Shelley Berman Comedian - Extraordinaire | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Comedy has always been in the eye of the beholder, and every generation has their favorites. But it was not always a big money maker for the comedians. Many labored away in small clubs and the Catskills telling their stories and jokes to largely small crowds. Like any profession, many did not succeed or reach the top but it is somewhat refreshing to me that a large chunk of the comedy of the past was not destructive or based on inflammatory rhetoric. There were "blue comics" of course but they were not on the TV every night. Somewhere along the way we '?matured?' into the sophisticated gutter that is today's comics bread and butter. Here is a little reminder of those days when comedy had structure and perhaps a blend of wistfulness. Bobby Tony

Grandpa's Dairies - Comedy Chapter 18


Shelley Berman Comedian Extra-Ordinarie


    He was born Sheldon Leonard Berman on February 3, 1925 (age 92) in Chicago, Illinois. He was one of the first comedians to use the "talking in to the invisible phone" routine. He was not the first to use this SHTICK nor the last. Bob Newhart also used the technique. His monologues were built on his life as well as his observations carried to extreme. He did not just tell jokes, he weaved stories with a humorous twist. His humor was more of a esoteric blend of life's little idiosyncrasies. Shelley Berman Website

As a culture I see us as presently deprived of subtleties. The music is loud, the anger is elevated, sex seems lacking in sweetness and privacy. Shelley Berman
Read more at:
Brainy Quote


    I don't know how a young, white, gentile, southern boy came across Shelley, but I suspect it was on the Steve Allen TV show. I bought his records and knew most of his routines buy heart. My favorite was his story about asking his father, A Jewish delicatessen owner, for money to go to acting school. His father reads him the riot act about actors and how they are all funny boys. Eventually the old man caves in and agrees to pay for acting lessons. The skit closes with the age-old Jewish admonition which few aspiring actors follow: "Sheldon, Don't change your name."

   Shelley Berman did not change his name and the rest is history. Here is a list of his comedy albums, three of which were certified gold when that was a rarity.
  • Inside Shelley Berman (1959) (Grammy Award winner for "Best Comedy Performance, Spoken Word")
  • Outside Shelley Berman (1959)
  • The Edge of Shelley Berman (1960)
  • A Personal Appearance (1961)
  • New Sides (1963)
  • The Sex Life of The Primate (And Other Bits of Gossip) (1964) (with Stiller and Meara and Lovelady Powell)
  • Let Me Tell You a Funny Story (1968)
  • Live Again! Recorded At The Improv (1995)
  • To Laughter with Questions (2013)
  • When Jews Were Funny (2013)

    I have used one of his lines from the clip below so many times, I feel like I wrote it. My dad had a similar line but it could not be used in polite company.

   My dad's IRISH version was:  "I have never been known to carry a grudge, when I get even with the SOB, I forget about it!"

   Shelley's father's JEWISH version was:  "Forget about it, don't forget about it, you'll forget about it, but I'll remember and don't you forget it."

   My uncle Aldo Emilio Garoni's Italian version:  "la vendetta è meglio servito freddo"  English Translation

    Here is the clip from his Outside Shelley Berman album in 1959. It is about 15 minutes long but it may bring a chuckle to you.


    As of this writing (May 2017) Shelley Berman is still alive, however his health has deteriorated. Here is a quote from his website:
As most of you are aware, Shelley has developed Alzheimer’s Disease. As he and his family are working their way through this part of their lives, we wanted to offer more information and help to others who might also be facing this disease. Below are links to a few web sites for organizations, which are working toward medications that may help, and, ultimately, cure this awful illness. On these pages, you will find coping strategies, clinical trials and studies in which patients may participate, help and support for caregivers, and ways to donate toward research and to bring awareness to the ravages of Alzheimer's.

The Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America  

The Bright Focus Foundation

The Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Research  

The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research


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Comments

( November 5th, 2017 @ 5:35 am )
 
Shelly Passed away on September 1, 2017 at 92. His comedy was unique and often provoked thought. He was a story teller. Someone once asked him if he was a stand up comic, he replied "No, I use a Stool!"
RIP
( May 14th, 2017 @ 2:09 pm )
 
And then there was Henny Youngman.
He did not have to curse to be funny & he was funnier than all the cussing "comedians" we have today.
I once saw Buddy Hackett live in Las Vegas.
The first word he spoke into the mike (very loud & close) was the F Word.
His act went down from there but there was a lot of cussing & his silly audience thought he was funny.
Back to Henny Youngman...
Late in his career he found he could not tell Ethnic Jokes (such a shame), so he started telling Dumb Guy Jokes...
Two dumb guys decided to go bear hunting.
They got up early & headed out to where the bears were.
They came to a fork in the road with a sign that read "Bear Left".
So they went home.
Why do I know so much about Henny Youngman?
That's because I read his autobiography, "Take my life, please".
( May 14th, 2017 @ 1:54 pm )
 
Absolutely agree about Curb Your Enthusiasm!
I think it was in HBO.
I don't get HBO, so I never heard of it till it was no longer an active series.
I have gathered up 4 seasons (1,2,5,6) from stores that carry them used.
Always looking out for more.
They can be watched over & over.
( May 12th, 2017 @ 4:10 pm )
 
One of the Funniest TV Shows of all time - "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

If anyone questions why Larry is so abjectly messed up, one only need to take a good look at his "Curb" father, Shelley Berman. What a great scene here below:

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