Sid Caesar
Sid Caesar
Born	September 8, 1922 (1922-09-08) (age 85) Yonkers, New York City , New York , U.S.A.
Years active	1950s–2000s
Spouse(s)	Florence Levy (17 July 1943–present) 3 children

Sid Caesar (born September 8, 1922) is an Emmy-winning American comic actor and writer, best known as the leading man on the 1950s television series Your Show of Shows, and to younger generations as Coach Calhoun in Grease and Grease 2. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_York_City. ... “NY” redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_York. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... The 2000s are the current decade, spanning from 2000 to 2009. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... An Emmy Award. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Your Show of Shows was a live sketch comedy television series appearing weekly in the United States, from 1950 until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. ... For the original stage musical of the same name, see Grease (musical). ... Grease 2 is the 1982 sequel to 1978s smash hit movie Grease. ...

Biography

Early life

Isaac Sidney Caesar was born in Yonkers, New York where his father, Max, and mother, Ida, ran a twenty-four-hour luncheonette. Sid would help his parents by waiting on tables and it was during this time that Sid learned to mimic many of the accents he would use throughout his long career. He first tried his double-speak with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much, they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat it in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchman, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, in reality Sid can only speak English and Yiddish. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “NY” redirects here. ...

After graduating from high school in 1939, Sid's family was still reeling from the Depression and he struck out on his own. He went to New York City penniless and tried to join the musician's union playing the saxophone and was good enough to later attend the famed Juilliard School of Music where he audited classes. That first summer on his own, he played at the Vacationland Hotel in Swan Lake in the Catskills. There under the tutelage of the Don Appel, the resort's social director, Sid learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... The Juilliard School is a performing arts conservatory in New York City, informally but definitively identified as simply Juilliard, and most famous for its musically-trained alumni. ... Catskill State Park as seen from Overlook Mountian The Catskill Mountains are an extension of the Appalachian Mountains into New York State. ...

During the Summer of 1942, he met his future wife Florence Levy at the Avon Lodge. After joining the musician's union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, and even Benny Goodman. In September 1942, Sid joined the United States Coast Guard. Fortunately, he was posted to Brooklyn so he was able to maintain contact with his family and financee. Vernon Duke, the famous composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was also stationed at the same base and he collaborated with Sid in musical revues. Shep Fields (1910-1981) Shep Fields (September 12, 1910 – February 23, 1981) was the band leader for Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and his mothers maiden name was Sowalski. ... Claude Thornhill (*August 10, 1909 at Terre Haute, Indiana † July 1, 1965, New York City) was an American pianist, arranger and bandleader. ... Charlie Spivak (17 February 1905 or 1907–1 March 1982) was an American trumpeter and bandleader, best known for his big band in the 1940s. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces and is involved in maritime law enforcement, mariner assistance, search and rescue, and national defense. ... Vernon Duke (1903-1969), composer/songwriter, wrote such favorites as I Cant Get Started with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, April In Paris with lyrics by E.Y. (Yip) Harburg (1932), and What Is There To Say for The Ziegfeld Follies of 1934 also with Harburg. ...

Sid's knack for wisecracks, however, got bigger applause than the musical numbers, and the show's producer asked him to do stand-up between his numbers. While still in the service, Sid was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue, Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show Max Liebman,later the producer of his television shows. Tars and Spars toured nationally and then a film version was made at Columbia Pictures. He also got a part in The Guilt of Janet Ames. Howard Dietz (September 8, 1896 - July 30, 1983) was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist. ... The Columbia Pictures logo from 1993 to the present Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. ...

Career

In 1948, Sid began his television career when he made an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater. In 1949, Sid hosted his first series Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The show was an immediate success but its sponsor, Admiral Corporation, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand of its new television sets, so the show was cancelled. In 1951, Sid began hosting Your Show of Shows with Imogene Coca. The show launched Sid into instant stardom and was a mix of scripted and improvised comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's inimitable double-talk monologues and top musical guests. It was also responsible for bringing together some of the greatest comic talent of its day, including Nanette Fabray, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many prominent writers also got their start writing its skits, including Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Mel Tolkin, and Larry Gelbart. After the show ended in 1954, Caesar began hosting Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch show with Morris, Reiner, and a young Bea Arthur. Caesar's Hour was followed by Sid Caesar Invites You and The Sid Caesar Show. In 1958, The Sid Caesar Show was cancelled and in his autobiography, Caesar's Hour, Sid confesses that he turned to alcohol and drugs to overcome the insecurity of having a successful career unravel. Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Milton Berle (July 12, 1908 - March 27, 2002) was an American comedian who was born Milton Berlinger according to his birth certificate. ... Texaco Star Theater, a comedy-variety show (radio, 1940-49; television, 1949-56), was one of the first hugely successful examples of U.S. television broadcasting. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Imogene Coca (November 18, 1908 - June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Your Show of Shows was a live sketch comedy television series appearing weekly in the United States, from 1950 until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. ... Imogene Coca (November 18, 1908 - June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress. ... Nanette Fabray (born October 27, 1920 in San Diego, California) is an American actress. ... Carl Reiner (born March 20, 1922) is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. ... Howard Morris (September 4, 1919 – May 21, 2005) was an American comic actor and director. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Neil Simon (1966) Neil Simon (born Marvin Neil Simon July 4, 1927 in The Bronx, New York City), is a Jewish American playwright and screenwriter. ... Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Königsberg on December 1, 1935) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director, writer, actor, jazz musician, comedian, and playwright. ... Larry Gelbart (b. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Caesars Hour was a television program that aired on NBC from 1954 until 1957. ... Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay on Maude. ... Caesars Hour was a television program that aired on NBC from 1954 until 1957. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Later years

After his successful television career, Sid was cast in several noteworthy films including the 1963 mega-comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I and as "Coach Calhoun" in 1978's Grease and its sequel, Grease 2, in 1982. In 1997, he made a guest appearance in National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation and in 1998 in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a comedy movie that followed the Hollywood trend in the 1960s of producing gigantic and epic films as a way to woo audiences into movie theaters. ... This article is about the comedy film. ... This article is about the film. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... For the original stage musical of the same name, see Grease (musical). ... Grease 2 is the 1982 sequel to 1978s smash hit movie Grease. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Vegas Vacation is part of the National Lampoon series centering around the Griswold family. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit is a 1998 feature film set in East Los Angeles directed by Stuart Gordon, written by Ray Bradbury and starring five famous Latino actors, including Edward James Olmos, Joe Mantegna, Esai Morales, Clifton Collins Jr. ... Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22, 1920) is an American literary, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer best known for The Martian Chronicles, a 1950 book which has been described both as a short story collection and a novel, and his 1953 dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451. ...

Trivia

• Sid has been married to Florence Levy since July 17, 1943. Sid and Florence are the parents of three children.
• In 2004, Caesar's autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published.
• In 1963, Sid was nominated a Tony Award as Best Actor for "Little Me."
• In 1951 and 1952, Sid was voted the United States' Best Comedian by Motion Picture Daily's TV poll.
• He reprised this famous "double-speak skit in an episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 2001.

is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

Awards

The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. ... An Emmy Award. ... An Emmy Award. ... An Emmy Award. ... An Emmy Award. ... An Emmy Award. ... An Emmy Award. ... An Emmy Award. ... An Emmy Award. ... An Emmy Award. ... The EFF Pioneer Award is an annual prize for people who have made significant contributions to the empowerment of individuals in using computers. ... Kermit the Frogs star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ...

Further reading

• F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre, Sid Caesar's Broadway debut, New York Daily News, October 18, 2004. [1]

F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre (center) is seen here at the London offices of The Spectator with (left) Boris Johnson, Member of Parliament for Henley-on-Thames, and (right) Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Douro OBE, chairman of Richemont Holdings UK. Fergus (also Feargus) Gwynplaine MacIntyre. ...

External links

• Sid Caesar at the Internet Movie Database
• Sid Caesar at the Notable Names Database
• Sid Caesar at the Internet Broadway Database
• Caesar, Sid (museum biography)
• Sid Caesar (allmovie.COM)
• The New York Times (NYC Times) biography - sid caesar
• SidCaeser.com
• Archive of American Television Interview with Sid Caesar Mar 14, 1997 on Google Video

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... NNDB, ostensibly standing for Notable Names Database, produced by Soylent Communications, is an online database of biographical details of notable people. ... Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDb) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. ...

Periodicals

• Washington Post; August 11, 2002 "Sid Caesar ... He went on to play in a series of big bands, including those of Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Shep Fields, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. ..."