Herb Gardner facts for kids

Herbert George Gardner (December 28, 1934 – September 24, 2003) was a talented American artist, cartoonist, and writer. He was famous for creating popular comic strips, plays, and movies. Gardner's work often explored themes of individuality and finding joy in everyday life. He is best known for his play A Thousand Clowns and the hit play I'm Not Rappaport.

Early Life and Education

Herb Gardner was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father owned a bar. Herb had a brother named Robert Allen Gardner. Robert became a professor and was famous for teaching American Sign Language to a chimpanzee named Washoe.

Gardner went to New York's High School of Performing Arts. He also studied at Carnegie-Mellon University and Antioch College. These schools helped him develop his artistic and writing skills.

The Nebbishes Comic Strip

While still a student at Antioch College, Herb Gardner started drawing a comic strip called The Nebbishes. This comic strip quickly became very popular. The Chicago Tribune newspaper picked it up, and it was published in 60 to 75 major newspapers. This happened between 1959 and 1961.

The characters from The Nebbishes were a national sensation. You could find them on statuettes, cards, and even cocktail napkins. By 1960, Gardner felt the comic strip's speech bubbles were getting too big. He decided to stop drawing it and focus on writing plays instead.

Famous Plays and Films

Herb Gardner is most famous for his 1962 play, A Thousand Clowns. This play was performed 428 times. He later wrote the screenplay for the successful 1965 movie version. This earned him an Oscar nomination. The play was so loved that it was brought back to the stage in 1996 and 2001.

A Thousand Clowns Story

Both the play and the movie A Thousand Clowns starred Jason Robards, Jr. He played Murray Burns, a charming writer who was unemployed. Murray wrote for a children's TV show. The story is about Murray having to choose between fitting in with society or possibly losing his 11-year-old nephew. Child Welfare Bureau officials wanted to take his nephew away. The character of Murray was partly based on Gardner's friend, the humorist Jean Shepherd.

Jason Robards, who played Murray, said in 2000 that A Thousand Clowns was Gardner's best work. He called it a "human comedy" full of laughter and deep feelings. Robards felt the play showed great love and understanding for people. He thought it offered important life lessons. He was amazed that Herb Gardner wrote such a play when he was only in his early twenties.

I'm Not Rappaport and Other Works

Gardner's biggest commercial success was the 1985 play I'm Not Rappaport. This play ran for two years on Broadway. It won the prestigious Tony Award for Best Play. Later, it was also made into a movie in 1996.

Other plays Gardner wrote for Broadway include The Goodbye People (1968), Thieves (1974), and Conversations with My Father (1992). He also worked on a musical called One Night Stand in 1980 with Jule Styne.

Novels and Screenplays

Herb Gardner wrote an autobiographical novel titled A Piece of the Action. It was published in 1958. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1971 movie Who Is Harry Kellerman, and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?. This film starred the famous actor Dustin Hoffman. Gardner even had a small acting role himself. He played Rabbi Pierce in the 1987 movie Ishtar.

Personal Life and Legacy

Herb Gardner was married twice. His first wife was actress Rita Gardner, but they later divorced. He then married Barbara Sproul. They adopted two sons, Jake and Rafferty Gardner.

Herb Gardner passed away in his Manhattan apartment on September 24, 2003. He was 68 years old. He died from complications related to lung disease. Gardner left behind a legacy of creative works that continue to entertain and inspire audiences. His plays and characters are remembered for their humor, warmth, and unique view of life.