fiction.wikisort.org - Actor

Moritz "Morey" Amsterdam (December 14, 1908 – October 28, 1996) was an American actor, comedian, writer and producer. He played Buddy Sorrell on CBS's The Dick Van Dyke Show from 1961 to 1966.[1]

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Morey Amsterdam
Amsterdam in 1970
Born	Moritz Amsterdam (1908-12-14)December 14, 1908 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	October 28, 1996(1996-10-28) (aged 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, California
Occupation	Actor comedian writer producer
Years active	1922–1996
Spouse(s)	Mabel Todd ​ ​ (m. 1933; div. 1945)​ Kay Patrick ​ (m. 1949)​
Children	2

Early life

Amsterdam was born in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of the three sons of Max and Jennie (née Finder) Amsterdam, Jewish immigrants from Austria-Hungary.[2]

He began working in vaudeville in 1922 as the straight man for his older brother's jokes. He was a cellist, a skill he used throughout his career. By 1924, he was working in a speakeasy operated by Al Capone.[1]

After being caught in the middle of a gunfight, Amsterdam moved to California and worked writing jokes. His enormous repertoire, and his ability to come up with a joke on any subject, earned him the nickname The Human Joke Machine. He sometimes performed with a mock machine on his chest, hanging by a strap. He turned a hand crank and paper rolled out; he would then pretend to read the machine's joke, although actually the paper was blank.

Amsterdam's reputation for humor preceded him. Hal Block tells of Amsterdam walking up Sixth Avenue in New York City and meeting an old friend. "Where have you been?" the friend asked. "Sick," Amsterdam replied, "I've been in bed with a cold." His friend looked at him and asked, "What's so funny about that?"[3]

Career

This section does not cite any sources. (September 2010)

During the 1930s, Amsterdam was a regular on The Al Pearce Show radio program, and by 1937 was the master of ceremonies on The Night Club of the Air. Amsterdam was also a songwriter, whose first popular success was "Why Oh Why Did I Ever Leave Wyoming".

Amsterdam was credited as the lyricist on the popular 1945 Andrews Sisters hit "Rum and Coca-Cola". However, the original song was written and performed by Trinidadian calypso singer Lord Invader, and composed by Lionel Belasco. Amsterdam had altered some lyrics for the Andrews Sisters record, and was subsequently involved in a copyright suit over the song, which dragged on until 1948. In the end, Lord Invader was given a substantial royalty payment for having written the lyrics of the original piece, while Amsterdam retained the credit (and the publishing rights) for his revised version of the lyric.

In the early 1940s, Amsterdam was a screenwriter, contributing dialogue for two East Side Kids films. He is listed as screenwriter for the 1943 film The Ghost and the Guest and 1944's Bowery Champs.

By 1947, he was performing on three daily radio shows. Beginning in 1948, he appeared on the radio show Stop Me If You've Heard This One. The Morey Amsterdam Show aired on CBS radio from July 10, 1948, to February 15, 1949. For three months, it was on both radio and television with different scripts for the same premise and cast. He also did a radio show called the Laugh and Chuckle Swing Club, broadcasting from the Filmart Theater on Vine Street in Hollywood, in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Television

In 1950, he briefly hosted the comedy-variety show Broadway Open House, TV's first late-night entertainment show, on NBC.[1] One of the pioneering TV creations of NBC president Pat Weaver, it demonstrated the potential for late-night programming and led to the later development of The Tonight Show.[4]

In February 1952, Amsterdam made his dramatic TV debut on an episode of the DuMont Television Network series Not for Publication.[5] Also in 1952, he was host of Breakfast With Music, a 9 a.m. Monday-Friday program on WNBT-TV in New York City.[6]

In 1957, he appeared as "Jack Connors" in the third episode ("The Three Pretenders") of the syndicated television sitcom How to Marry a Millionaire, with Barbara Eden and Merry Anders.[7]

In 1958, he appeared as saloon manager Lucien Bellingham in an episode of the CBS western series Have Gun, Will Travel entitled "The Moor's Revenge". He later guest-starred on the CBS sitcom Pete and Gladys, with Harry Morgan and Cara Williams.

His best-known role was as comedy writer Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show, a role suggested for him by his friend Rose Marie, who also appeared on the show.[8]

The show's creator, Carl Reiner, based the character on his old friend Mel Brooks, with whom he worked on the writing staff of Your Show of Shows. Like Amsterdam himself, Buddy had a ready quip for any situation, and one of the show's most popular running gags was his insult-laden feud with producer Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon). Buddy was also one of the rare overtly Jewish characters on TV in that era, with one episode revolving around his belated decision to have a Bar Mitzvah. Amsterdam also wrote lyrics for the show's theme song, which were never heard on the air, but have been performed by Dick Van Dyke in concert.[9] Van Dyke sang those lyrics on the October 23, 2010 edition of the NPR show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.[10]

In a 1970 (November) episode of The Partridge Family, titled "Did You Hear the One About Danny Partridge?", Amsterdam played the role of Ziggy Shnurr, a small time joke writer, whom Danny found in the Yellow Pages after deciding that the family music act needed some comedy during song breaks. The Amsterdam role echoed his Dick Van Dyke character. The episode also guested Hollywood veteran Jackie Coogan.

In 1980 (November) episode of The Littlest Hobo titled "Fast Freddie" The Hobo discovers a con man (Amsterdam) operating in a small town and tries to foil his plans to rob a doddering senior.

Amsterdam was an occasional panelist on Match Game and the short-lived Can You Top This? (which he also executive produced) during the 1970s. He appeared as a small-time criminal in several episodes of the soap opera The Young and the Restless in the 1990s. Amsterdam and Rose Marie later appeared as panelists on The Hollywood Squares and guest-starred together in a February 1996 episode of the NBC sitcom Caroline in the City (his final TV appearance).[11]

Films

This section does not cite any sources. (September 2010)

In 1958, Amsterdam appeared in the low-budget film Machine-Gun Kelly with Charles Bronson, and he did a notable dramatic turn in the 1960 noir classic Murder, Inc. as Catskill nightclub owner Walter Sage, the first victim (according to the film) of the newly minted Murder, Incorporated.

Amsterdam played Cappy, owner of the local nightclub, in the Beach Party movies of the 1960s, which were produced by American International Pictures, of which he was vice president.[12] He and Rose Marie also co-starred in the 1966 film Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title, a comedy co-written and co-produced by Amsterdam. The film features Richard Deacon, their co-star on The Dick Van Dyke Show, with cameos by the show's co-producer Danny Thomas and co-star Carl Reiner. His later roles included appearances in The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968), Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), When Nature Calls (1985) and Side by Side (1988).

Personal life

Amsterdam married actress Mabel Todd in 1933; they divorced in 1945 after twelve years of marriage.[13] He married his second wife Kay Patrick in 1949; they remained married until his death in 1996.[1]

Hanna-Barbera lawsuit

In 1963, Amsterdam filed a $12,000 lawsuit against Hanna-Barbera for breach of contract; he claimed that he had been cast and signed to the role of George Jetson. Although his contract stipulated that he would be paid $500 an episode, with a guarantee of twenty-four episodes (i.e., a full season) of work, he recorded only one episode before being replaced.[14][15] Several sources claimed the change had occurred as a result of sponsor conflict with Amsterdam's commitment to The Dick Van Dyke Show.[16][17] The case had been closed by early 1965 and the court had ruled in favor of Hanna-Barbera.[18][15]

Death

Amsterdam died at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California, on October 28, 1996, at the age of 87, due to a heart attack.[1][19]

He was entombed at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1936	With Love and Kisses	TV Performer	Uncredited
1952	Columbia Animal Cavalcade 1: Chimp-Antics\	Commentator
1958	Machine-Gun Kelly	Michael Fandango
1960	Murder, Inc.	Walter Sage
1962	Gay Purr-ee	Narrator	Voice
1963	Beach Party	Cappy
1963	It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World	Uncle Mike	Voice, uncredited
1964	Muscle Beach Party	Cappy
1966	Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title	Charlie Yuckapuck
1993	Sandman	Car Salesman

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1948–1950	The Morey Amsterdam Show	Himself
1953	Jimmy Hughes, Rokie Cop	Unknown role	1 episode
1957	The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna	Mr. Agnew	Episode: "Checkmate"
1957	December Bride	Herbert	Episode: "Mountain Climbing"
1957	The O. Henry Playhouse	Phineas C. Gooch, Manny Stettner	3 episodes
1957	How to Marry a Millionaire	Jack Connors	Episode: "The Three Pretenders"
1957	Matinee Theatre	Unknown role	2 episodes
1967–1963	The Danny Thomas Show	Buddy Sorrell, Mr. Simmons	2 episodes
1958	The Adventures of Jim Bowie	Pinky	Episode: "Choctaw Honor"
1958	Gunsmoke	Cicero Grimes	Episode: "Joe Phy"
1958	Schlitz Playhouse	Mr. Braxton	Episode: "T Shot a Powler"
1958	Dragnet	Unknown role	Episode: "The Big Ruthie"
1958	The Phil Silvers Show	Harry Harris	Episode: "Bilko's Giveaway"
1958	Have Gun - Will Travel	Lucien Bellingham	Episode: "The Moor's Revenge"
1959	The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen	J.C. Smith	Episode: "Dance Into Death"
1961	Pete and Gladys	Fred	Episode: "Gladys Rents the House"
1961–1966	The Dick Van Dyke Show	Buddy Sorrell	158 episodes
1962	Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol	Brady, James (voices)	Television film
1964	The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo	Unknown role (voice)	Unknown epsiodes
1966	Daktari	Sammy Spotts	Episode: "The Chimp Who Cried Wolf"
1967	Black, Kloke & Dagga	Dagge (voice)	Television short
1968	That's Life	Unknown role	Episode: "Life in Suburbia"
1969–1973	Love, American Style	Bodkin	2 episodes
1970	The Partridge Family	Ziggy Shnurr	Episode: "Did You Hear the One About Danny Partridge"
1971	Adam-12	Jerry Mermaid	Episode: "Log 106: Post Time"
1972	Honeymoon Suite	Bellboy	Unknown episode
1976	Rudolph's Shiny New Year	One Million (O.M) (voice)	Television film
1977	Mixed Nuts	Moe	Television film
1977	Alice	Herman	Episode: "Alice by Moonlight"
1978	Vega$	Izzy	Episode: "Centerfold"
1978–1982	The Love Boat	Floyd Loomis, Moe Price	2 episodes
1979	Sooner or Later	Eddie Nova	Television film
1979	Project U.F.O.	Ollie Hayes	Episode: Sighting 4026: The Atlantic Queen Incident"
1980	The Littlest Hobo	Freddie Tewksbur	Episode: "Fast Freddie"
1983	Fantasy Island	Jake	Episode "King of Burlesque/Death Ganmes"
1983	Believe You Can... And You Can!	J. Fauntenoy Chiffenrobe	Television film
1985	Hail to the Chief	Manny	1 episode
1985	Brothers	Mr. Bobo	Episode: "A Greasepaint Smile"
1986	Crazy Like a Fox	Mr. Margus	Episode: "A Fox at the Races"
1988	Side by Side	Moe	Television film
1990	The Young and the Restless	Morey	5 episodes
1993	1st & Ten	Joe	Episode: "If I Didn't Play Football"
1993	Herman's Head	Buddy	Episode: "When Hairy Met Hermy:
1995	Cybill	Man in Nursing Home	Episode: "See Jeff Jump, Jump, Jeff, Jump!"
1996	Caroline in the City	Vic Stansky	Episode: "Caroline and the Watch"

Production credits

Writer

• Hollywood Hobbies (1939)
• Kid Dynamite (1943) (additional dialogue)
• The Ghost and the Guest (1943) (screenplay)
• Bowery Champs (1944) (additional dialogue)
• The Morey Amsterdam Show (1948–1950) (3 episodes)
• Columbia Animal Cavalcade 1: Chimp-Antics (1952) (narrative)
• Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title (1966) (screenplay)

Producer

• The Morey Amsterdam Show (1949–1950) (2 episodes)
• Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title (1966)
• Black, Kloke & Dagga (1967) (uncredited)
• Can You Top This (1970–1971) (46 episodes)

Further reading

• Keep Laughing. Citadel Press, 1959. ASIN B0007E665M
• Morey Amsterdam's Benny Cooker Crock Book for Drinkers. Regnery, 1977. ISBN 0-8092-8138-4

References

External links

• Morey Amsterdam at IMDb
• Filmography of Morey Amsterdam at The New York Times
• Catalogue of his shows in the radioGOLDINdex database
• Morey Amsterdam at Find a Grave

На других языках

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- [en] Morey Amsterdam

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[es] Morey Amsterdam

Morey Amsterdam (nombre artístico de Moritz Amsterdam, Chicago, Illinois, 14 de diciembre de 1908-Los Ángeles, California, 27 de octubre de 1996) fue un comediante y actor televisivo estadounidense, conocido sobre todo por encarnar a Buddy Sorrell en The Dick Van Dyke Show a principios de la década de 1960.

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