Farmer Patty - Playboy Laughs: The Comedy, Comedians, and Cartoons of Playboy

PLAYBOY
LAUGHS

OTHER BOOKS BY AUTHOR

PATTY FARMER

The Persian Room Presents
Playboy Swings
Starring the Plaza

THE COMEDY, COMEDIANS, AND CARTOONS OF PLAYBOY

PATTY FARMER

PLAYBOY LAUGHS

Copyright 2017 by Patty Farmer
FIRST EDITION
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

All photos are used with permission.
Photo credits constitute an extension of this copyright page.

Library of Congress Data On File

Hardcover ISBN:9780825308437

For inquiries about volume orders, please contact:
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102
New York, NY 10011

Published in the United States by Beaufort Books
www.beaufortbooks.com

Distributed by Midpoint Trade Books
www.midpointtrade.com

Book designed by Mark Karis
Author photo by Bill Westmoreland
Cover photo: Comedy team of Bill Tracy and Jackie Curtiss. The Curtiss Family Collection

TO HUGH HEFNER,
who refused to live anyone elses dream

IN FOND MEMORY OF VICTOR LOWNES
Playboy Extraordinaire
April 17, 1928 to January 11, 2017

In my book Playboy Swings, I chronicled the rise, history, and cultural impact of the Playboy empire, including the magazine, clubs, music festivals, and television shows. The story of Playboy is at the heart of our popular culture; its not an exaggeration to say that the world is a different place because Hugh Hefner had a bright idea and then another and another and another.

While it isnt necessary to have read that book to enjoy this one, I urge any readers interested in the details of Playboys historyand particularly Playboys influence on popular musicto take a look at it. For the sake of clarity and completeness, however, I have included some of the key anecdotes from that book in Playboy Laughs. A great story is worth repeating, so I know my loyal readers wont mind.

On with the party!

I read and savored Patty Farmers previous book, Playboy Swings, but it is this one that deeply touches my heart and resonates with me. Not only is comedy in my blood; I worked and hung around with many of the people whose stories and reminiscences are shared here. Turning these pages sent me back in time.

I was ten years old, sitting with my dad in our den. (The world knew him as Harpo, the zaniest Marx Brother, but he was Dad to me.) We were watching a comedian do his standup routine on a small black-and-white TV. Dad was well-known for his silence, and as we watched, he turned to me and said, I could never do what hes doing. I couldnt do what Ive been doing for all these years without my brothers. A monologist is completely vulnerable and naked out thereits the toughest job in the world.

Dad, whats a mon-o-log-uist? I asked. What did I know? He dutifully informed me that it was a person who stood in front of a live audience and tried to make them laugh by telling them jokes. Can you imagine having the courage to come out on stage, tell your first joke and, after the punch linesilence? No laughter at all? he asked me. And then you look at your watch and realize you still have six-and-a-half minutes to go? Youd probably break out into what we call flop sweat. It was the beginning of my lifelong education and love affair with comedy.

According to Dad, stretching all the way back to the great vaudeville era with its live audiences and diversified acts, wise comedians employed a starter: somebody planted in the audience whose job it was to laugh like hell and inspire others to do the same. A good starter could whip an audience into a frenzy of hilarity. My grandfather Samknown to one and all as Frenchiewas always there for his boys in the early years, making sure that Grouchos, Chicos, Gummos or Zeppos opening quip landed perfectly and started the festivities off on the right foot.

What I learned at Dads knee was that comedygood comedymay look easy, but its far from it. And every single one of the entertainers who spoke with Patty for this book confirmed that. Soif its so hard, why does anybody do it? That question is answered over and over in these pages, if you know how to read between the lines. They do it because it is the only thing theyve ever wanted to do. Its the only thing they can do. Its what gets them up in the morning. And, apparently, its a great way to meet girls! But, seriouslyif you learn nothing else from this book, youll come away with the knowledge that comedy isnt just a professionits a calling.

For a number of years, I played piano at a very popular restaurant/nitery called Dinos Lodge. Somehow, the owners had procured the use of Dean Martins famous nickname, and a large neon caricature of him out front helped pack the place. It happened to be just steps away from the very hot, Los Angeles Playboy Club, so lots of the guys working at Playboy would come over to hang out before, between, or after their shows. Someincluding Jackie Gayle, Jackie Curtiss, and others youll hear from in these pageseven tried out their new material at Dinos. In turn, I would wander over to the Playboy just to schmooze with the great musicians and see some of those top-notch comedians slay the crowds.

Reading Playboy Laughs, which is full of backstage stories about those days, took me back there like it was yesterday. And it all made me think about the mirthful, musical, and medicinal purpose that the Playboy Clubs served for both its audiences and performers. Propelled by their love of what they were doing, a lot of great singers, musicians, and comedians polished up their acts, supported their families, and had a ton of fun in the process. If I can put it a little more poetically: They carved their initials in the history of live performance.

And, before I forget, I want to mention artists of another stripethe legion of brilliant illustrators and cartoonists who lent their particular genius to the pages of Playboy magazine. These scribblers, as Patty calls them, are as responsible for the laughs of this books title as any of the schmoozers Ive been talking about. Clearly, Patty understood that a book about the Playboy brand of humor would be incomplete without including them. You might or might not know their names, but you certainly know the work of Shel Silverstein, Leroy Neiman, Dean Yeagle, Mort Gerberg, Arnold Roth, Harvey Kurtzman, and many others Patty spoke with about their experiences at Playboy.

I think Im correct in pointing out that every single person quoted in this book has given thanks to one mana person who, in his own unique way, changed the culture of this country, and gave us new perceptions and insights. You know Im talking about Hugh Hefner. Im not sure how many people understand the full range of contributions hes made, but this book should certainly move the needle on that particular statistic.

I want to add my own deep thanks to him, for providing me with not only new thoughts and viewpoints, but new friendsincluding such stellar talents as Shecky Greene, Redd Foxx, Al Jarreau, and many, many others. I also want to thank Patty Farmer for understanding the importance of gathering all of this material together and making it fun to read and think about. Playboy and its valuable legacy will never disappear, thanks in part to her efforts to capture the heart and soul of the Playboy era in the words and stories of those who lived it.