Larry Wilde Explained

Larry Wilde
Birth Name:Herman Wildman
Birth Date:February 6, 1928
Birth Place:Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Nickname:The Crown Prince of Platform Humor
Known For:Performances in Nightclubs, Concerts, Cruise Ships, Conferences, Conventions, and as an Executive Coach
Years Active:1938–present
Website:larrywilde.com

Larry Wilde (born Herman Wildman, February 6, 1928 – September 3, 2023) was an American actor, comedian, motivational speaker, university instructor and publisher. He is best known as the author of 53 published books of humor.

Biography

Larry Wilde, born Herman Wildman, in Jersey City, New Jersey, was the fourth child of Jewish parents Gertrude and Selig Wildman. His siblings were Milton, Benjamin and Miriam. He chose Larry Wilde as a professional name when he began a career in show business.

Wilde attended Lincoln High School where he was active in numerous extracurricular activities, including sports editor of the school paper, the Drama Club, president of the Student Body and the swimming team where he became the Jersey City 100-yard Breaststroke Champion.

From 1946 to 1948 he was in the Second Marine Division. While stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, he wrote, produced, directed and performed in camp stage shows doing comedy routines. Promoted to corporal, he became the first official Marine Corps "non-commissioned comedian".

Wilde graduated from the University of Miami in Florida where he worked his way through school performing at Miami Beach nightclubs and hotels.

Wilde died on September 3, 2023, at the age of 95.[1]

Works

Wilde was the president of Poets, Essayists and Novelists (PEN) Los Angeles 1981–1983.

In 1976, he founded National Humor Month, celebrated annually in April.[2] It is designed to heighten public awareness on how the joy and therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of one's life. National Humor Month has been recognized by comedians and institutions across the US including The Huffington Post, Fox News (when the comedian Crystal Powell hosted citywide events in Houston), The Farmer's Almanac and USA Today.[3] With book sales over 12 million copies, The New York Times has called him "America’s Best Selling Humorist".

Wilde's book Great Comedians Talk About Comedy contains inspirational interviews with seventeen great comedians of the 20th century, revealing their secrets on extracting laughter from audiences. The comedians interviewed are Woody Allen, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Shelley Berman, Joey Bishop, George Burns, Johnny Carson, Maurice Chevalier, Phyllis Diller, Jimmy Durante, Dick Gregory, Bob Hope, George Jessel, Jerry Lewis, Jerry Seinfeld, Danny Thomas and Ed Wynn. The original tapes of these historical interviews are now part of The Larry Wilde Collection housed in the Library of Congress.

Wilde's book How The Great Comedy Writers Create Laughter is a collection of dialogues with the writers who originate comedy for the stage, television, motion pictures and print publications. They include Goodman Ace, Art Buchwald, Abe Burrows, Mel Brooks, Bill Dana, Selma Diamond, Jack Douglas, Norman Lear, Hal Kanter, Carl Reiner and Neil Simon.

Discography

Filmography

Television
YearTitleEpisodeRole
1958U.S. Steel HourMid-Summer[4] Song-and Dance Man
1966Art Linkletter's Hollywood Talent Scouts[5] Himself
1968The Donald O'Connor Show[6] Himself
1968The Della Reese ShowHimself
1968The Woody Woodbury Show[7] Episode dated 7 March 1968[8] Himself
1968-1969The Mike Douglas ShowSeveral episodesHimself
1969The Merv Griffin ShowHimself
1970The Barbara McNair Show[9] Episode dated 8 February 1970[10] Himself
1971Dan AugustPatrolman
1972Adam-12The Tip[11] Milton Waters
1972Sanford and SonSteinberg and Son[12] Saul Green
1973Barnaby JonesSee Some Evil... Do Some Evil[13] Customer
1976 The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case[14] Third voice
1973-1976Mary Tyler MooreEmcee
1973 Lou's First Date[15] Master of Ceremonies
1974 Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite[16] "Teddy" Presenter
1975 You Can't Lose 'em All[17] Master of Ceremonies
1976Sue Ann Falls in Love[18] Master of Ceremonies
1976 Murray Can't Lose[19] Master of Ceremonies
1978RhodaThe Date in the Iron Mask[20] Emcee

Books

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Magazine Fall/Winter 2023 . SAG-AFTRA . 3 December 2023 . 63.
  2. Web site: National Humor Month - April. 10 March 2015 .
  3. Web site: limited . https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/13652355666/10151948363760667 . 2022-04-30. USA TODAY on Facebook . Facebook.
  4. [:imdbtitle:0737074|''U.S. Steel Hour'' episode Mid-Summer]
  5. [:imdbtitle:0058813|''Art Linkletter's Hollywood Talent Scouts'']
  6. [:imdbtitle:0062557|''The Donald O'Connor Show'']
  7. [:imdbtitle:0386255|''The Woody Woodbury Show'']
  8. [:imdbtitle:1418607|''The Woody Woodbury Show'' episode dated 7 March 1968]
  9. [:imdbtitle:0063868|''The Barbara McNair Show'']
  10. [:imdbtitle:0976307|''The Barbara McNair Show'' episode dated 8 February 1970]
  11. [:imdbtitle:0505401|''Adam-12'' episode "The Tip"]
  12. [:imdbtitle:0694134|''Sanford and Son'' episode "Steinberg and Son"]
  13. [:imdbtitle:0518915|''Barnaby Jones'' episode "See Some Evil... Do Some Evil"]
  14. [:imdbtitle:0694134|''The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case'']
  15. [:imdbtitle:0642844|''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' episode "Lou's First Date"]
  16. [:imdbtitle:0642892|''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' episode "Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite"]
  17. [:imdbtitle:0642931|''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' episode "You Can't Lose 'em All"]
  18. [:imdbtitle:0642889|''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' episode "Sue Ann Falls in Love"]
  19. [:imdbtitle:0642866|''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' episode "Murray Can't Lose"]
  20. [:imdbtitle:0685886|''Rhoda'' episode "The Date in the Iron Mask"]

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