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Larry Gelbart Biography

Birth Name:Larry Simon Gelbart

Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois, United States

Profession Writer, Producer, Soundtrack, Script department, Director, Actor, Music department

Fast Facts

His best television work was the series "M*A*S*H" that he produced, wrote and occasionally directed for the first four seasons, winning him multiple awards including an Emmy
Father was a barber and told his clients, Danny Thomas being one of them, how funny his teenage son was, which lead him to become a comedy writer before finishing school
Quote: "Today's audience knows more about what's on television than what's in life․"
Co-wrote the Broadway musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" that ran for 964 performances and was very popular
While he was in the Armed Forces Radio Service he wrote for Joan Davis and Jack Paar, and it would go on to be his most productive period
Best known for television and film work, but in 1957 he joined the American Society of composers, Authors and Publishers and in addition to film he went on to write song compositions such as "Let’s Go Steady․"
Was very critical towards the rewritten film version of his Tony Award-winning playbook, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum․"

Awards

1956Primetime Emmy-Best Comedy Writing: nominated
1957Primetime Emmy-Best Comedy Writing - Variety or Situation Comedy: nominated
1958Primetime Emmy-Best Comedy Writing: nominated
1963WGA Award (Screen)-Best Written American Comedy: nominated
1964Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy or Variety: nominated
1973Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy: nominated
1973WGA Award (TV)-Episodic Comedy: winner
1974Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: winner
1974WGA Award (TV)-Episodic Comedy: nominated
1974WGA Award (TV)-Episodic Comedy: nominated
1975Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
1975WGA Award (TV)-Episodic Comedy: winner
1976Humanitas Prize-30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television: winner
1976Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
1976Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: nominated
1976Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: nominated
1976WGA Award (TV)-Episodic Comedy: winner
1978Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium: nominated
1978Saturn Award-Best Writing: nominated
1978LAFCA Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1978NSFC Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1978NYFCC Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
1978WGA Award (Screen)-Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium: winner
1979WGA Award (Screen)-Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen: winner
1981WGA Award (TV)-Episodic Comedy: nominated
1982LAFCA Award-Best Screenplay: winner
1982NYFCC Award-Best Screenplay: winner
1983Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: nominated
1983Golden Globe-Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: nominated
1983NSFC Award-Best Screenplay: winner
1983WGA Award (Screen)-Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen: winner
1984BAFTA Film Award-Best Screenplay - Adapted: nominated
1984Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: nominated
1993Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or a Special: nominated
1994CableACE-Movie or Miniseries: nominated
1994CableACE-Writing a Movie or Miniseries: winner
1994WGA Award (TV)-Adapted Long Form: winner
1997Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Special: nominated
1998Literary Award-Teleplay: winner
2004PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television: nominated
2004Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special: nominated
2004Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Made for Television Movie: nominated
2004WGA Award (TV)-Original Long Form: winner
2009Impact Award-: winner