A bit late, but I wanted to note the passing of comedy writer Mel Tolkin at age 94.
He was born Shmuel Tolchincky in the Ukraine, and when he became a professional in the entertainment industry, he changed his name--shades of The Jazz Singer!--to hide his occupation from his family. He became a tummler in the Poconos, which led to a gig writing for Sid Caesar. When Caesar landed You Show Of Shows, Tolkin became its head writer, and a comedy legend.
On Show Of Shows and the subsequent Caesar's Hour, Tolkin preside over a staff that included Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, Neil and Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller and Woody Allen, irascible, fast-talking New York Jews determined to out-guilt, out-shout and out-funny each other. It was a heady atmosphere, a mixture of terror (mostly over Caesar's legendary anger), flop sweat and pure inspiration. These guys (and one woman, Lucille Kallen) were some of the best comedy writers ever, and the writing room as Tolkin ran it is still the model used for sketch comedies today. The atmosphere can never be quite the same, because the stakes will never be quite as high--for today's writers, sketch comedy is just a pit stop on the way to a lucrative movie career. For Tolkin and company, it was their lives.
Surprisingly little from Show Of Shows is out there on the Interweb, but here's a classic bit with Caesar and Nanette Fabray. Enjoy.
