Alan King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan King
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King in 1966
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Irwin Alan Kniberg
December 26, 1927 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | May 9, 2004 (aged 76) New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1942–2004 |
| Spouse(s) | Jeanette Sprung (1947–2004; his death) |
| Children | 3 |
Alan King (born Irwin Alan Kniberg; December 26, 1927 – May 9, 2004) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his sharp and often funny jokes. King became famous as a Jewish comedian who made people laugh by talking about everyday life. He was also a serious actor who appeared in many movies and TV shows. Alan King wrote books, produced films, and acted in plays. Later in his life, he helped many good causes.
Early Life
Alan King was born in New York City. His parents, Minnie and Bernard Kniberg, were immigrants from Russia. His father worked as a handbag cutter. Alan had an older sister named Anita. He spent his first few years in a busy part of Manhattan called the Lower East Side. Later, his family moved to Brooklyn.
King used humor to get by in his tough neighborhood. He would do funny impressions on street corners, earning a few pennies from people passing by. When he was 14, he sang "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" on a radio show called Major Bowes Amateur Hour. He didn't win first prize, but he got to join a tour around the country.
At 15, King left high school to perform comedy at a hotel in the Catskill Mountains. He got fired after making a joke about the hotel owner! But he soon found other jobs as an emcee (host) at another hotel. He also worked in Canada at a burlesque theater and even boxed professionally for a short time. After breaking his nose, he decided to focus only on comedy. He worked as a doorman at a popular nightclub while performing comedy. He chose the last name "King" from the boxer who had beaten him.
Career
Alan King started his comedy career telling short jokes about mothers-in-law and Jewish people. His style changed when he saw another comedian, Danny Thomas, in the early 1950s. King realized that Thomas was talking with his audience, not just at them. This made the audience respond better. So, King changed his own style. He started having more conversations with the audience and used everyday life for his humor.
His wife convinced him to move from Manhattan to the suburbs. He lived in Rockville Centre, New York and later in Kings Point, Long Island. There, he started making jokes about suburban life. Many Americans were moving to the suburbs at this time, so King's humor became very popular. Like many other Jewish comedians, King often performed in the Catskill Mountains, a popular vacation spot known as the Borscht Belt.
Soon, he was opening shows for famous singers like Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, and Lena Horne. When singer Tony Martin got a role in the movie Hit the Deck, he helped King get his first movie part. In the 1950s, King played small roles in movies. However, he didn't like playing the same kind of characters, like "the sergeant from Brooklyn named Kowalski."
His career really took off after he appeared on popular TV shows like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Perry Como Show, and The Garry Moore Show. In 1961, he was the host for President John F. Kennedy's inauguration party.
Because he lived close to New York City, Alan King was often available to fill in when Ed Sullivan needed a last-minute host. He also became a regular guest host for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In 1972, he hosted the famous Academy Awards ceremony, also known as the Oscars.
King also became a well-known actor in many different films. He often worked with director Sidney Lumet. He played important roles in movies like Just Tell Me What You Want (1980) and Memories of Me (1988), where he played Billy Crystal's father. He often played gangster characters, such as in Cat's Eye (1985) and Martin Scorsese's 1995 film Casino. He also appeared in Night and the City (1992) with Robert De Niro.
Alan King was the longtime host of the New York Friars Club celebrity roasts. These events are where comedians make fun of famous people in a friendly way. He was also the club's historian.
In 1988, Alan King received the first award for American Jewish humor from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. The award was later named in his honor. He inspired many other comedians, including Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, and Billy Crystal.
Personal Life
Alan King married Jeanette Sprung in 1947. They had three children: Andrew, Robert, and Elainie Ray. His wife encouraged him to move to Forest Hills, Queens for their children. They later lived in Kings Point, Long Island, where he lived for the rest of his life.
Throughout his life, King was very involved in charity work. He started the Alan King Medical Center in Jerusalem. He also raised money for a center for children with emotional challenges near his home. He even created a special program called "Laugh Well," which sent comedians to hospitals to perform for patients. In the 1970s, King used his love for tennis to create a professional tennis tournament in Las Vegas called the Alan King Tennis Classic. He also created the Toyota Comedy Festival.
Death
Alan King smoked cigars a lot, which he sometimes joked about in his comedy routines. He died on May 9, 2004, from lung cancer at a hospital in Manhattan. He was buried in Mount Hebron Cemetery in Flushing, Queens. The movie Christmas with the Kranks was dedicated to his memory. He is also remembered in the end credits of Rush Hour 3.
Images for kids
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King in 1966
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Alan King with Dick Cavett and Johnny Carson in 1968
See also
In Spanish: Alan King para niños
