Gossip ghostwriter Herman Klurfeld dead at 90

[MADem]

http://obits.eons.com/national/feature/national_enterta...

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) -- Herman Klurfeld, a longtime ghostwriter for pioneering gossip columnist Walter Winchell, died Monday, his son said. He was 90.
Klurfeld died at his Boca Raton home of a heart arrhythmia, his son said Wednesday.

Klurfeld worked for three decades as a ghostwriter for the columnist and radio broadcaster. From 1936 to 1965, he wrote two to four of Winchell's columns a week and at one point wrote large and signature sections of Winchell's Sunday evening broadcasts.

A native of New York City's Bronx borough, Klurfeld began reading and writing jokes while sick in bed as a teenager, according to family. His ease with words later caught the attention of Winchell at the New York Mirror.

While prolific, Klurfeld was most proud of the work he and Winchell did to make Americans aware of the danger of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, said his son, James...Klurfeld was unmasked as Winchell's ghostwriter in 1952 in the New York Post. He also wrote half a dozen books, including a memoir, "Winchell: His Life and Times." HBO later made a film out of the book.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Walter Winchell was in some respects the Matt Drudge of his day.

He used his column to target individuals he didn't like in order to injure and/or destroy their images and thus, their careers. One target that comes to mind is Josephine Baker that started after she was refused service at the Stork Club. I wonder how many targets were chosen by Klurfeld vs. Witchell.

[MADem]

2. He certainly was the Drudge of his time

He called poor Josephine a communist in his crapppy little column. Whadda bastard! And she was a war hero, to boot!

He was a lefty in his younger years, and a rightie as he got older. In his later years he was both batshit crazy, AND an asshole!!!