38–39

McMahon, Ed, 154, 208

Comedy Store, 39, 62, 110, 143, 166,

Merv Griffin Show, The
(TV show),

194, 195–196

47, 92

Dante Shocko
movie, 42, 64, 96–98,

Metro club, 16

166–167, 242

Michaels, Lorne, 103, 141

Diary of a Young Comic
and, 142–143

Midler, Bette, 12

Improv, 13, 16, 17

Midnight Special
(TV show), 92

labor dispute, 166, 169–170, 193–194,

Migden, Chester, 231

195–196, 197, 224–225

Mike Douglas Show, The
(TV show), 92

letter to father/brother, 166–170

Mila 18
(Uris), 15

Lewis and, 13, 15–17, 32, 41–42, 43,

Miller, George, 39

44, 96–97, 109, 142–144, 167,

after strike, 1, 2, 3, 256, 260, 261

236, 241

background, 52–54

Lubetkin & Evans, 97, 98–99, 109,

Canter’s, 76

166

career summary, 1–2

manifesto on CFC/comedians,

Comedy Store, 40, 49, 52, 62, 69,

224–225

72, 107

memorial services/burial, 245–249

drugs, 4, 6, 128

mental state/seeing faces, 236–237,

illness/death, 1, 2, 6

238–239, 249

labor dispute, 120, 123, 140, 147–151,

move to LA, 31–32, 38–39

157, 158, 165, 201, 223, 229,

“straight jobs,” 109–110

237, 239

suicide effects, 251–252, 253, 262

Letterman and, 1, 2–3, 6, 128, 201

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277

memorial, 1, 2, 4–7, 262

People
magazine, 105, 131, 182–183

props and, 86

Peppard, George, 43

The Tonight Show
, 1, 126

Pickle Barrel store, 36

Mind of the Married Man, The
(HBO

Pip’s club, 16

series), 2

Plaza Four restaurant, 215, 218–219

Mitchelson, Marvin, 38

Plummer, Christopher, 24

Montieth, Kelly, 6

Pointer Sisters, 71

Mooney, Daryl/Dwayne, 51

Poison Ivy
(film), 141

Mooney, Paul

Polizzi, Frank, 28

Comedy Store, 51, 87, 91

Polizzi’s Tavern, 28

labor dispute, 140, 147–151, 158, 161,

Posh Bagel, 126–127

163, 164, 172–173, 189

Prater, Ollie Joe

Pryor and, 161, 172–173

after strike, 255, 256, 259–260

Moore, Dudley, 24

borrowing material, 132–133

Mora, Danny, 226–227, 229

Comedy Store/Shore, 85, 129

Mork & Mindy
(TV show), 105, 130

labor dispute, 171, 172, 178, 197,

Morra, Buddy, 11

206–207

Morris, Garrett, 59

Preminger, Michael, 23, 61, 126

Mr. Woodley’s club, 186

Presley, Elvis, 21, 33, 35

Mudryck’s (bar), 28

Price, Vincent, 67

Muledeer, Gary, 6, 60, 86, 131

Prinze (Pruetzel), Freddie

Mull, Martin, 101

Can You Hear the Laughter? The Freddie

Murphy, Maureen, 78

Prinze Story
(movie), 219

Murray, Jan, 56

career, 21, 34–35, 39, 40–41, 44,

62, 108

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB),

death, 81–83

254, 265

drugs/guns, 81–83

National Lampoon
magazine, 101

Kathy (wife), 81

Nelson, Alan Jay, 226

The Tonight Show
, 34–35, 85

Nelson, Craig T., 33–34

Pryor, Richard

Nelson, Willie, 106

albums/videos, 87, 259

New Christy Minstrels, 84

burn accident/after, 259

New York Stickball Team comedy

Comedy Store/Shore, 87–88, 89,

troupe, 78

106, 118, 129, 140, 148, 161, 259,

Newman, Larraine, 59

266, 267

Newsweek
magazine, 105

early work/career, 20, 198, 199

Nicholas II, Czar/family, 160

labor dispute and, 161, 172–173

Nichols, Diane, 78

laugh Factory and, 255

Nichols, Mike, 10

movies, 101

NLRB.
See
National Labor

The Richard Pryor Show
(TV show), 91

Relations Board

Norton, Henry, 29

Radner, Gilda, 59, 103

Not Ready for Prime Time Players

Rapport, Michael, 75–76, 117, 119, 150

(
SNL
), 59

Real People
(TV show), 235

Reddy, Helen, 90

Off the Wall (comedy improv trio), 77

Reid, Tim

Orlando, Tony, 83, 92

after Tim and Tom, 46, 51, 91

background, 27

Paar, Jack, 10, 50

early work, 26–27, 29

Pallandt, Nina van, 94, 96, 145, 243

See also
Tim and Tom

Pauley, Jane, 144–145

Reiner, Carl, 10, 65

Peet, Harris, 88, 197, 204

Reynolds, Burt, 106

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Index

Rich, Buddy, 25–26

Comedy Store clubs differences, 84–86

Richard Pryor Live on Sunset Strip

“Comedy Store Day” proclamation,

(video/DVD), 259

249–250

Richard Pryor Show, The
(TV show), 91

competition and, 61–62, 179–180,

Richards, Michael, 60

217, 225, 257–258

Richman, Frederic, 213

condos, 89

Rickles, Don, 115

expansion of empire, 88–89

Rivers, Joan, 22, 74, 78

Friedman and, 61–62, 175, 179–180,

Robards Jr., Jason, 23–24

225, 257

Rodriguez, Paul, 258

lease problems, 83–84

Rogers, Will, 85

Letterman and, 49, 57, 170–171, 193,

Rolling Stone
magazine, 78

209, 267

Rollins, Jack, 11

Lubetkin and, 39, 96, 166, 169,

Rollins-Joffe, 107, 108

195–196, 197, 235–236, 238

Lubetkin’s suicide, 246, 250–251, 267

SAG.
See
Screen Actors Guild

“Mitzi’s boys,” 197–198, 205, 219

Saget, Bob, 60

parties with “pets,” 129, 135, 148,

Sahl, Mort, 2, 74, 115

259, 266

Saidel, Mitzi Lee, 36.
See also

women comedians and, 72, 77, 79,

Shore, Mitzi

112–115, 116, 135–137, 258

Sais, Segio, 240

See also
Comedy Store

Sammy and Company
(TV show), 92

Shore, Mitzi/labor dispute

Sanders, Brad, 60, 86, 119–120, 186

comedians choosing sides, 165–166,

Sanford & Son
(TV show), 33

169–173

Saturday Night
(TV show), 71

first meeting, 147–151

Saturday Night Live
(TV show), 59, 102, Improv fire and, 179–180

103, 141, 259

meeting without headliners, 153–154,

Schafer, Ross, 5

155–157

Schapp, Dick, 144

negotiations, 147–151, 162–163, 174,

Schimmel, Robert, 177, 178

190, 191, 211–212, 213–214,

Screen Actors Guild (SAG), 184, 212,

217–218

226, 231, 234, 254

PR, 181–183

Screen Extras Guild, 212

“settlement”/problems, 229–230,

Seinfeld
, 60

231–236, 237–238, 254

Sennes, Frank, 83

See also
Labor dispute

“Seven Words You Can Never Say on

Shore, Pauly, 35, 183, 258

Television” (Carlin), 19, 88

Shore, Peter, 183

Severson, Doc, 68

Shore, Sammy, 32–34, 35, 37–38, 199

Shandling, Garry, 205–206, 262, 267

Shore, Sandi, 111, 136

Shepherd, Cybil, 106

Short, Bobby, 176

Shore, Mitzi

Show Biz club, 52

as ABC consultant, 112, 257

Silver Bears, The
, 106

after strike/today, 256, 257–258,

Sinatra, Frank, 2

259–260, 265–268

Smirnoff, Yakov, 205

background/family, 35–36

Snyder, Tom, 208

college concert tour, 89, 103, 156

Soul Train
(TV show), 92

Comedian’s Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Sparks, Randy, 84

Foundation, 259–260

Sparrow’s Tavern, 28

Comedy Store, Westwood opening, 61

Staahl, Meg, 229

Comedy Store beginnings, 32–33,

Starland Vocal Band, The
(TV show), 91

36–38, 39–40, 41, 46, 49, 50

Starr, Ringo, 106–107

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279

Steinberg, David, 101

Twenty Grand, LA, 186

Stephans, Allan, 197

Tyler, Robin, 77, 113

Stephenson, Skip, 60, 85

Tyree, Dave, 155, 186, 197

Strike.
See
Labor dispute

Substance abuse

Uggams, Leslie, 57, 58

Belushi’s death, 259

Universal Pictures, 102–103

cocaine, 128–130, 135, 259

Upside of Anger, The
(movie), 262

Comedian’s Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Urban Cowboy
(movie), 93

Foundation, 259–260

Uris, Leon, 15

overview, 128–130

U.S. Department of Labor, 233

those not indulging, 128

US
magazine, 105