The Classically American Comedy of Larry Gelbart

While Larry Gelbart has contributed to some of the most important and successful comedy works in radio, television, film, and theatre, he tends to stay out of the limelight. This book makes up for the lack of public attention given to this gifted and respected comedy writer by taking a close look at Gelbart's career and works. Gelbart has contributed to such projects as the Broadway musicals A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and City of Angels, Tootsie, and television's M*A*S*H. He has collaborated with such luminaries as Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Neil Simon, Stephen Sondheim, Blake Edwards, Cy Coleman, Arthur Penn, Bob Fosse, and Carl Reiner. Gelbart's career has paralleled the media explosion of the last century. He began his professional career at the age of sixteen, writing for the popular radio program Duffy's Tavern. He moved to television as a writer for Bob Hope, and added the stage and movies as capstones of a still-thriving career. His latest works have combined cinema and television as original films on cable channels like HBO and Showtime. This study of his works briefly covers his early formative years in Chicago, and then analyzes his career moves and writing output from 1944 to his current projects.