Mickey Rose (far left) at his wedding to his wife Judith. Woody Allen and actress Louise Lasser pictured on the right. Source: nytimes.com
Mickey Rose and Woody Allen met in an art class at Midwood High School more than 60 years ago, starting a lifelong friendship and collaboration that included some of Woody’s most hilarious films. Rose died over the weekend at the age of 77 from colon cancer, according to a report by The New York Times.
Rose, along with Allen, was one of America’s preeminent comedy writers. For years he wrote jokes for Johnny Carson during his Tonight Show run. Michael Barrie, who worked on Carson’s venerable talk show, which ran for 30 years from 1962 to 1992, said that Rose was “a comedy writer’s comedy writer.”
With Allen, Rose helped write “What’s Up Tiger Lily?” (1966), “Take the Money and Run” (1969) and “Bananas” (1971); all early classics from the era when Allen wasn’t yet known for more cerebral films.
“Mickey was one of the funniest humans I know, a true original and a total eccentric and a wonderful first baseman,” said Allen this week, in a statement released by his biographer.
According to the Times, Rose and Allen remained lifelong friends:
Mr. Allen and Mr. Rose had talked on the phone as often as once a week, and when Mr. Allen visited Beverly Hills he often wandered over to Mr. Rose’s house and knocked on the door.
They conversed several times in the days before Mr. Rose’s death, Quincy Rose said. They talked about sports, old friends and, as the son recalled, an existential question, posed by Mr. Allen: “Are you scared?”
Rose is survived by his daughter Jennifer, son Quincy (named for the Bed-Stuy street he grew up on) and two grandchildren.
CUNY Professor, Dr. Ira Epstein, will continue his “Ladies of Comedy” series at the Kings Bay YM-YWHA with the lecture, “Ladies of Comedy: Phyllis Diller,” April 25 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Kings Bay YM-YWHA, 3495 Nostrand Avenue between Avenue U and Avenue V.
Dr. Epstein will explore the career of the legendary comedienne through the use of numerous video clips.
If some of your fondest memories of the 1970s are of watching Carol Burnett struggle to contain uncontrollable laughter alongside the likes of Harvey Korman (of blessed memory), Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence during the eponymous hit comedy / variety series that made her a household name, then you will love the Kings Bay YM-YWHA’s tribute to her this week.
Recommended for adults, CUNY Professor Dr. Ira Epstein will explore the career of the multi-talented, strawberry blond comedienne through video clips and stories during a program called “Ladies of Comedy: Carol Burnett” at the Kings Bay Y, 3495 Nostrand Avenue, this Monday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.
If you are not familiar with the genius that is Carol Burnett, behold:
While this isn’t technically Sheepshead Bay, it was taken by a Sheepshead resident and they were, at some point, on a Q train.
Sheepshead Bites photographer Randy Contello hit up the No Pants Subway Ride 2011 on Sunday. The annual event started in 2002 by Improv Everywhere, and has since spread to 50 cities worldwide. Thousands took the NYC ride this year, ending up pantsless in Union Square.
And apparently Sheepshead Bay was well-represented. Randy said he saw at least 70 people from the event make their way home, exiting the trains at the subway stations in Sheepshead Bay.
Did you go this year? How was it? Want to share some photos?
A few weeks ago, we wrote to you about Steve Solomon, who grew up in Sheepshead Bay, going around the country telling jokes about his dual-culture upbringing.
His last show in California has ended and he’s headed into New York for a one-night dinner show, but it’s not at Kingsborough Community College as I suggested. According to the Staten Island Live, the comedian is will be live in Staten Island. It’s not that I’m encouraging anyone to leave Sheepshead Bay, but if you’re interested in hearing his jokes about Sheepshead Bay, you will have to leave it.
Here is the information:
Steve Solomon
COMEDY NIGHT
When: April 24; 7:30 p.m. dinner; 9:30 p.m. showtime
Where: Lorenzo’s Cabaret at the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield, 1100 South Ave.
Tickets: $20, plus a $15 food/beverage minimum
Reservations: 718-477-2400; LorenzosDining.com
Anyone headed to California this week? If so, it might not be too late to catch Steve Solomon at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. There’s no guarantee that you’ll actually get tickets for any of the four shows happening from April 9 through 11. You see, the last time he played at the same venue, his shows were sold out. In fact, most of his past performances were usually sold out.
So, why am I talking to you about California stand-up? It’s because Steve Solomon is from Sheepshead Bay and he goes around the country joking about how his inter-cultural upbringing messed with his head and sent him to therapy.
Solomon’s mother was Italian and his father Jewish and if you’ve seen the title of his last two comedy shows — “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy” and “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m Still in Therapy”, you’d already know that. It just might be that he’s never actually been in therapy and is just messing with our heads.
Anyone headed to California this week? If so, it might not be too late to catch 
