This Day in Humor with Mike Durrett


Born 1908: Harry Kurnitz, varied writer, but known for comedy films, including "The Shadow of the Thin Man" (1941), Bob Hope's "They Got Me Covered" (1943), Danny Kaye's "The Inspector General" (1949), and Audrey Hepburn's "How to Steal a Million" (1966). Writer-director Blake Edwards grafted Inspector Clouseau onto the Kurnitz play "A Shot in the Dark" (1964). Died 1968.

Born 1910: Hugh Brannum, nicknamed "Lumpy," he was known to millions of children as the kindly Mr. Green Jeans on "Captain Kangaroo," beginning in 1955. Died 1987.

Born 1940: Michael O'Donoghue, comedy writer and sometimes performer, also known as Mr. Mike. He wrote for "National Lampoon" and was a driving force behind the early, revolutionary "Saturday Night Live" TV series. Died 1994.

1945: Pepe LePew, Chuck Jones' amorous skunk, first appeared in the Warner Bros. cartoon "Odor-able Kitty."

Born 1946: Diane Keaton, leading actress with a fine, often ditsy, comic flair, especially in films with Woody Allen ("Play It Again, Sam," "Sleeper," "Love and Death," "Manhattan"). She won the Best Actress Oscar for Woody's superlative "Annie Hall" (1977). Her other hits include "The First Wives Club" (1996) and the "Father of the Bride" comedies opposite Steve Martin.

Born 1948: Ted Lange, Bartender Isaac Washington on "The Love Boat" (1977-1986).

1961: "Mr. Ed," the talking horse sitcom, premiered, trotting through 1966.

1998: Once half of the Sonny and Cher musical-comedy team, Representative Sonny Bono (R-CA) died in a skiing accident. He was 62.

Copyright ©2003 Mike Durrett. All rights reserved.