Trivia

Donated many of his personal television scripts to the Writers Guild Foundation Archive.

Drafted into the army during the Korean conflict and was stationed at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Because of his background in radio and television, he was placed on staff for the commanding general, doing PR for the base.

Before his untimely death he finished his memoir "Behind the Scenes in Hollywood".

Spent 75 years working in television, radio, film and the recording industry.

The original master tapes of his albums The First Family and The First Family Volume Two were donated to President John F. Kennedy's library in Boston at the request of Caroline Kennedy and are on display in the library, along with a Gold Album of the first album.

Wrote and produced more than 400 television episodes.

Began his career at the radio station WINZ-AM in Miami in 1958. In his afternoon drive slot, he interviewed top entertainers of the time, including Jack Benny, Connie Francis, Nat King Cole, Eartha Kitt, Martha Ray, Andy Williams, Ray Charles, Mort Sahl, Ava Gardner, Gloria DeHaven and Frank Sinatra.

In 1962 with partner Earle Doud, wrote and produced The First Family, a lampoon of President John F. Kennedy and his family starring Vaughn Meader. The album became the largest- and fastest-selling record in the history of the record industry, selling 1 million copies per week for the first six weeks and spending 12 weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. It went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year and ultimately sold 7.5 million copies. The First Family Volume Two which reached No. 4 in 1963.

Wrote and produced 18 comedy albums, including The First Family (1962), The First Family Volume Two (1963), You Don't Have To Be Jewish (1964), When You're In Love, The Whole World Is Jewish (1965), Al Tijuana & His Jewish Brass (1966), The Yiddish Are Coming! The Yiddish Are Coming! (1967), Scream On Someone You Love Today (1967), The New First Family 1968: A Futuristic Fairy Tale (1968), Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts (1968), The Handwriting On The Wall (The Sounds Of Graffiti) (1968), Pat McCormick Tells It Like It Is (1968), The Jewish American Princess (1971) and Out of the Closet (1977).

The night before he and his partner Earle Doud recorded The First Family they went to the Paris Theater in New York to watch a movie. They had a copy of the script in a briefcase. Before the film started, two women took their seats two rows in front of them. One was Jackie Kennedy.

Has two daughters, Laura and Courtney.

Eloped to Las Vegas for his wedding. Arthur Hiller and Tiny Tim served as witnesses.