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Dick Shawn

Dick Shawn

One-of-a-kind nightclub comedian and singer Dick Shawn (ne Richard Schulefand) was as off-the-wall as they came and, as such, proved to be rather an acquired taste. Way ahead of his time most say, it was extremely difficult indeed to know how to properly tap into this man's eclectic talents. Shawn began inching toward the forefront during the be-bop 50s and early 60s with his odd penchant for playing cool cats. During his mild bid for film stardom, he was top-billed as a hip, laid back genie in the thoroughly dismal satire The Wizard of Baghdad (1960), but seemed to have better luck when taken in smaller doses. He fared quite well opposite another "way-out-there" comedian, Ernie Kovacs, in Wake Me When It's Over (1960) as a hustling soldier out to make a buck in the Far East. Also on the plus side, he replaced Zero Mostel in the bawdy musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" on Broadway and stole a small scene in the all-star epic comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). By far, the one role that completely overshadows all of his other hard work is his mock portrayal of a singing Adolf Hitler in the show-within-a-movie The Producers (1968). In the film, which starred Mostel and Gene Wilder as two con artists deliberately producing a stage "bomb" called "Springtime for Hitler," Shawn sang the hammy, absurdly narcissistic song "Love Power." The movie finally captured Shawn in his element, but this stroke of genius of matching actor to role would never happen again for him. For the most part his roles came off slick and smarmy, and were stuck in mediocre material. Shawn won a huge fan base, however, touring in one-man stage shows which contained a weird mix of songs, sketches, satire, philosophy and even pantomime. A bright, innovative wit, one of his best touring shows was called "The Second Greatest Entertainer in the World." During the show's intermission, Shawn would lie visibly on the stage floor absolutely still during the entire time. By freakish coincidence, Shawn was performing at the University of California at San Diego in 1987 when he suddenly fell forward on the stage during one of his spiels about the Holocaust. The audience, of course, laughed, thinking it was just a part of his odd shtick. In actuality, the 63-year-old married actor with four children had suffered a fatal heart attack. A not-surprising end for this thoroughly offbeat and intriguing personality.

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Leave 'em Laughing

2020

as Self (archive footage)

Mel Brooks: Unwrapped

Mel Brooks: Unwrapped

2018

as Self (archive footage)

Batman & Robin

Batman & Robin

1997

as Snow Miser (archive sound) (uncredited)

Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'

Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'

1991

as Self (archive footage)

Rented Lips

Rented Lips

1987

as Charlie Slater

Maid to Order

Maid to Order

1987

as Stan Starkey

Captain EO

Captain EO

1986

as Commander Bog

The Making of Captain EO

The Making of Captain EO

1986

as Self

The Perils of P.K

The Perils of P.K

1986

as The Psychiatrist

The Check is in the Mail...

The Check is in the Mail...

1986

as Donald

The Tommy Chong Roast

The Tommy Chong Roast

1986

The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes

1985

as Emperor

Amazing Stories

Amazing Stories

1985

as Joe Willoughby

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone

1985

If the Shoes Fit...

If the Shoes Fit...

1985

as Bo Gumbs

Hail to the Chief

Hail to the Chief

1985

as Ivan Zolotov

Water

Water

1985

as Deke Halliday

Tales from the Darkside

Tales from the Darkside

1984

as Bo Gumbs

Angel

Angel

1984

as Mae

Best Chest in the West

Best Chest in the West

1984

as Self - Host

The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud

The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud

1984

as The Ultimate Patient

Young Warriors

Young Warriors

1983

as Professor Hoover

Good-bye Cruel World

Good-bye Cruel World

1983

as Rodney Pointsetter / Ainsley Pointsetter

St. Elsewhere

St. Elsewhere

1982

Madame's Place

Madame's Place

1982

as Self

Faerie Tale Theatre

Faerie Tale Theatre

1982

as Guest Interviewee

Faerie Tale Theatre

Faerie Tale Theatre

1982

as Emperor

Magnum, P.I.

Magnum, P.I.

1980

Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration

Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration

1979

as Self

Love at First Bite

Love at First Bite

1979

as Lieutenant Ferguson NYPD

Fast Friends

Fast Friends

1979

as Deke Edwards

The Love Boat

The Love Boat

1977

as David Jackson

The Love Boat

The Love Boat

1977

as Harvey Blanchard

Looking Up

Looking Up

1977

as Manny Lander

Laverne & Shirley

Laverne & Shirley

1976

The Year Without a Santa Claus

The Year Without a Santa Claus

1974

as Snow Miser (voice)

Evil Roy Slade

Evil Roy Slade

1972

as Marshal Bing Bell

Dames at Sea

Dames at Sea

1971

as Lucky

Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man

Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man

1970

as Himself

The Happy Ending

The Happy Ending

1969

as Harry Bricker

Medical Center

Medical Center

1969

The Producers

The Producers

1968

as Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.)

Penelope

Penelope

1966

as Dr. Gregory Mannix

Way... Way Out

Way... Way Out

1966

as Igor Valkleinokov

ABC Stage 67

ABC Stage 67

1966

as Paul Benderhof

That Girl

That Girl

1966

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?

1966

as Captain Lionel Cash

A Very Special Favor

A Very Special Favor

1965

as Arnold Plum

The Judy Garland Show

The Judy Garland Show

1963

as Self

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

1963

as Sylvester Marcus

The Lucy Show

The Lucy Show

1962

as Ace Winthrop

The Wizard of Baghdad

The Wizard of Baghdad

1961

as Genii-Ali Mahmud

Wake Me When It's Over

Wake Me When It's Over

1960

as Gus Brubaker

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

1959

as Charlie Wilson

The Opposite Sex

The Opposite Sex

1956

as Singer

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

1956

as Self

General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater

1953

as Felix Franklin