Today is Henny Youngman's 104th birthday.
He was my grandmother's favorite comedian and my mom loved him, as well. When he came on The Ed Sullivan Show, it was always a "sssshh!" moment while he did his bit.
It wasn't until he was waayy past his prime that I grew to appreciate his delivery and timing.
Here is Henny with Milton Berle, two comedy legends re-enacting the classic heckler routine that was commonly used in vaudeville. Younger generations may recognize the Muppets using this.
Used by Scorsese in "Goodfellas" to sum up a night at the Copa, Henny Youngman was a classic. Every comic today pays homage to this comedy genius. Would there be anything called stand-up comedy today if it wasn't for him? He wrote the manual.
Nobody like him before. Nobody like him since.
Happy Birthday, Henny.
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