Jerry Belson
Jerry Belson | |
---|---|
Born | (1938-07-08)July 8, 1938 El Centro, California, U.S. |
Died | October 10, 2006(2006-10-10) (aged 68) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Language | English |
Genre | Film writer, television writer |
Notable awards | Emmy Awards |
Spouse | Jo Ann Harris (1975–his death) |
Children | Kristine Belson, Julie Belson, Willi Belson |
Relatives | Monica Johnson (sister) |
Jerry Belson (July 8, 1938 – October 10, 2006) was an American writer, director, and producer of Hollywood films for over 40 years. Collaborating with figures like Steve Allen and Garry Marshall, Belson gained recognition for his work on various television shows, including The Dick Van Dyke Show and his co-creation of the popular sitcom The Odd Couple. He demonstrated his versatility by venturing into film, co-writing screenplays and directing movies. Belson's impact on comedy and his ability to create enduring characters and relatable narratives left a lasting legacy in the entertainment industry.
Career
Belson's writing credits include the Steven Spielberg films Always and Close Encounters of the Third Kind; several episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show; Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.; and I Spy. During the early 1960s, concurrent with contributing scripts for TV sitcoms with then writing partner Garry Marshall, Belson contributed stories for Gold Key Comics. He also helped produce The Drew Carey Show, The Norm Show, and The Tracey Ullman Show.
In the TV Land 2006 documentary The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catchphrases, Lowell Ganz credits Belson with including in the script of the season 3 Odd Couple episode "My Strife in Court" (originally aired Friday, February 16, 1973) the catchphrase "Never ASSUME, because when you ASSUME, you make an ASS of U and ME." Ganz noted that Belson had heard it used years ago by a teacher in a typewriter repair class.[citation needed]
He won three Emmy Awards: two for The Tracey Ullman Show in 1989 and 1990, and one for Tracey Takes On... in 1997.[1]
Death
Belson died of cancer on October 10, 2006, at his home in Los Angeles.[2] His sister, screenwriter Monica Johnson, died on November 1, 2010.[3]
Credits
Television
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966)
- Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theater (1964)
- Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. (1964–1969)
- I Spy (1965–1968)
- Hey Landlord! (1966–1967)
- Love, American Style (1969–1974)
- Barefoot in the Park (1970)
- The Odd Couple (1970–1975)
- Evil Roy Slade (1972)
- Mixed Nuts (pilot) (with Michael J. Leeson) (1977)
- Young Guy Christian (pilot) (with Michael J. Leeson) (1979)
- The Tracey Ullman Show (1987–1990)
- Tracey Takes On... (1996–1999)
- The Drew Carey Show (consulting producer) (1995–2004)
- The Norm Show (consulting producer) (1999–2001)
Film
- How Sweet It Is! (1968) (with Garry Marshall)
- The Grasshopper (1970)
- Smile (1975)
- Fun with Dick and Jane (with David Giler and Mordecai Richler) (1977)
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) (uncredited)
- The End (1978)
- Smokey and the Bandit II (with Brock Yates) (1980)
- Student Bodies (1981) (executive producer)
- Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again (with Monica Johnson, Harvey Miller and Michael J. Leeson) (1982)
- Surrender (1987)
- Always (1989)
Theater
- The Roast (1980, with Garry Marshall)
- Smile (1986, adapted from the screenplay)
References
- ^ "Jerry Belson, 68, TV Writer Who Specialized in Comedy, Dies". The New York Times. October 14, 2006.
- ^ "Obituary: Emmy Winner Jerry Belson, 68; Writer for Television Comedies". The Washington Post. October 17, 2006.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (2010-11-04). "Monica Johnson dies at 64; movie and TV writer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
External links
- Jerry Belson at IMDb
- v
- t
- e
- Billy Crystal / Jerry Belson, James L. Brooks, Marc Flanagan, Dinah Kirgo, Jay Kogen, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Heide Perlman, Ian Praiser, Sam Simon, Tracey Ullman and Wallace Wolodarsky (1990, tie)
- Billy Crystal, Hal Kanter, Buz Kohan, David Steinberg, Bruce Vilanch and Robert Wuhl (1991)
- No award (1992)
- Judd Apatow, Robert Cohen, David Cross, Brent Forrester, Jeff Kahn, Bruce Kirschbaum, Bob Odenkirk, Sultan Pepper, Dino Stamatopoulos and Ben Stiller (1993)
- No award (1994)
- No award (1995)
- David Feldman, Eddie Feldmann, Mike Gandolfi, Tom Hertz, Leah Krinsky, Dennis Miller and Rick Overton (1996)
- Chris Rock (1997)
- Jose Arroyo, David Feldman, Eddie Feldmann, Jim Hanna, Leah Krinsky, Dennis Miller and David Weiss (1998)
- Tom Agna, Vernon Chatman, Louis C.K., Lance Crouther, Gregory Greenberg, Ali LeRoi, Steve O'Donnell, Chris Rock, Frank Sebastiano, Chuck Sklar, Jeff Stilson, Wanda Sykes and Mike Upchurch (1999)
- Complete list
- (1957–1969)
- (1970–1979)
- (1980–1989)
- (1990–1999)
- (2000–2009)
- (2010–2019)
- (2020–present)