George S. Kaufman – A Rare Glimpse – Part 1
This is an extremely rare film, possibly the only one in existence, which gives us a living glimpse of Pulitzer Prize winning playwright George S. Kaufman (1889-1961), one of the pioneer geniuses of modern American popular culture. A founding member in the 1920s of the world famous group of writers and actors known as the Algonquin Round Table, he was arguably the greatest American wit of most of the 20th Century and was certainly the most commercially successful playwright of his time, writing hit after comic hit beginning in the 1920s and running all the way in the 1950s. He is widely considered the inventor of the “wise crack”. In 1931 he won the Pulitzer Prize for the ground-breaking political satire “Of Thee I Sing” to which the Gershwin brothers wrote the music. He was the comic voice behind some of the Marx Brothers’ greatest films and the inspiration for countless comedy writers and playwrights, especially Woody Allen. Groucho Marx considered him the greatest comic playwright in history. His acerbic and glum demeanor resulted in him often being referred to in the show biz papers as “The Gloomy Dean Of Broadway”. He was also highly respected as the finest “play doctor” in the country, often brought in by desperate producers to use his matchless editing and directing skills to fix failing shows all over the nation. If it didn’t work after Kaufman got hold of it, it was a flop through and through. In the later years of his life he was a regular panel member on a …
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June 30th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Pam-Thanks so much for the “Heads Up!” Kaufman was SHEAR GENIUS!!!
June 30th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
He is in the documentary called “The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell”. (It’s on here.)
June 30th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
George S. Kaufman was a regular panelist- unfortunately, on the show’s 1952 Christmas edition, he stated, “Let’s make this one program on which no one sings ‘Silent Night’”. Certain viewers were outraged, there was a heavy protest, and he was dropped from the show. However, after American Tobacco dropped their sponsorship at the end of 1952, CBS found a new sponsor [Carter Products' "Rise" shaving cream] to sustain it on another night…and Kaufman returned.
June 30th, 2012 at 5:20 pm
“THIS IS SHOW BUSINESS” appeared on CBS from 1949 through 1953, originally on Sundays for American Tobacco’s Lucky Strike. Later, producer Irving Mansfield reworked it as “DICK CLARK’S WORLD OF TALENT” for ABC in the 1959-’60 season.
June 30th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
comateensnyc-THANK-YOU so much for posting the legendary George S. Kaufman. What a TREAT!!! Does anyone know where I could find footage on Morrie Ryskind? After I read Groucho’s autobiography, I looked Mr. Ryskind up, but could find little info. on him.
June 30th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
Damn, the microphones they used on this show were`nt exactly omni-directional, when the shows personalities turn their heads, you can`t hear them, just like the microphones they used when sound movies first started.
June 30th, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Just saw an interview where someone mentioned this was Groucho Marx major hero. Thought I had to check him out.
June 30th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
There is a reason for the resemblance between the two men. Kaufman wrote The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers — Kaufman was perfect for the Marx Brothers, especially for Groucho, who worked closely with his writers molding material to his persona and style. The script was never solid in a Marx Brothers show. “I may be wrong,” Kaufman once half-joked, “but I think I just heard one of my original lines.”
June 30th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
Amazing. He’s a lot like Groucho. Or is Groucho a lot like Kaufman?
June 30th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
Oh my God, I have been waiting for someone to unearth one of these kinescopes for years. Kaufman’s work is out there (and wonderful, needless to say), but I really wanted to see one of the sharpest comic minds of the 20th century in an off-the-cuff situation. There must be more copies of this show, as it ran for many months as I have read. Reportedly on Paar, too. Got in trouble saying (at Xmas time) ” let this be one show where you won’t hear Silent Night!!!”. Brilliant, brilliant man.
June 30th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Larry Storch – “Corporal Agarn” – and G.S. Kaufman on teh same show. Surreal.
June 30th, 2012 at 9:11 pm
yes, you certainly do…you most certainly do.
June 30th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
Chafed is far to strong for such a pointless comment. More like dismayed or annoyed.
And it twern’t funny, Magee. Something I know because I DO have a sense of humor.
June 30th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
terribly sorry you were chafed by my comment, old man. why don’t you go out and buy yourself a sense of humor, and some kaufmann-glasses.
June 30th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
There’s always one idiot in the comments section.
Here it is you.
June 30th, 2012 at 11:45 pm
is kaufman wearing a groucho-disguise or is it the other way?
July 1st, 2012 at 12:29 am
As the sidenotes explain Kaufman was the number one playwright of the first half of the 20th century and in my opinion the number one playwright of the second half of the 20th century is Neil Simon.
Thanks for posting this I have only seen still pics of Kaufman and never heard him talk!
July 1st, 2012 at 12:59 am
Ever since I read the Howard Teichmann biography of GSK I have always wanted to see some video of him, so thank you very much for posting this.
July 1st, 2012 at 1:38 am
Irving Mansfield the producer of this piece was the husband of Jaquiline Susann the author of “vally of the dolls”.
July 1st, 2012 at 1:46 am
I’ve been searching around for clips of GSK for years. Thanks. This is an extraordinary treat.
July 1st, 2012 at 2:22 am
Thanks! I love the Round Table writers!