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 primitive early CBS television show "This Is Show Business", and that's how we see him here in 1953. Also seen in this installment are host Clifton Fadiman, Sam Levinson, Betty Furness, and an extremely young Larry Storch and Mel Torme. The show is not much to speak of, but it is fascinating indeed to see Kaufman himself, in the flesh.

During the show, Kaufman plugs the approaching debut of his last great stage hit, "The Solid Gold Cadillac", which reached Broadway in November 1953 and ran for over 500 performances. Kaufman died in New York in 1961, mourned by Broadway and Hollywood alike.

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[fromthesidelines]

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.

[fromthesidelines]

"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.

[HeavensHelp1]

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.

[amberola1b]

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.

[takineko]

Just saw an interview where someone mentioned this was Groucho Marx major hero. Thought I had to check him out.

[SecsSells]

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.”

[britcomic]

Amazing. He's a lot like Groucho. Or is Groucho a lot like Kaufman?

[Lampshade51]

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.

[TheTOSDoc]

Larry Storch - "Corporal Agarn" - and G.S. Kaufman on teh same show. Surreal.

[sharpasaneraser]

@Rajamuttu yes, you certainly do...you most certainly do.