Sid Caesar

Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and comedian with a career spanning 60 years. He was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people, and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced future generations of comedians. Caesar stood out as a 'sketch comic' and actor, utilizing body language, accents, and facial contortions beyond dialogue. His comedic style was considered 'avant garde' in the 1950s. He churned out ideas and had scenes fleshed out by writers who thrived under his guidance. Writers who got a start writing for Caesar included Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Lucille Kallen, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. His renowned shows satirized real-life events and people, parodied film genres, theatre, television shows, and opera. The New York Times referred to him as the 'comedian of comedians from TV's early days.' He was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also an accomplished saxophonist, playing the saxophone since he was eleven, and was the author of several books. He was known for his masterful comic performance and innovation in television comedy. However, despite his huge success, Caesar unfortunately struggled with alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates which caused a rapid decline in his career.