I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-Up Comedy's Golden Era by William Knoedelseder (39 page)

Curlin, Lee, 69–70

Coach
(TV show), 34

Curtin, Jane, 59

Colgate Comedy Hour, The

Curtin, Valerie, 33–34

(TV show), 9

Curve Inn, The (bar), 28

College concert tour, 89, 103, 156

Comedian’s Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Daily Variety
, 144, 249, 250

Foundation, 259–260

Dairy of a Young Comic
(movie), 141–146

Comedians for Comedians, 249

Dan Lurie’s Gym & Health Spa, 13

See also
Labor dispute

Dangerfield, Rodney, 25, 118, 149

Comedians for Compensation (CFC)

Daniel, Stan, 103

formation, 158–164

Dante Shocko
movie, 42, 64, 96–98,

See also
Labor dispute

166–167, 242

Comedy and Magic Club, 112, 216

Danza, Tony, 127

Comedy clubs

Darden, Severin, 156

after strike, 254–256

Dark, Johnny

See also specific clubs

after strike, 3, 263

Comedy Store

background, 39

after strike, 256–257, 258, 259, 260

Canter’s, 76

“anniversary” specials, 257–258,

Comedy Store, 40, 51, 52, 69, 72

266–267

labor dispute, 165–166, 192–193

beginnings, 32–34, 35

Miller’s memorial, 5

Belly Room, 112–113, 114, 115,

The Late Show with David Letterman
, 3

135–137, 182–183, 200, 218, 229,

Dark, Suzy, 40, 165

232, 237, 250

Dating Game
, 56

closing of Westwood club, 258

David, Larry, 248

La Jolla club, 89, 166, 194, 195–196,

David, Madeline, 57

217, 237, 238, 242

David Frost Show, The
, 47

memorial for Lubetkin, 246

Davis, Allan, 234

Sunset vs. Westwood clubs, 84–86

Davis, Dave, 103

The Girls of the Comedy Store

Davis Jr., Sammy, 33, 83, 92, 235

(Playboy Channel series), 258

Deck, Lue, 197, 202, 205, 242, 243, 255

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Index

DeCordova, Fred, 67, 209

strategy/negotiations, 153–155,

Deerhunter, The
(movie), 207–208

157–164, 165–166, 171–174

Delagran, Robert, 240

strike vote/strike, 185, 187, 189, 190,

DeLuca, Rudy, 32, 35

191–192, 194, 199–200, 202, 204,

DeMille, Cecil B., 35

207, 212–213, 214, 218–219, 223,

Detroit Comedy Jam, The
(Binder), 258

226–229

Detroit News
, 199–200

See also
Comedians for Compensation DeVito, Danny, 127

Drugs.
See
Substance abuse

Diller, Phyllis, 22, 74

Dinah Shore Show, The
(TV show), 92

Ebony Genius Management, 55, 74

Diner
(movie), 34

Ed Sullivan Show, The
(TV show), 125

Domino, Fats, 47

Ed Wynn Show, The
(TV show), 9

Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert

Endler, Estelle, 157, 181, 182, 183, 198,

(TV show), 92

200, 218, 225, 233

Dornberger, George, 53.
See also

Evans, Susan

Miller, George

Lubetkin & Evans, 97, 98–99,

Dornberger, Helen, 53, 201

109, 166

Dreesen, Tom

Lubetkin and, 63–64, 97, 109,

after strike, 2, 3, 253, 261–264

142–143, 168, 194, 225, 236–237,

background/family, 27–29

238, 241

Boosler and, 74

Lubetkin’s suicide and, 242–243, 247,

Canter’s, 76

248, 249

“Comedy on Monday Night at

Evening at the Improv, An

Le Pub
,” 29–30

(cable series), 257

Comedy Store/Shore, 46, 47, 48, 62,

117, 118, 266–267

Federation of Labor, Los Angeles County,

early work, 26–27, 29–30

226, 234

Improv, 62

Feldman, Marty, 101

Letterman and, 3, 49, 51–52, 55,

Field, Sally, 106

56, 69, 107–108, 208–209,

Fields, Totie, 22, 112

262–264

Finney, Albert, 23–24

Lubetkin/Lubetkin’s suicide and,

Fleisher, Charles, 91, 131

235–236, 243–244, 253

FM and AM
(Carlin), 19

Miller and, 6, 128

Fonda, Jane, 208

Miller’s memorial, 2, 4, 6–7

Fort Bursky, 40–41, 86

move to LA, 45–48

416th, The
(TV show), 170

on past, 253, 261–262

Foxx, Redd, 33

performance in hometown, 92

French, Victor, 63, 168

The Tonight Show
, 2, 65–70, 92,

Friedman, Budd

208–209

An Evening at the Improv

TV show appearances (summary), 92

(cable series), 257

William Morris Agency, 69–70

background/description, 60–61

Williams and, 132

divorce, 175–176

See also
Tim and Tom

Improv branches, 255

Dreesen, Tom/labor dispute

Improv LA, 60–62, 103,

becoming spokesperson, 158–159

176–180, 206

first meeting with Shore, 147–151

Improv NY, 12, 20, 23, 24–25,

first meetings, 117, 118, 119, 120, 123,

29, 39, 71, 143

138–140

as influence, 36–37, 111

Improv fire/Friedman, 178–180

labor dispute, 175, 178–180, 202,

“settlement”/problems, 229–230,

234, 254

231–236

Leno and, 20–21, 24–26

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273

move to LA, 60–62

Heck, Jimmy, 205

Shore and, 61–62, 175, 179–180,

Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood,

225, 257

New York, 61

Friedman, Silver, 122–123, 175

Hemphill, Shirley, 78, 137

Frye, David, 12

Henner, Marilu, 127

Funny Farm, 84

Herman, Pee Wee, 258

Fuzzy’s (bar), 28

Hicks, Donald, 240–241

High Chaparral club, 27

Gabor, Zsa Zsa, 56

Hill, Charlie, 4–5, 73, 86, 205, 260

Gallagher, Leo, 52, 120, 131, 133, 138,

Hillside Strangler, 119

185, 187

Hirsh, Judd, 127

Gardino, Vincent, 23–24

Hoffman, Dustin, 12

Gerdes’s Folk City, 14

Hollis, Pat, 46

Gil Hodges’s Grand Slam Lounge, 13

Hollywood Palladium, 259

Girls of the Comedy Store, The

Hollywood Reporter
, 158, 160, 163,

(Playboy Channel series), 258

190, 192

Goldberg, Whoopi, 258

Hollywood Squares
(TV show), 56, 86, 92

Golden Horseshoe, 27

Hope, Bob, 164, 173, 213

Goldstein, Mark, 76–77

Humperdinck’s, 215, 218–219, 231–232,

Goldwaith, “Bobcat,” 258

238, 246, 247–248, 262

Good Times
, 39, 44

Huntington Hartford Theater, Los

Gorman, Helen, 55.
See also

Angeles, 103

Kushnick, Helen

Husbands, Wives and Lovers

Gorme, Eydie, 67

(TV series), 77

Gould, Elliott, 94

Granat, Rick, 73

Ice House, 41, 42, 131

Grease
(movie), 74

Improvisation, The

Green, Shecky, 22, 83, 115

after strike (LA), 257

Greenberg, Ron, 56

An Evening at the Improv

Gregory, Dick, 115

(cable series), 257

Griffin, Merv/
The Merv Griffin Show

branches of, 255

(TV show), 47, 92, 192

LA, 60–62, 176–180, 206

Grisham, Cliff, 176, 179

NY, 12, 20, 23–25, 26, 29, 39,

Gunty, Morty, 11

61, 71, 143

See also
Friedman, Budd;
specific
Hackett, Buddy, 33, 67, 83, 198–199, 212

individuals

Hall, Arsenio, 60

International Alliance of Theater and

Hall, Monty, 71

Stage Employees/Local 33, 137, 212

Hamilton, Argus III/IV, 85

Is It Something I Said?
(Pryor), 87

Hamilton, Argus V

after strike, 256, 259–260

January, Kent, 240

Comedy Store/Shore, 60, 85, 86, 89,

Jerk, The
(movie), 101

91, 116, 129, 156–157, 197,

Jerry Van Dyke’s club, 213, 215–216,

259–260, 261–262, 266

218–219, 237–238

labor dispute, 170, 171, 195, 197,

Joe Franklin Show, The
, 32

204–205, 207, 209, 220, 261–262

Joffe, Charles, 11

Laugh In
(TV show), 91

Johnny Dark Thing, 39

Pryor and, 91

Johnny’s Gay Club (bar), 28

substance abuse, 259–260

Jones, Tom, 108

Happy Days
(TV show), 104–105

Harrah’s club, 243

Kaplan, Gabe, 144

Hayes, T. D., 217

Karp, Herb, 69–70

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Index

Kaufman, Andy

“settlement”/problems, 229–230,

Boosler and, 22–23, 71, 73

231–236, 237–238, 249

as busboy, 126–127

Shore’s meeting without headliners,

Carson and, 67

153–154, 155–157

Comedy Store/Shore, 62, 103, 111,

strike legacy, 254, 256, 263–264

115, 257, 267

strike/picketing, 184–187, 189–202,

early work, 21–23, 62

203–207, 209, 211–212, 218–221,

Improv, 21–23, 62, 179, 257

223–229

Improv fire/benefit and, 179

strike vote, 184–187

SNL
, 59, 103

strikebreakers, 195, 197–198,

success, 103–104

204–207, 218–221, 223, 226, 228

Taxi
(TV show), 104, 127

venues for comedians, 214–217,

The Tonight Show
, 103

218–219, 231–232

Keaton, Diane, 101

See also
Comedians for Compensation Keaton, Michael, 60, 73, 107, 111

(CFC); Dreesen, Tom/labor dispute;

Kellogg, Anne, 78

Shore, Mitzi/labor dispute;
specific

Kent, Roberta, 78, 194

individuals

King, Alexander, 10

Lacey, Mike, 216

King Tut
(Martin), 102

Lady Sings the Blues
(film), 149

Kinison, Sam, 258, 260, 267

Laff Stop, 112, 166, 167, 168, 169, 216

Kirchenbauer, Bill, 85, 131–132,

Lamour, Dorothy, 35

133, 256

Landesberg, Steve

Klein, Robert, 11, 12, 20, 25, 34, 88, 125

background, 161

Komack, James, 34

Comedy Store, 23, 40, 111, 120, 157

Kushnick, Helen, 55, 57

Lewis and, 43

Kushnick, Jerry, 55, 57

Shore and, 120, 157

Lange, Jim, 56

Laboe, Art, 83–84, 88

Langston, Murray, 52, 214, 256

Labor dispute

Larrabure, William, 97–98

beginning talks, 117–123

Last Laugh, The: The World of Stand-up

bomb scare, 206

Comics
(Berger), 125

Browning (lawyer), 154–155, 158,

Late Night
(TV show), 3–4, 208, 258

184, 190, 195, 200–201, 217–218,

Late Show with David Letterman, The
, 3, 234

262–263

CFC goals, 214

Laugh Factory, 2, 4, 6, 255, 260–261, 262

choosing sides, 165–166, 169–173

Laugh In
(TV show), 91

exclusivity agreements and, 216, 232

Leadbetter, Huddie (Leadbelly), 84

first meeting with Shore, 147–151

Leadbetter’s coffeehouse, 84

Improv fire and, 176–180, 206

Lear, Norman, 65, 66, 105–106

meeting at union hall, 137–140

Leno, Jay

meetings, 137–140, 147–151,

after strike, 2–4, 256–257,

153–154, 155–157, 212–214

258–259, 262

negotiations, 147–151, 162–163,

Arngrim and, 114

174, 190, 191, 211–212, 213–214,

Binder and, 7, 89, 125–126, 130,

217–218

219, 220–221, 261

publicity/PR, 158, 160, 163–164,

Boosler and, 73, 120–121

181–184, 190, 192, 194, 196–197,

Caesar’s Palace, 108–109

198–200, 201, 203–204, 212,

Canter’s, 76

214, 223

Carson and, 67

Robin’s (waitress) information,

Comedy Store/Shore, 40–41, 52,

171–172, 178

54–55, 62, 73, 75, 111, 114, 118,

settlement end, 253–254

125–126, 267

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early work, 20–21, 24–26, 41,

move to LA, 48, 49

54–55, 56

NBC holding deal, 119

Ebony Genius Management and,

The Late Show with David Letterman
, 3, 55, 74

262–263

Improv/Friedman, 20–21, 60, 61,

The Starland Vocal Band
(TV show), 91

62, 72

The Tonight Show
appearances/guest

Klein and, 88

hosting, 107–108, 170–171, 193,

labor dispute, 118, 120–121, 122–123,

208–209

138–139, 157, 158, 159, 165, 172,

The Tonight Show
/Leno conflict,

194–195, 203, 206, 215, 223,

2–4, 258

228–229

Turn of the Century club, 57–58

Late Night
with David Letterman, 3–4

Letterman, Michelle, 48, 52

Letterman and, 2–4, 51, 54–55,

Levant, Oscar, 10

258–259

Levine, Emily, 78, 213–214

Los Angeles Times
article, 238

Levinson, Barry, 33–34

Lubetkin’s suicide and, 243–244, 253

Lewis, Jerry, 9

Maynard “hitting,” 228–229