Dick Shawn
{{Short description|American actor (1923–1987)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dick Shawn
| image = Dick Shawn 1964.JPG
| caption = Shawn in 1964
| birth_name = Richard Schulefand
| birth_date = {{birth date|1923|12|01|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Buffalo, New York, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1987|04|17|1923|12|01}}
| death_place = San Diego, California, U.S.
| resting_place = Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1956–1987
| spouse = {{marriage|Rita Bachner|1946}}
| children = 4
| othername = Richy Shawn
| relatives = Joey Travolta (son-in-law)
}}
Dick Shawn (born Richard Schulefand, December 1, 1923 – April 17, 1987) was an American actor. He played a wide variety of supporting roles and was a prolific character actor. During the 1960s, he played small roles in madcap comedies, usually portraying caricatures of counterculture personalities, such as the hedonistic but mother-obsessed Sylvester Marcus in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), and the hippie actor Lorenzo Saint DuBois ("L.S.D.") in The Producers (1967). Beyond his film work, he appeared in numerous television shows from the 1960s through the 1980s.
Career
{{more citations needed|section|date=August 2022}}
Born in Buffalo, New York to a Jewish family, and raised in nearby Lackawanna,[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/04/19/comic-actor-dick-shawn-dies-at-age-57/6ed8153f-769d-4a18-a3ee-a010ddb97c29/ Obituary], washingtonpost.com. Accessed August 7, 2022. Shawn performed his stand-up comedy act for over 35 years in nightclubs around the world.{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-08-16-ca-3235-story.html | title=Dick Shawn--The Wizard of Odd | website=Los Angeles Times | date=August 16, 1985 }} His award-winning one-man stage show, The Second Greatest Entertainer in the Whole Wide World, was sometimes performed with a unique opening. When the audience entered the theater, they saw a bare stage with a pile of bricks in stage center. When the play began, Shawn emerged from the pile of bricks. The startling effect of this required complete concentration and breath control because the slightest movement of the bricks could ruin the surprise appearance.
In addition to roles in more than 30 movies and seven Broadway productions, Shawn made television appearances, toured often, and periodically performed a one-man show that mixed songs, sketches, and pantomime. He was a speaker at the Friars Club Roasts in Los Angeles and New York. At one of the X-rated roasts (a 1986 Playboy roast of Tommy Chong) that had overdosed on tasteless routines by previous speakers, Shawn walked up to the microphone, took a long pause, and "vomited" pea soup onto himself and other speakers at the dais.
In the Mel Brooks 1967 movie The Producers, Shawn won accolades{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert |date=July 23, 2000|title=The Producers |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-producers-1968 |work=Roger Ebert website |access-date=January 18, 2021|quote=great supporting performance }}{{cite book |last=Crick |first=Robert Alan |title=The Big Screen Comedies of Mel Brooks|publisher=McFarland & Company|date=2009 |page=29|isbn=978-0786443260|quote=Dick Shawn is pretty terrific}}{{cite news |last=Kashner |first=Sam |date=January 6, 2014 |title=The Making of The Producers |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2004/01/making-the-producers |work=Vanity Fair |access-date=January 18, 2021|quote=very funny}}{{cite news |last= Ferguson|first=John|date=2020|title=The Producers |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/film/m9r6b/the-producers-1968/|work=Radio Times |access-date=January 18, 2021|quote=wonderful}} for his portrayal of Lorenzo St. DuBois, whose "friends call" him LSD, an actor auditioning for and winning the part of Hitler in a theatrical production that was intentionally meant to fail.
Shawn's television appearances included The Ed Sullivan Show, TV movies, sitcoms (including Three's Company on which he played Jack Tripper's father), dramas including St. Elsewhere and Magnum, P.I., and a music video for "Dance" by the hair metal band Ratt (1986). In the UK he appeared in Sunday Night at the London Palladium in 1958.
Amongst his roles in anthology TV series, he starred in an Amazing Stories episode "Miss Stardust", directed by Tobe Hooper, about a bizarre intergalactic beauty pageant, and played the Emperor in The Emperor's New Clothes for Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. He filled in for vacationing Johnny Carson as guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on January 1, 1971, which saw the airing of the last cigarette commercial on American television (for Virginia Slims), one minute before the cigarette ads were banned.
Personal life
Shawn married Rita Bachner in 1946, and they had four children: Amy, Wendy, Adam, and Jennifer. His only grandchild, Rachel Travolta, is the daughter of Wendy and her husband, Joey Travolta. He was a longtime resident of Englewood, New Jersey.Lewis, Dan. [https://baltimoresun.newspapers.com/image/377135783/?terms=dick%2Bshawn "Dick Shawn: Mixed-Media Man"], The Baltimore Sun, November 28, 1971. Accessed July 24, 2019. "Dick Shawn left the comforts of his 14-room home in Englewood, NJ, one recent Sunday and flew to Hollywood to start work on a movie for television."
Death
On April 17, 1987, during a performance at University of California, San Diego's Mandeville Hall, Shawn suffered a heart attack and collapsed face-down on the stage. The audience initially assumed that it was part of his act. After he had remained motionless for several minutes, a stage hand examined him and asked if a physician was present.{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Janny |last2=Thackrey |first2=Ted Jr. |title=Comedian Dick Shawn, 63, Is Stricken on Stage, Dies |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-04-19-mn-1888-story.html |access-date=June 27, 2018 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 19, 1987}}
After CPR had been initiated, the audience was asked to leave the auditorium. Most in attendance remained, assuming that it was part of Shawn's act, and only began leaving after paramedics arrived. A notice in the following day's San Diego Union newspaper announced that Shawn had died during the performance at the age of 63.{{cite web| title=Dick Shawn| url=http://www.answers.com/topic/dick-shawn| work=Actors Biographies| publisher=All Media Guide| year=2009| access-date=April 22, 2009}} Shawn was interred at Hillside Memorial Park, a Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California.{{cite web| title=Dick Shawn| url=http://blog.marshotelonline.com/cemetery-visits/things-to-do-in-la-when-youre-dead-part-2/#shawn| work=Josh Pincus is Crying| date=September 2, 2008| publisher=Things to do in L.A. When You're Dead| access-date=April 17, 2018}}
Legacy
Jim Knipfel claims that Andy Kaufman was inspired by Shawn.{{cite journal| url=https://www.ozy.com/performance/the-humbly-great-dick-shawn/62592| title=The Humbly Great Dick Shawn| first=Jim| last=Knipfel| date=April 24, 2014| journal=Ozy| access-date=July 24, 2019| archive-date=July 25, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725160058/https://www.ozy.com/performance/the-humbly-great-dick-shawn/62592| url-status=dead}}{{cite journal| url=http://www.denofgeek.com/us/culture/andy-kaufman/272808/where-andy-kaufman-came-from| title=Where Andy Kaufman Came From| first=Jim| last=Knipfel| date=May 2, 2018| journal=Den of Geek| access-date=September 16, 2018}}{{cite journal| url=http://www.electronpress.com/slackjaw/SLACKJAW_20180408.html| title=Jim and Andy and Dick| first=Jim| last=Knipfel| date=April 8, 2018| journal=Electron Press| access-date=September 16, 2018}}
Actor Matthew Glave portrayed Shawn in Leave 'Em Laughing, a short film surrounding his final moments.{{Cite web |last=Ng |first=Alan |date=October 16, 2020 |title=Leave 'em Laughing {{!}} Film Threat |url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/leave-em-laughing/ |access-date=July 12, 2022 |website=Film Threat |language=en-US}}
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1956
|Psychiatric Patient | |
| rowspan="2" |1960
|Gus Brukaber | |
| The Wizard of Baghdad
|Genii-Ali Mahmud | |
| 1963
|It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World |Sylvester Marcus | |
| 1965
|Arnold Plum | |
| rowspan="3" |1966
|What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? |Captain Lionel Cash | |
| Way... Way Out
|Igor Valkleinokov | |
| Penelope
|Dr. Gregory Mannix | |
| 1967
|L.S.D. — Lorenzo St. DuBois | |
| 1969
|Harry Bricker | |
| 1977
|Looking Up |Manny Lander | |
| 1979
|Lieutenant Ferguson | |
| 1982
|Rodney Poinsetter / Ainsley Poinsetter | |
| rowspan="2" |1983
|Rock 'n' Roll Hotel |Weevil King of Evil | |
| Young Warriors
|Professor Hoover | |
| rowspan="2" |1984
|Mae | |
| The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud
|The Ultimate Patient | |
| rowspan="2" |1985
|Deke Halliday | |
| Beer
|Talk Show Host | |
| rowspan="3" |1986
|The Check Is in the Mail... |Donald |uncredited |
| The Perils of P.K.
|The psychiatrist | |
| Captain EO
|Commander Bog |Short Film |
| 1987
|Stan Starkey | |
| 1988
|Charlie Slater |Posthumous Release |
= Television =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1954–55
|unknown role |3 episodes |
| 1955
|Max Liebman Presents: Kaleidoscope |Guest |TV movie |
| 1955–58
|Himself |8 episodes |
| 1958
|Himself |3 episodes |
| 1959
|Himself |"Eve Arden / Dick Shawn / Red Norvo" |
| rowspan="4" |1961
|Felix Franklin |"Don't Let It Throw You" |
| Checkmate
|Danny Whitman |"Laugh Till I Die" |
| The DuPont Show with June Allyson
|Charlie Wilson |"The Old-Fashioned Way" |
| Michael Shayne
|Ernie Trask |"The Trouble with Ernie" |
| rowspan="2" |1963
|Himself |"Dick Shawn / Whitey Ford" |
| The Judy Garland Show
|Himself |#1.11" |
| 1963–67
|Himself |2 episodes |
| 1964
|Himself |"03.20.1964" |
| 1964–86
|The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson |Himself |38 episodes |
| 1965
|Ernie Garatella |"Secure Any Special Privilege or Advantage" |
| rowspan="2" |1966
|Himself |2 episodes |
| The Bob Hope Show
|Himself |"Murder at NBC" |
| rowspan="4" |1967
|Paul Benderhof |"I'm Getting Married" |
| Sheriff Who
|Crawford Offwhite |TV movie |
| Off to See the Wizard
|Tom Thumb |"Who's Afraid of Mother Goose?" |
| That Girl
|Himself |"The Mailman Cometh" |
| rowspan="2" |1968
|Ace Winthrop |"Lucy and the Pool Hustler" |
| What's My Line?
|Self – Mystery Guest |"Dick Shawn" |
| rowspan="3" |1969
|That's Life |unknown role |"Sex and the Married Man" |
| The Joan Rivers Show
|Himself |"05.04.1969" |
| The Liberace Show
|Himself |"07.27.1969" |
| rowspan="2" |1971
|Dames at Sea |The Captain |TV movie |
| The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
|Nick Sutton |"The Glass Cage" |
| 1971–78
|Himself – Panelist |3 episodes |
| 1972
|Marshal Bing Bell |TV movie |
| 1972–73
|Henry Chadwick / Howard |2 episodes |
| 1973–74
|Himself – Celebrity Contestant |18 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |1974
|CBS Daytime 90 |unknown role |"My Little Love" |
| The Year Without a Santa Claus
|Snow Miser (Voice Role) |TV movie |
| 1975
|Pete Rashid |"The Price of a Child" |
| 1975–77
|Doc Grannick the Mechanic / E.J. Fusay |3 episodes |
| 1976
|You're Just Like Your Father |Harry Tofler, Sr. |TV movie |
| 1978
|Mary |Skit characters |unknown episode(s) |
| rowspan="2" |1979
|Fast Friends |Deke Edwards |TV movie |
| Laverne & Shirley
|Gatekeeper/Phone Representative |"Upstairs, Downstairs" |
| 1980
|Vic Erskine |"Skater's Edge / Concerto of Death / The Last Great Race" |
| 1980–81
|Mr. & Mrs. Dracula |Dracula |2 episodes |
| 1981
|Aloha Paradise |Cyrus |"Fiona / Engaged to Be Dumped / Fantasie Impromptu" |
| 1981–82
|Harvey Blanchard / David Jackson |3 episodes |
| rowspan="3" |1982
|Drysdale |"You Oughta Be in Pictures" |
| Madame's Place
|Himself |"Pinky's Shock" |
| Slapstick Studios
|Sheldon |unknown episode(s) |
| rowspan="2" |1983
|Buzz Benoit |"Squeeze Play" |
| Three's Company |
| rowspan="4" |1984
|Casanova |"Knight at Casanova's" |
| Steambath
|Frankie Melnick |"Madison Avenue Madness" |
| The Fall Guy
|Edward Seraph |"Losers Weepers: Part 1" |
| Body Language
|Himself |5 episodes |
| rowspan="3" |1985
|Bo Gumbs |"If the Shoes Fit..." |
| Hail to the Chief
|Ivan Zolotov |series regular (6 episodes) |
| Faerie Tale Theatre
|Emperor / Guest Interviewee |2 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |1986
|Nelson Westbrook |"Gramma / Personal Demons / Cold Reading" |
| St. Elsewhere
|Edgard Eisenberg |"The Equalizer" |
| 1987
|Joe Willouhby |"Miss Stardust" |
= Theatre =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1948
|For Heaven's Sake, Mother! |Milton Rubin | |
| 1961–62
|Alan Baker (replacement) |replaced Hal March |
| 1962
|The Egg |Emile Magis | |
| 1962–64
|A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum |Prologus / Pseudolus (replacement) |replaced Zero Mostel |
| 1964–65
|Byron Prong (replacement) |replaced Jack Cassidy |
| 1965
|Peterpat |Peter | |
| 1968
|Yoni, Solomon | |
| 1975–76
|A Musical Jubilee |Performer | |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}The Official Dick Shawn website [https://dickshawn.com Dick Shawn Website]{{Commons category}}
- {{IBDB name|453775}}
- {{iobdb name|19193}}
- {{IMDb name|790071}}
- {{Discogs artist|Dick Shawn}}
- {{Find a Grave|3827}}
- {{YouTube|BkYBJId7WZs|"Love Power" song clip by Dick Shawn as Lorenzo St. DuBois (LSD) in "The Producers" (1968)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shawn, Dick}}
Category:Jewish American male actors
Category:Jewish American comedians
Category:American male comedians
Category:Male actors from Englewood, New Jersey
Category:Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
Category:Jewish male comedians
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:Male actors from Buffalo, New York
Category:People from Lackawanna, New York
Category:Comedians from New York (state)
Category:20th-century American comedians