Larry Wilde

Larry Wilde (born Herman Wildman, February 6, 1928 – September 3, 2023) was an American actor, comedian, motivational speaker, university instructor and publisher. He is best known as the author of 53 books of humor.

Biography Larry Wilde, born Herman Wildman, in Jersey City, New Jersey, was the fourth child of Jewish parents Gertrude and Selig Wildman. His siblings were Milton, Benjamin, and Miriam. He chose Larry Wilde as a professional name when he began a career in show business.

Wilde attended Lincoln High School where he was active in numerous extracurricular activities, including sports editor of the school paper, the Drama Club, president of the student body and the swimming team where he became the Jersey City 100-yard breaststroke champion.

From 1946 to 1948 he was in the Second Marine Division. While stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, he wrote, produced, directed and performed in camp stage shows doing comedy routines. Promoted to corporal, he became the first official Marine Corps "non-commissioned comedian".

Wilde graduated from the University of Miami in Florida where he worked his way through school performing at Miami Beach nightclubs and hotels.

Wilde died on September 3, 2023, at the age of 95.

Works Wilde was the president of Poets, Essayists and Novelists (PEN) Los Angeles 1981–1983.

In 1976, he founded National Humor Month, celebrated annually in April. It is designed to heighten public awareness on how the joy and therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of one's life. National Humor Month has been recognized by comedians and institutions across the US including The Huffington Post, Fox News (when the comedian Crystal Powell hosted citywide events in Houston), The Farmer's Almanac and USA Today. With book sales over 12 million copies, The New York Times has called him "America’s Best Selling Humorist".

Wilde's book Great Comedians Talk About Comedy contains inspirational interviews with seventeen great comedians of the 20th century, revealing their secrets on extracting laughter from audiences. The comedians interviewed are Woody Allen, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Shelley Berman, Joey Bishop, George Burns, Johnny Carson, Maurice Chevalier, Phyllis Diller, Jimmy Durante, Dick Gregory, Bob Hope, George Jessel, Jerry Lewis, Jerry Seinfeld, Danny Thomas and Ed Wynn. The original tapes of these historical interviews are now part of The Larry Wilde Collection housed in the Library of Congress.

Wilde's book How The Great Comedy Writers Create Laughter is a collection of dialogues with the writers who originate comedy for the stage, television, motion pictures and print publications. They include Goodman Ace, Art Buchwald, Abe Burrows, Mel Brooks, Bill Dana, Selma Diamond, Jack Douglas, Norman Lear, Hal Kanter, Carl Reiner and Neil Simon.

Discography The Joker is Wilde Dot Records The Official Polish/Italian Comedy Album

Filmography Television Year Title Episode Role 1958 U.S. Steel Hour Mid-Summer Song-and Dance Man 1966 Art Linkletter's Hollywood Talent Scouts Himself 1968 The Donald O'Connor Show Himself 1968 The Della Reese Show Himself 1968 The Woody Woodbury Show Episode dated 7 March 1968 Himself 1968-1969 The Mike Douglas Show Several episodes Himself 1969 The Merv Griffin Show Himself 1970 The Barbara McNair Show Episode dated 8 February 1970 Himself 1971 Dan August Patrolman 1972 Adam-12 The Tip Milton Waters 1972 Sanford and Son Steinberg and Son Saul Green 1973 Barnaby Jones See Some Evil... Do Some Evil Customer 1976 The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case Third voice 1973-1976 Mary Tyler Moore Emcee 1973 Lou's First Date Master of Ceremonies 1974 Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite "Teddy" Presenter 1975 You Can't Lose 'em All Master of Ceremonies 1976 Sue Ann Falls in Love Master of Ceremonies 1976 Murray Can't Lose Master of Ceremonies 1978 Rhoda The Date in the Iron Mask Emcee

Books The Official Polish/Italian Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1973 The Official Jewish/Irish Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1974 More The Official Polish/Italian Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1975 The Official Black Folks/White Folks Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1975 The Official Virgins/Sex Maniacs Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1975 The Official Democrat/Republican Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1976 The Official Religious/Not So Religious Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1976 How the Great Comedy Writers Create Laughter, Nelson Hall, 1976 The Official Golfers Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1977 The Official Smart Kids/Dumb Parents Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1977 Last Official Polish Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1977 The Official Cat Lovers/Dog Lovers Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1978 The Official Dirty Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1978 The Last Official Italian Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1978 The Complete Book of Ethnic Humor, Pinnacle, 1978 More Official Jewish/Irish Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1979 The Official Book of Sick Jokes, Pinnacle, 1979 More Official Smart Kids/Dumb Parents Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1979 Last Official Jewish Joke Book, Bantam, 1980 More Official Democrat/Republican Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1980 The Official Bedroom/Bathroom Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1980 The Official Doctors Joke Book, Bantam, 1981 More The Official Sex Maniacs Joke Book, Bantam, 1981 The Official Lawyers Joke Book, Bantam, 1982 Last Official Sex Maniacs Joke Book, Bantam, 1982 Larry Wilde Book of Limericks, Bantam, 1982 The Absolutely Last Official Polish Joke Book, Bantam, 1983 The Last Official Smart Kids Joke Book, Bantam, 1983 Last Official Irish Joke Book, Bantam, 1983 The Official Politicians Joke Book, Bantam, 1984 The Official Rednecks Joke Book, Bantam, 1984 Absolutely Last Official Sex Maniacs Joke Book, Bantam, 1985 The Official Book of John Jokes, Bantam, 1985 The Official Sports Maniacs Joke Book, Bantam, 1985 More The Official Doctors Joke Book, Bantam, 1986 The Official Executives Joke Book, Bantam, 1986 Ultimate Jewish Joke Book, Bantam, 1986 The Ultimate Lawyers Joke Book, Bantam, 1987 The Official WASP Joke Book, Bantam. 1988 The Official All America Joke Book, Bantam, 1988 The Larry Wilde Library of Laughter, Jester Press, 1988 The Ultimate Sex Maniacs Joke Book, Bantam, 1989 The Ultimate Book of Ethnic Humor, Bantam, 1989 The Official Computer Freaks Joke Book (with Steve Wozniak), Bantam, 1989 The Ultimate Pet Lovers Joke Book, Bantam, 1990 The Merriest Book of Christmas Humor, Bantam, 1991 The Official Locker Room Joke Book, Bantam, 1991 The Official Golf Lovers Joke Book, Bantam, 1992 The Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest Joke Book, Pinnacle, 1996 You're Never Too Old To Laugh, Pinnacle, 1997 When You’re Up to Your Eyeballs In Alligators, Jester Press, 2000 (revised 2006) Great Comedians Talk About Comedy, Citadel Press, 1968 (revised) Executive Books/Jester Press, 2000 The Larry Wilde Treasury of Laughter, Jester Press, 2006