Youngman, Henry

▪ 1999

      American comedian (b. 1902/1906?, England—d. Feb. 24, 1998, New York, N.Y.), was heralded as the king of the one-liner. With his trademark violin and the catchphrase "Take my wife—please," Youngman became one of the leading comedic acts of the 1940s-1960s. He was born to Russian-Jewish parents who had immigrated to the U.S. but were living in England temporarily. Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Youngman was an indifferent student who attended various public schools but spent most of his time at vaudeville performances. His father, hoping he would become a concert musician, had his son take violin lessons. Instead, Youngman formed a band that played the "Borscht Belt" vaudeville circuit. A club owner in the Catskill Mountains—more impressed by Youngman's between-song stage banter—fired the band but retained Youngman as a comedian. In 1936 he made his first appearance on singer Kate Smith's popular radio show, and he soon became a regular. By the 1950s Youngman was also a popular television star and was featured in a number of variety shows. Although his act waned in popularity as the older vaudeville-trained comedians gave way to a younger, more sophisticated style of comic, Youngman still performed on a regular basis, working some 200 shows a year well into his 70s. He also appeared on the television show "Laugh-In" in the 1960s and had bit roles in several movies, including Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990).

* * *