RIP Sid Caesar, 1922-2014

Legendary comedian Sid Caesar starred in “Your Show of Shows” which aired on NBC from 1950-1954. His death was reported to Reuters by his friend and fellow comedian Carl Reiner.

The show and its successor series, “Caesar’s Hour,” became an incubator for some of the greatest comic minds in U.S. show business, with a roster of writers that included Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Reiner (who also co-starred on the show) and Larry Gelbart.

Some of Caesar’s most popular bits were built around pompous or outlandish characters – such as Professor von Votsisnehm – in which he spoke in a thick accent or mimicked foreign languages in comic but convincing gibberish.

“He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed,” Reiner said of his friend. “His ability to double talk every language known to man was impeccable.”

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.