Sid Caesar dies, 91

Subject: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 12:23 PM

Sid Caesar, with Imogene Coca, on the "Show of Shows" of early TV (1950-1954), pioneered the comedy sketch. He launched Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Carl Reiner, Billy Crystal and others.
Show of Shows was 90 minutes of live original sketch comedy, broadcast each Saturday night.

Woody Allen called him one of the truly great comedians.
The quality of his sketches has seldom been equaled.

Like several others, he got his start on the borscht circuit in the Catskills.

An example of his sketches, The Recital, may be seen on youtube.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 12:32 PM

Sid made me laugh as a kid... and today I still laugh at the same ones. He was brilliant . (He was once complimented on his command of the German language. He didn't know a word of German.. but his delivery of fake German was masterful.)

I want the clock tower sketch!

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: Elmore
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 01:44 PM

Great performer, but had lots of problems in his personal life.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 02:00 PM

Bill: Google

the clock tower sketch, sid caesar


All seven minutes of it is there.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: Ebbie
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 03:16 PM

Gracious. I had no idea he was still alive.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: Elmore
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 07:25 PM

I'm surprised he's dead. He was reputed to be strong as an ox. When people disagreed with him he'd hang them out of the window of his skyscraper office window. Then they agreed with him.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 05:10 AM

I read his long obituary in The Times this morning, and have read thus far in this thread. And what I am finding most surprising is how little so obviously influential and gifted a comedian was known over here in the UK. From the 40s to the 60s and after, radio, television, films, live theatre visits &c, made nationally famous figures over here of Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Danny Kaye, Phil Silvers, Burns & Allen... but Sid Caesar had very little impact here in comparison with any of these, probably reaching his apotheosis, such as it was, in a supporting role in 'Grease'.

We seem to have missed out, for some reason.

Such, anyhow, is my impression. Anyone over here differ from this? Or, if agreeing, have any suggestion as to why this might be the case?

~M~

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 10:06 AM

Mike, I agree with you about Sid Ceasar, huge in America, little known over here. Another case of this was Fred Allen, gifted comedian who made little impact iin the UK. It was possible to hear his 'Allen's Alley' show during wartime courtesy of AFN. Another similar UK-obscure comic was Myron Cohen, a master joke teller. We missed out on these people but then, what would the Americans have made of Tommy Handley, Frankie Howerd? Or the greatest comic in the world, Chic Murray?

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: GUEST,Ken Brock
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 07:22 PM

Sid Caesar can be appreciated by viewing It'a a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. He plays opposite Edie Adams, in a part planned for her husband Ernie Kovacs, who died in an accident not long before the film was shot.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 08:54 PM

If you Google "Sid Caesar Youtube" you'll get a bunch of great sketches. You poor deprived Brits should check them out. My family LOVED Sid Caesar's show when I was a kid -- I remember my Dad totally cracking up over it.

"This Is Your Story" is a parody of a US television show called "This is Your Life," and if you're not familiar with that it probably won't do much for you. But others, like "Health Food Restaurant" and "The German General" and "The Clock" are still hilarious. I spent the better part of an hour yesterday surfing through these, probably scaring my cat when I shrieked with laughter. Caesar was a true genius of physical comedy -- and other aspects of comedy as well -- and these sketches are priceless. Enjoy!

RIP, Sid Caesar, and thanks for the laughs.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: Nancy King
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 09:03 PM

Oooops! Sorry, above "Guest" was me. Failed to notice I'd lost my cookie.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: GUEST,John Foxen
Date: 15 Feb 14 - 08:10 AM

Like so many Brits I knew nothing about Sid Caesar until a good few years back when I caught a TV broadcast of a tribute show he did with his writers: Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart et al. Absolutely stunning. I am now trying to get hold of a DVD of the show.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 15 Feb 14 - 09:20 AM

Nancy ~~ We have long had our own version of This Is Your Life, so we do get the point. It was big news, back in 1961, when a well-known Irish footballer called Danny Blanchflower refused to cooperate, saying "I consider this programme to be an invasion of privacy. Nobody is going to press gang me into anything."

Sorry for drift, but thought this worth mentioning as the subject of the programme had come up.

~M~

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Feb 14 - 12:05 PM

An appreciation published in the NY Times today said Sid Caesar and the Show of Shows made television watching worthwhile and spurred sales of TV sets.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Feb 14 - 01:00 PM

Billy Crystal's piece is also fantastic.

He was a staple of our weekly viewing and I doubt that any show had such a gifted comedian backed by a staff of writer/performers including Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Woody Allen, Imogene Coco, and of course Sid himself. The Clock


Spaw

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: Nancy King
Date: 16 Feb 14 - 05:13 PM

Good for Danny Blanchflower! (Sid Caesar's still funny, though!)

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 16 Feb 14 - 07:33 PM

Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca as the percussion section for the 1812 overture.

Subject: RE: Sid Caesar dies, 91
From: Nancy King
Date: 16 Feb 14 - 09:45 PM

Thanks, Gerry -- Hadn't seen that one! Brilliant!