Dick Shawn

Dick Shawn (December 1, 1923 – April 17, 1987) was an American actor. 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.

Filmography (61 Appearances)

Leave 'em Laughing

2020

Mel Brooks: Unwrapped

2018

Batman & Robin

1997

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

1991

Rented Lips

1988

Maid to Order

1987

The Making of Captain EO

1986

Captain EO

1986

The Perils of P.K

1986

The Check is in the Mail...

1986

The Tommy Chong Roast

1986

The Emperor's New Clothes

1985

Amazing Stories

1985

The Twilight Zone

1985

Hail to the Chief

1985

Water

1985

Tales from the Darkside

1984

The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud

1984

Angel

1984

Best Chest in the West

1984

Young Warriors

1983

St. Elsewhere

1982

Madame's Place

1982

Good-bye Cruel World

1982

Faerie Tale Theatre

1982

Magnum, P.I.

1980

Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration

1979

Love at First Bite

1979

Fast Friends

1979

The Love Boat

1977

Looking Up

1977

Laverne & Shirley

1976

The Year Without a Santa Claus

1974

Evil Roy Slade

1972

Dames at Sea

1971

Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man

1970

The Happy Ending

1969

Medical Center

1969

The Dick Cavett Show

1968

The Producers

1968

Penelope

1966

Way... Way Out

1966

ABC Stage 67

1966

That Girl

1966

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?

1966

A Very Special Favor

1965

The Judy Garland Show

1963

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

1963

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

1963

The Lucy Show

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

The Merv Griffin Show

1962

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

The Wizard of Baghdad

1961

Wake Me When It's Over

1960

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

1959

The All-Star Christmas Show

1958

The Opposite Sex

1956 Debut

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

1956

General Electric Theater

1953

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948
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