US comedy pioneer Sid Caesar dead at 91
Actor-comedian Sid Caesar (L) and talk show host Larry King attend King's suprise 70th birthday party on November 19, 2003 at the Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills, California. Photo/AFP
What you need to know:
- Calling him a "master of TV comedy," Variety said he was one of the first stars created by television, through his weekly show in the medium's early black-and-white days.
- King, the long time host of a talk show on CNN, called Caesar "a dear friend, a comic genius and an American classic," adding on his Twitter feed: "There will never be another one like him."
- After his massive success in the 1950s, Caesar descended into drug and alcohol abuse that kept him out of the limelight for much of the following two decades.
US comedy pioneer Sid Caesar, best known for live 1950s variety TV program "Your Show of Shows," has died aged 91, friend and talk show veteran Larry King said Wednesday.
The actor, who also hosted "Caesar's Hour," died at his Beverly Hills home after a short illness, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing his biographer Eddy Friedfeld.
His hit shows featured comedy sketches and skits rather than stand-up material, industry daily Variety noted. "Your Show of Shows" writers included Mel Brooks, Woody Allen and Neil Simon.
Calling him a "master of TV comedy," Variety said he was one of the first stars created by television, through his weekly show in the medium's early black-and-white days.
King, the long time host of a talk show on CNN, called Caesar "a dear friend, a comic genius and an American classic," adding on his Twitter feed: "There will never be another one like him."
MASSIVE SUCCESS IN 1950s
After his massive success in the 1950s, Caesar descended into drug and alcohol abuse that kept him out of the limelight for much of the following two decades.
In 1978, he had a big-screen role in blockbuster "Grease" starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, and he recounted his roller-coaster life in his 1982 autobiography "Where Have I Been."
Caesar, who was also a saxophonist and composer, won two Primetime Emmy Awards, for best actor in 1952 and best comedian in 1957 for "Caesar's Hour."
He was also nominated for Emmys nine other times, most recently in 1997 for "Mad About You."
He won the Television Critics Association award for lifetime achievement in comedy in 2001.
Caesar's most recent acting credit was in 2004 direct-to-DVD film "Comic Book: The Movie," although he also had appearances in a number of recent documentaries, including "Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age," in post-production and due out this year.
