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Weiskopf enjoyed listening to Jack Benny, but as writer he wanted to be more serious. But he went to Hollywood and wrote a few gags for Bob Hope, and the comedy bug bit. He was quickly recruited for The Eddie Cantor Show, and later The Fred Allen Show. Later, he teamed up with Robert Schiller and kept the laughs going, winning acclaim with scripts for such classics as I Love Lucy, Maude, Make Room for Daddy and Our Miss Brooks. Weiskopf and Schiller, known as "The Two Bobs", also worked with Red Skelton, Phyllis Diller and Carol Burnett. The duo won Emmy Awards for The Flip Wilson Show and All in the Family, and the Writers Guild Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television, given to writers who have "advanced the literature of television." Weiskopf died February 20 in Los Angeles. He was 86. From This is True for 18 February 2001 Suggestions for further reading:
 List Price: $39.95 Amazon Price: $39.95 Editorial Review: PUBLISHED IN SPANISH. Diez Comedias--the only volume of its kind--contains an ideal selection of the best-known plays of the most representative Spanish dramatists of the Golden Age. Apart from the ten well-chosen texts, readers will find the introductions to each play and the footnotes to be most helpful.  By: Ben Thompson List Price: $16.00 Amazon Price: $16.00 Editorial Review: In the 1990s, British comedy underwent a renaissance—shows like The Royle Family and The Office were hugely popular with critics and audiences alike. Just as sports, art, and literature seemed to move towards light entertainment, the comedy on the nation's televisions gave us a clear picture of what was happening to our nation. From Ricky Gervais' self-destructive love affair with dairy products to Steve Coogan's suicidal overtaking technique; from the secrets of Vic Reeves' woodshed to Spike Milligan's final resting place, Ben Thompson reveals the twisted beauty of British comedy’s psyche.  By: David Everitt List Price: $26.95 Amazon Price: $26.95  List Price: $17.98 Amazon Price: $17.98  By: Irving Brecher List Price: $200.00 Amazon Price: $200.00 Editorial Review: Who is this Irving Brecher? What was it like to be the only man ever to write two Marx Brothers movies by himself? To be the last of the great MGM roundtable of screenwriters? To be the famous unknown who wrote vaudeville and radio shows for Milton Berle, punched upThe Wizard of Oz, and created "The Life of Riley"-on radio, in the movies, and as the very first television sitcom! Once Hank met Irv, questions like these dogged him. And Hank dogged Irv. He couldn't get enough of Irv's rapid-fire patter and acid wit. This book is the product of 6 years of Hank's tagging along with Irv, splitting pastrami sandwiches, and hanging on Irv's every word. Irv convinced Judy Garland to star in Meet Me in St. Louis, wrote Bye Bye Birdie, and gave Jackie Gleason his first TV series and a new set of teeth. The "Wicked Wit of the West" (as Groucho dubbed him) tells juicy tales about Hollywood legends John Wayne, L.B. Mayer, Jack Benny, George Burns, Ann-Margret, Ernie Kovacs, Cleo the bassett hound, and of course, Groucho, Harpo and Chico. At 94, Irving Brecher finally gets the last word! |
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