You Missed the Funny Part, Leo

Give 'n Go ^ | 2/6/2007 | J. Martini

[joeystoy]

Anyone who spends more than ten seconds reflecting on life can usually recall dozens, if not hundreds of people who have had positive effects on their thoughts, opinions and outlook. Among the hundreds of people I've learned from over the years, two came to mind recently as I was watching A Thousand Clowns for the four hundred and eightieth time. Herb Gardner, the playwright, and Barbara Sproul, Chairman of the Religion Department at Hunter College.

I never met Herb Gardner. Like everyone else, I knew him through his work. But during my years at NBC I met people who had known him, as well as the director of A Thousand Clowns, Fred Coe. Through their recollections I felt as if I had known him personally. I was lucky enough to know and admire Barbara Sproul when I was a student at Hunter College.

Gardner created a richly-textured and moving collection of work that included the aforementioned Jason Robards classic, as well as I'm Not Rappaport, Thieves, Conversations with my Father and a cartoon series called The Nebbishes, which was The Simpsons of its era.

[LibFreeOrDie]

More Her Gardner trivia: Herb Gardner's first wife was Rita Gardner, who starred in the original cast of "The Fantasticks." She also sang the title song in "A Thousand Clowns", music and lyrics by another showbiz couple, Gerry Mulligan and Judy Holliday.