M*A*S*H writer/producer Larry Gelbert dies

[Divine Discontent]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- Writer and producer Larry Gelbart, known for his work on the hit television series "M*A*S*H," died Friday in his Beverly Hills, California, home, his wife said.
Larry Gelbart had a long career as a writer, producer and director of television shows and movies.

Gelbart died of cancer, Pat Gelbart said. He was 81.

According to the Internet Movie Database, Gelbart directed 6 episodes of "M*A*S*H," the satirical comedy about Army doctors at a field hospital in the Korean War. The series ran from 1972 to 1983 and was based on a popular movie and book of the same name.

"M*A*S*H" was so popular it lasted much longer than the Korean War itself, and was seen as a commentary on American involvement in the Vietnam War. Gelbart also was involved in the short-lived sequel, "After MASH."

Gelbart also wrote for films, with his credits including the 1982 hit "Tootsie" and "Oh, God!" in 1977.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/09/11/obit.larry.gelbart/index.html?iref=topnews

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thanks for the laughs, Larry! Tootsie is my favorite film of all time. We lost the director of that film (Pollack) a while back.

[virgogal]

1. Another great talent gone.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. Oh, fuck...........

I had the great good fortune to meet him several times, and there was not a nicer, smarter, kinder, funnier man.

Fuck. Those great old guys from "Your Show Of Shows" are felling fast. Now, there's only Joe Stein and Mel Brooks -and Sid Caesar, of course, but he wasn't a writer.

Sonofabitch. This one makes me cry. He was awfully nice...........

[Gidney N Cloyd]

23. Neil Simon is still alive, I think.

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. If he wrote "Oh God"

Does that mean George Burns will be there to meet him at the Pearly Gates? O8)

[Divine Discontent]

4. let's hope so...

he clearly was extremely talented. I loved M*A*S*H as a kid, and after losing the great director Sydney Pollack, hearing this was sad. So many great talents lost the past year or so. Dom Deluise died a little before MJ did, and that made me sad, too, loved him in Mel Brooks' films & best whorehouse in Texas, and Cannonball run films. The people that entertained us growing up are all passing.

may he RIP!

[nolabear]

5. Brilliant man with a conscience.

He showed war for what it is, insanity. Hard to come by such satirical situational TV at the moment. I hope the pendulum swings back toward shows like M*A*S*H.

Thanks, Mr. Gelbert.

[Divine Discontent]

6. great concise tribute to a good man!

[Roland99]

7. I've been loving the M*A*S*H reruns on Hallmark Channel. R.I.P.

[PSzymeczek]

14. And every now and then on TVLand.

but not nearly often enough.

[burrowowl]

8. RIP!

Damn Good Show!
Were there some good ones like it now!

[Canuckistanian]

9. It's GelbArt, not Gelbert

You still have time to change it

[Divine Discontent]

19. my bad, sorry I missed your comment. thank you. And rest in peace to the wonderful Mr Gelbart!

[Faygo Kid]

10. RIP, and thank you so much. You enriched our lives, and made a point.

A big point, in fact.

M*A*S*H will always be on the air, like Andy Griffith or I Love Lucy. And well it should, to give pause to each generation.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. awwww...

[mascarax]

12. What a talent! Thanks for the laughs, Mr. Gelbart.

He was on Bill Maher once, a few years ago, and (as expected) elevated the conversation. Wish he had been on more.

I know he used to personally respond to people's MASH questions on their Usenet newsgroup, which was cool.

Both "Tootsie" and "Oh, God!" were so well written, as well as MASH...I don't watch any 'big network' shows any more. The writing is not what it should be (yes, I'm sure some well-written shows exist, but I lost interest looking!). I hate that reality shows have taken over.

If you're reading this and haven't seen some of his work (or read it, like "Mastergate"), please do yourself a favor and do so!

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. Wow - what a writer -"Tootsie" with Dustin Hoffman was genius

.
.
.

And "Oh God" with George Burns and John Denver

perfect matches all

and Alan Alda in MASH

Shame he had to die before I know the genius behind it was Writer and producer Larry Gelbart

Thank you Larry

you gave me hundreds of hours of enjoyable entertainment.

[Shanti Mama]

15. Comedic relief during my dad's last days

We, the five children, would gather for Mash viewing as many as four times a day during my dad's last weeks. He was very young, only 54, and it was very tough going. He was at home, thankfully, which allowed us to come and go to see him in his super-drugged up state as often as we liked. Then we'd retreat to Mash.

It ran three times a day on reruns and then prime time on Monday nights. I don't know how any of us would have made it without that show.

Thank you, Larry Gelbart, whose name I've seen on the screen so very many times. You were a true genius.

[ClusterFreak]

16. In terms of pure comedy....the Gelbart years on MASH...

...were in my opinion the best ones. 1972 to 77. He had such a wonderful comic impulse as a writer...from the Carl Reiner, Neil Simon school. These were the zaniest years of the series, the zaniest yet they never turned the show into 'hijinks at the front'. The serious reality of war was always there as well.

R.I.P., Mr. Gelbart.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

18. If you ever have a chance

to watch the old "Your Show of Shows" on DVD - I don't even know if they're available - don't miss them.

That's where these guys shone, honed their craft, wrote for LIVE TV, and did a brilliant job every week. Mel Brooks, Joe Stein,Selma Diamond, Woody Allen, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, other amazing talents, all working for Sid Caesar, who was his own kind of genius.

Have you seen the Peter O'Toole movie, "My Favorite Year"? You'd like it.............................

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Favorite_Year

[BumRushDaShow]

17. R.I.P.

One of my favorite shows.

[fishnfla]

20. here' s an oldie but a goodie

half the family pregnant, the other half dying

[keroro gunsou]

21. klinger, aren't you ashamed of yourself?

yes sir.... i don't deserve to be in the army!

gold, pure gold.

[njlib]

22. One of my favorites

I always liked the "Spam lamb".

[Dulcinea]

25. Best line ever uttered on TV:

"I have nothing to do with intelligence." --Col. Flagg


RIP, Mr. Gelbart, & thanks for the laughs! I love MASH reruns, especially the old ones with Frank Burns. :rofl:

[Vidar]

24. RIP Larry.

[JitterbugPerfume]

26. I do not exaggerate when I say

M+A+S+H helped to define a generation

He was one of the great ones.

[troubledamerican]

27. "Privately, he was a class act"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-j-elisberg/larry-gelbart-the-mold-wa_b_284157.html

[PurityOfEssence]

28. He did a fabulous adaptation of "Barbarians At the Gate", too...

This was a 1993 HBO movie about a real hostile takeover, and is a MUST for all lefties to watch. It's a nearly perfect little movie he adapted from the book by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, and directed by Glenn Jordan, starring James Garner, Jonathan Pryce and David Rasche.

Trust me on this one: track it down and see it.

Bill Maher also hosted an all-star tribute to Gelbart with fellow writers that's a scream.

By all reports, a great guy, too...