Shelley Berman

Sheldon Leonard Berman (February 3, 1925 – September 1, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, writer, teacher, and lecturer.

He was awarded four gold records for his comedy albums and he won the first Grammy Award for a spoken comedy recording in 1959. He had a younger brother, Ronald.

He served in the Navy during World War II, His career began with an acting company in Woodstock, Illinois, He studied acting at the HB Studio and made ends meet as a social director, cab driver, speech teacher, assistant manager of a drug store, and a dance instructor at Arthur Murray Dance Studios.

Career Early career Berman began as a straight actor, receiving his training at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, performing in stock companies in and around Chicago and New York City. While performing improvised sketches with Compass, Berman began to develop solo pieces, often employing an imaginary telephone to take the place of an onstage partner. His comedy albums earned him three gold records and his debut, Inside Shelley Berman, won the first Grammy Award for Best Comedy Performance - Spoken. Berman appeared on numerous television specials and all of the major variety shows of the day.

Berman's voice was the inspiration for the voice of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Fibber Fox, performed by Daws Butler.

Television career Berman performed both comedic and dramatic roles on television, including appearances on episodes of The Twilight Zone (both radio and TV versions), Rawhide, Bewitched, Peter Gunn, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Adam-12, Emergency!, Brothers, Night Court, MacGyver, L.A. Law, Friends, Walker, Texas Ranger, The King of Queens, Grey's Anatomy, Boston Legal, Lizzie McGuire, Hannah Montana, CSI: NY and the revived Hawaii Five-0.

He made some appearances as a panelist and one as the "Mystery Guest" on the CBS game show What's My Line in the early and mid-1960s. He also had a recurring role on the short-lived sitcom Walter & Emily. From 2002 to 2009 he appeared as Larry David's father on Curb Your Enthusiasm, a role for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2008.

Personal life Berman married Sarah Herman on April 19, 1947. The two met while they were studying acting at Chicago's Goodman Theatre.

In the mid-1960s, Berman and wife Sarah adopted two children, son Joshua and daughter Rachel.

In the 1980s, the Chamber of Commerce in Canoga Park, California selected Berman as one of the celebrities to serve a term as honorary mayor of Canoga Park.

Allegation of plagiarism In a 2012 podcast interview with Marc Maron, Berman alleged that comedian Bob Newhart plagiarized his improvisational telephone routine style, describing its genesis and saying it was a "very special technique that couldn't really be imitated. It could be stolen. And it was." "I was coming to work at night and a guy stopped his car, passed me by, and said 'Hey, Shelley! There's a guy [who] stole your act!'" When asked by Maron if it was done maliciously, Berman replied, "Maliciously? He wouldn't do it maliciously. Nobody does that. But he did it to make a living. And he became a star."

According to The New York Times, "George Jessel had a radio show," Mr. Newhart recalled. "At the end, he would call up his mother and tell her how the show had gone. As a kid growing up, I remember listening to him and he would call his mother up and say, 'Mama, this is Georgie'" – he paused, skillfully – "'from the money.'"

Newhart cited other influences on his comedy, rather than Berman -- most notably Jack Benny and Bob and Ray.

Death Berman died from complications from Alzheimer's disease at his home in Bell Canyon, California, in the early morning of September 1, 2017. He was 92 years old. His archive was donated to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.

Comedian Steve Martin praised Berman on Twitter, thanking him for "changing modern stand-up [comedy]". Marc Maron also tweeted "Shelley Berman has hung up the phone. RIP. The guy who inspired me to sit. Great comic."

Works Film Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1955 Dementia Stoned Beatnik Uncredited 1964 The Best Man Sheldon Bascomb 1967 Divorce American Style David Grieff 1970 Every Home Should Have One Nat Kaplan 1972 Beware! The Blob Hair Stylist 1988 Rented Lips Bill Slotnik 1989 Teen Witch Mr. Weaver 1990 Elliot Fauman, Ph.D. Stromberg 1991 Motorama Million Dollar Driver 2000 The Last Producer Poker Player #1 2004 Meet the Fockers Judge Ira 2006 The Holiday Norman 2008 You Don't Mess with the Zohan Zohan's Father 2010 The Legend of Secret Pass Ira (voice)

Television Year Title Role Notes 1954 The Repertory Theatre Sheldon Berman Episode: "Time of Delivery" 1955 Goodyear Playhouse Manager Episode: "The Catered Affair" 1959 Peter Gunn Danny Holland Episode: "The Comic" 1961 The Twilight Zone Archibald Beechcroft Episode: "The Mind and the Matter" General Electric Theater Stanley Episode: "The $200 Parlay" Car 54, Where Are You? Rabbi Einsenberg Episode: "Catch Me on the Paar Show"; Episode: "See You at the Bar Mitzvah" 1962 Rawhide Mendel Sorkin Episode: "The Peddler" 1963 Breaking Point Roy Chase Episode: "Whatsoever Things I Hear" 1964 Burke's Law King Dmitri Episode: "Who Killed Cassandra Cass?" Bewitched Mr. Brinkman Episode: "The Witches Are Out" 1966 Mister Roberts Performer Episode: "The Replacement" The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Sheldon Veblen Episode: "The Super Colossal Affair" The Hero Performer Episode: "The Truth Never Hurts" 1967 The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. Doctor Toulouse Episode: "The Moulin Ruse Affair" Get Smart Elwood Box Episode: "Classification: Dead" 1968–69 That's Life Mr. Quigley 6 episodes 1969 The Tommy Leonetti Show Performer 1 episode 1970 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Dr. Walter Udall Episode: "Divorce Isn't Everything" 1971 Adam-12 Phil Duke Episode: "Log 165: Once a Cop" 1970–71 Love, American Style Various Roles 3 episodes 1974 Emergency! Art Frommich Episode: "The Screenwriter" 1975 Police Woman Eddie Bender Episode: "The Company" 1977 Forever Fernwood Mel Beach 1 episode 1978 Vega$ Mickey Episode: "Milliken's Stash" Flying High Phil Episode: "High Rollers" 1979 Brenda Starr, Reporter A.J. Livwright Television Movie Eischied Performer Episode: "Angels of Terror" 1978–81 CHiPs Strum/Desperate Car Owner 2 episodes 1983 Matt Houston Dickie Bevak Episode: "The Yacht Club Murders" 1984 Brothers Marcus 2 episodes 1985 Hotel Barney Episode: "Obsession" Knight Rider Josh Bevin Episode: "Knight Song" 1987 St. Elsewhere Bill Belvedere Episode: "Getting Ahead" The New Mike Hammer Comedian Episode: "The Last Laugh" CBS Summer Playhouse Harry Episode: "Mabel and Max" ABC Afterschool Special Harold Episode: "The Kid Who Wouldn't Quit" 1988 Night Court Al Episode: "I'm OK, You're Catatonic" 1989 What's Alan Watching? Mel Krasoen Television Special The Munsters Today Sam Hawkins Episode: "The Trial" 1990 What a Dummy Grandpa Lou Episode: "Grandpa Lou" 1991 Monsters Leo Tandoski Episode: "Werewolf of Hollywood" MacGyver CIA-Agent Abe Episode: "Honest Abe" Walter & Emily Albert 1 Episode 1992 Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy & Blue Himself Television Movie Civil Wars Performer Episode: "The Triumph of DeVille" 1992–93 L.A. Law Ben Flicker 6 episodes 1994 Garfield and Friends Dick Drake (voice) Episode: "Horror Hostess" 1995 Living Single Hyman Episode: "Baby I'm Back...Again" 1996–97 Friends Mr. Kaplan Jr. 2 episodes 1997 Chicago Sons McGlashan Episode: "The Things We Do for Love" The Blues Brothers Animated Series Alderman J. Alderman (voice) 8 episodes 1998 Arlis$$ Ollie Fogle Episode: "The American Game" 1999 L.A. Doctors Performer Episode: "Been There, Done That'" 2000 Providence Performer Episode: "Syd in Wonderland" Walker, Texas Ranger Ira Goldberg Episode: "Lazarus" 2001 That's My Bush! Principal Episode: "Fare Thee Welfare" 2002 Lizzie McGuire Nobby Frostybump Episode: "Xtreme Xmas" Even Stevens Jackie the Janitor Episode: "Dirty Work" 2003 The King of Queens Skitch Episode: "Queens'bro Bridge" 2004 Dead Like Me Theo Episode: "The Shallow End" 2005 Grey's Anatomy Jed Sorento Episode: "Let it Be" 2007 Entourage Uncle Shelley Episode: "Return of the King" State of Mind Harvey Fleischman Episode: "Passion Fishing" 2006–08 Boston Legal Judge Robert Sanders 11 episodes 2008 Hannah Montana Dr. Froman Episode: "Don't Go Breakin' My Tooth" Pushing Daisies Gustav Hofer Episode: "Robbing Hood" 2009 CSI: NY George Savar Episode: "Yahrzeit" The Unusuals Tom Speigelman Episode: "The Tape Delay" Raising the Bar Danny Rose Episode: "Rules of Engagement" 2002–09 Curb Your Enthusiasm Nat David 13 episodes 2012 Hawaii Five-0 Morty Sapperstein Episode: "Ohuna"

Theatre Year Title Role Venue Ref. 1959 The Girls Against the Boys Husband Alvin Theatre 1962 A Family Affair Alfie Nathan Billy Rose Theatre 1973–74 The Prisoner of Second Avenue Mel Edison National Tour 1980 Insideoutsideandallaround with Shelley Berman Playwright-Performer Bijou Theatre

Discography Albums Berman released the following albums: Year Title Peak chart positions US 200 Cashbox Top LPs 1959 Inside Shelley Berman 2 2 Outside Shelley Berman 6 4 1960 The Edge of Shelley Berman 4 6 1961 A Personal Appearance 25 25 1963 New Sides — — 1964 The Sex Life of The Primate (And Other Bits of Gossip) 88 67 1965 Let Me Tell You a Funny Story — — 1995 Live Again! Recorded at the Improv — —2013 To Laughter with Questions — — When Jews Were Funny — —