(Nov. 19) - Irving Brecher, the versatile Hollywood talent who wrote knee-slapping jokes for Milton Berle, classic comedies for the Marx Brothers, and screenplays for movie musicals including "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "Bye Bye Birdie," died on Monday in Los Angeles at age 94, family and friends have announced.
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Wayne Allwine, May 18: The actor, was only the third man behind Mickey Mouse's falsetto, died of complications of diabetes at age 62. At his side was wife Russi Taylor, who for years voiced Minnie Mouse. If you heard Mickey after 1977, there's a good chance it was Allwine.
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Dom DeLuise, May 4: The actor-director-producer died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 75. He is best known for his roles in several Mel Brook's comedies as well as a frequent onscreen partner of Burt Reynolds.
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Danny Gans, May 1: The Las Vegas performer who earned the nickname 'The Man of 1000 Voices' passed away suddenly in his sleep. He was 52 years old.
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The Bronx native died of unspecified causes, but Nell Scovell, a friend, told the New York Times that the writer had a series of heart attacks as recent as last week.
Brecher was a master of puns and reaction jokes; one example being a line he gave Groucho Marx in 1939's "At the Circus": "If I were any drier, I'd be drowning."
Among his other film writing credits include "Go West," "Shadow of the Thin Man" and "Cry for Happy." The screenplay for "Meet Me in St. Louis" garnered him an Oscar nomination in 1945. He lost to Leo McCarey for "Going My Way."
He also created the popular franchise "The Life of Riley," first as a radio series followed by film and TV versions, with Jackie Gleason briefly in the lead role as a working class numskull. He directed the movie version in 1949.
Brecher launched his showbiz career writing jokes for Berle, known around the comedy circuit for a penchant for lifting jokes from others. According to the Times, he got the job by placing the following ad in Variety: "Positively Berle-proof gags. So bad not even Milton will steal them."
He has slowed down in recent years, but in 2007 emerged to make a video in support of striking writers.
"Since 1938, when I joined what was then the Radio Writers Guild, I have been waiting for the writers to get a fair deal; I'm still waiting," he said in the video. "As Chester A. Riley would have said: 'What a revoltin' development this is.' But he only said it because I wrote it."
He is survived by his wife, Norma, and three stepchildren.
