Dick Shawn

Dick Shawn

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1923-12-01
Deathday: 1987-04-17 (63 years old)

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Biography

One-of-a-kind nightclub comedian/singer Dick Shawn (ne Richard Schulefand) was as off-the-wall as they came and, as such, proved to be rather an acquired taste. Way ahead of his time most say, it was extremely difficult indeed to know how to properly tap into this man's eclectic talents. Shawn began inching toward the forefront during the be-bop 50s and early 60s with his odd penchant for playing cool cats.During his mild bid for film stardom, he was top-billed as a hip, laid back genie in the thoroughly dismal satire The Wizard of Baghdad (1960), but seemed to have better luck when taken in smaller doses. He fared quite well opposite another "way-out-there" comedian, Ernie Kovacs, in Wake Me When It's Over (1960) as a hustling soldier out to make a buck in the Far East. Also on the plus side, he replaced Zero Mostel in the bawdy musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" on Broadway and stole a small scene in the all-star epic comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). By far, the one role that completely overshadows all of his other hard work is his mock portrayal of a singing Adolf Hitler in the show-within-a-movie The Producers (1968). In the film, which starred Mostel and Gene Wilder as two con artists deliberately producing a stage "bomb" called "Springtime for Hitler," Shawn sang the hammy, absurdly narcissistic song "Love Power." The movie finally captured Shawn in his element, but this stroke of genius of matching actor to role would never happen again for him. For the most part his roles came off slick and smarmy, and were stuck in mediocre material.Shawn won a huge fan base, however, touring in one-man stage shows which contained a weird mix of songs, sketches, satire, philosophy and even pantomime. A bright, innovative wit, one of his best touring shows was called "The Second Greatest Entertainer in the World." During the show's intermission, Shawn would lie visibly on the stage floor absolutely still during the entire time. By freakish coincidence, Shawn was performing at the University of California at San Diego in 1987 when he suddenly fell forward on the stage during one of his spiels about the Holocaust. The audience, of course, laughed, thinking it was just a part of his odd shtick. In actuality, the 63-year-old married actor with four children had suffered a fatal heart attack. A not surprising end for this thoroughly offbeat and intriguing personality.

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Filmography

all 61

Movies 35

TV Shows 26

self 17

Voice 1

Self
Leave 'em Laughing

Leave 'em Laughing (2020)

Movie
Snow Miser (archive sound) (uncredited)
Batman & Robin

Batman & Robin (1997)

Movie
5.73
Self (archive footage)
Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'

Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World' (1991)

Movie
Self
The Tommy Chong Roast

The Tommy Chong Roast (1989)

Movie
Charlie Slater
Rented Lips

Rented Lips (1987)

Movie
Stan Starkey
Maid to Order

Maid to Order (1987)

Movie
5
Commander Bog
Captain EO

Captain EO (1986)

Movie
Self
The Making of Captain EO

The Making of Captain EO (1986)

Movie
The Psychiatrist
The Perils of P.K

The Perils of P.K (1986)

Movie
Donald (uncredited)
The Check Is in the Mail...

The Check Is in the Mail... (1986)

Movie
Emperor
The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes (1985)

Movie
Joe Willoughby
Amazing Stories

Amazing Stories (1985)

TV
5.33
The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone (1985)

TV
7
Bo Gumbs
If the Shoes Fit...

If the Shoes Fit... (1985)

Movie
Ivan Zolotov
Hail to the Chief

Hail to the Chief (1985)

TV
Deke Halliday
Water

Water (1985)

Movie
Bo Gumbs
Tales from the Darkside

Tales from the Darkside (1984)

TV
5.38
Mae
Angel

Angel (1984)

Movie
6
Self - Host
Best Chest in the West

Best Chest in the West (1984)

Movie
Professor Hoover
Young Warriors

Young Warriors (1983)

Movie
Rodney Pointsetter / Ainsley Pointsetter
Good-bye Cruel World

Good-bye Cruel World (1983)

Movie
St. Elsewhere

St. Elsewhere (1982)

TV
Self
Madame's Place

Madame's Place (1982)

TV
Guest Interviewee / Emperor
Faerie Tale Theatre

Faerie Tale Theatre (1982)

TV
Magnum, P.I.

Magnum, P.I. (1980)

TV
5.61
Self
Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration

Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration (1979)

Movie
Lt. Ferguson
Love at First Bite

Love at First Bite (1979)

Movie
5.63
Deke Edwards
Fast Friends

Fast Friends (1979)

Movie
Harvey Blanchard / David Jackson
The Love Boat

The Love Boat (1977)

TV
6.85
Manny Lander
Looking Up

Looking Up (1977)

Movie
Laverne & Shirley

Laverne & Shirley (1976)

TV
5
Snow Miser (voice)
The Year Without a Santa Claus

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

Movie
10
Marshal Bing Bell
Evil Roy Slade

Evil Roy Slade (1972)

Movie
Lucky
Dames at Sea

Dames at Sea (1971)

Movie
Himself
Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man

Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man (1970)

Movie
Harry Bricker
The Happy Ending

The Happy Ending (1969)

Movie
Medical Center

Medical Center (1969)

TV
6.17
Self - Guest
The Dick Cavett Show

The Dick Cavett Show (1968)

TV
Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.)
The Producers

The Producers (1968)

Movie
5
Self
Personality

Personality (1967)

TV
Dr. Gregory Mannix
Penelope

Penelope (1966)

Movie
Igor Valkleinokov
Way... Way Out

Way... Way Out (1966)

Movie
Paul Benderhof
ABC Stage 67

ABC Stage 67 (1966)

TV
That Girl

That Girl (1966)

TV
6
Captain Lionel Cash
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966)

Movie
Arnold Plum
A Very Special Favor

A Very Special Favor (1965)

Movie
Himself
The Judy Garland Show

The Judy Garland Show (1963)

TV
Sylvester Marcus
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

Movie
5.79
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)

TV
Ace Winthrop
The Lucy Show

The Lucy Show (1962)

TV
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)

TV
6
Self - Co-Host / Self
The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show (1961)

TV
Genii-Ali Mahmud
The Wizard of Baghdad

The Wizard of Baghdad (1961)

Movie
Gus Brubaker
Wake Me When It's Over

Wake Me When It's Over (1960)

Movie
Charlie Wilson
The DuPont Show with June Allyson

The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959)

TV
Singer
The Opposite Sex

The Opposite Sex (1956)

Movie
Self
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956)

TV
Self / Self - Co-Host
Max Liebman Presents

Max Liebman Presents (1954)

TV
Felix Franklin
General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater (1953)

TV
Self
The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)

TV
6
Self
Here's Edie

Here's Edie

TV

Ratings

Average 5.98
Based on 529 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1948
1966
1977
1968
2020
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Dick ShawnDick Shawn

Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Male

Birthday
1923-12-01

Deathday
1987-04-17 (63 years old)

Birth Place
Buffalo, United States of America

Citizenships
United States of America

Also Known As
Richard Schulefand


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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