Irwin Corey
"Professor" Irwin Corey | |
|---|---|
 Corey in August 1963. | |
| Born | July 29, 1914 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 6, 2017 (aged 102) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, stand-up comedian |
| Years active | 1938–2016 |
| Spouse(s) | Fran Corey (m. 1941–2011) (her death); 2 children |
| Comedy career | |
| Genres | Wit/Word play, improvisational and character comedy, satire |
| Influences | Charlie Chaplin, The Marx Brothers |
| Influenced | Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Shelley Berman, Jonathan Winters, Bob Newhart, Tom Smothers |
| Website | Official website |
"Professor" Irwin Corey (July 29, 1914 – February 6, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, and activist. His career began in 1938. Corey began his stand-up career in an San Francisco club, the Hungry i.
Early life[change | change source]
Corey was born on July 29, 1914 in Brooklyn, New York to an Jewish family.[1] His parents were forced to give him up in an Hebrew Orphan Asylum of New York. He was never adopted, so he spent the rest of his teenage years in the Asylum. Corey studied at the Belmont High School in Los Angeles, California.
Influences[change | change source]
Corey was influenced by Charlie Chaplin and by The Marx Brothers. He had influence Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Shelley Berman, Jonathan Winters, Bob Newhart, and Tom Smothers.[2] Lenny Bruce once said that Corey is "one of the most brilliant comedians of all time".[3]
Personal life[change | change source]
Corey was married to Fran Corey from 1941 until her death in 2011.[4] They had two children, Margaret Corey (dead) and Richard Corey. He also has a grandson, Amadeo. He lived in his home town of San Francisco, California until moving to Manhattan, New York for his comedic stage career.
Corey died at his Manhattan apartment on February 6, 2017, aged 102.[5]
Movies[change | change source]
- How to Commit Marriage (1969)
- Fore Play (1975)
- Car Wash (1976)
- Thieves (1977) (reprising his stage role)
- Chatterbox! (1977) (cameo)
- Fairy Tales (1979)
- Stuck on You! (1983)
- Jack (1996)
- The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
- Irwin & Fran (2012)[6]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Official Biography of Professor Irwin Corey". Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
- ↑ "Tom Smothers interview in Jerry Jazz Musician (2002)". Archived from the original on 2012-08-27. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
- ↑ Kitty Bruce (ed.), The Almost Unpublished Lenny Bruce: from the private collection of Kitty Bruce, Running Press, 1984. p. 10
- ↑ Kilgannon, Corey. "A Familiar Figure Begs on the Street, but Not for Himself". City Room Blog. The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ↑ Shapiro, T. Rees; Shapiro, T. Rees (2017-02-07). "Irwin Corey, comic who styled himself the World's Foremost Authority, dies at 102". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
- ↑ "Irwin & Fran". imdb.com.
Other websites[change | change source]
- The Professor's official web site
- Irwin Corey on IMDb
- National Book Awards speech Archived 2013-12-24 at the Wayback Machine
- New York Press: "Who Am the World's Foremost Authority?" Archived 2004-06-24 at the Wayback Machine
- "Cinema Retro covers Prof. Irwin Corey's 95th birthday party at The Players club" (2009)
This short article about an actor or group of actors from the United States can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.- 1914 births
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- Television personalities from New York City
- Comedians from New York City
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- Comedians from San Francisco
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