George Kirby

George Kirby

Born: June 8, 1923
Died: September 30, 1995
in Chicago, Illinois, USA
George Kirby (June 8, 1923 – September 30, 1995) was an American comedian, singer, and actor from Chicago, Illinois.

Kirby broke into show business in the 1940s at the Club DeLisa, a South Side establishment that employed a variety-show format and preferred to hire local singers, dancers, and comedians. His first recording was as a stand-up blues singer, performing "Ice Man Blues" on a Tom Archia session done in 1947 for Aristocrat Records.

He was one of the first African-American comedians to begin to appeal to white as well as black audiences during the height of the Civil Rights era, appearing between 1966 and 1972 on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He was an excellent impressionist — targeting, somewhat scandalously for the time, many white actors such as John Wayne and Walter Brennan rather than solely black stars such as Bill Cosby and Pearl Bailey — and, for a man of his ample girth, an unexpectedly agile dancer. He also did vocal impressions of such singers as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

In 1970, he was allowed to produce a television special, The George Kirby Show, to gauge whether he could attract an audience for a weekly series. This led to his hosting a sketch comedy and variety show, Half the George Kirby Comedy Hour, which lasted for 22 episodes in 1972; it was also one of the actor-comedian Steve Martin's first credits in front of the camera. The series was in many ways an uneasy compromise between Kirby's natural gifts and what the public would accept of black actors at the time; a regular feature was a shaggy dog story segment entitled the "Funky Fable". He was also a regular in the British-produced ABC Comedy Hour series The Kopycats, alongside such other impressionists as Rich Little, Charlie Callas, Marilyn Michaels, and Frank Gorshin.

Following the demise of his show, Kirby's career declined, especially as audiences began to look for more cutting-edge comedy. He had been an occasional drug addict; now, to make up for lost income, he took to selling drugs. In 1977 he sold heroin to an undercover cop; he plea bargained to a ten year prison term and was released after 42 months. His career never again reached its former heights, but he did register featured guest appearances on Gimme a Break with Nell Carter, Crazy Like a Fox, and 227. He then took ill with what was later diagnosed as Parkinson's Disease. He was well-loved enough within the comedy community that friends and admirers formed the "Friends of George Kirby", which performed an all-star tribute to him in 1995 to help pay his mounting medical bills, only a few months before he died.

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Movies for George Kirby...

Title: Baby Talk
Released: March 8, 1991
Type: TV
Baby Talk is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from March 8, 1991 until May 8, 1992 as part of ABC's TGIF lineup. The show was loosely based on the popular Look Who's Talking movies and was adapted for television by Ed Weinberger. Amy Heckerling created original characters for the series while using key creative and script elements from Look Who's Talking, which she had written and directed. Weinberger served as executive producer during the first season, and was replaced by Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein in the second season.
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Beverly Hills Brats
Title: Beverly Hills Brats
Character: Elmo
Released: October 6, 1989
Type: Movie
A rich young boy arranges to be kidnapped so he'll get more attention from his parents.
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Leonard Part 6
Title: Leonard Part 6
Character: Duchamp
Released: December 18, 1987
Type: Movie
After separating from his wife, Leonard Parker (Cosby) quit the spy business and became a restaurateur. His wife refuses to speak with him, and his daughter, who changes her career more often than her clothes, has begun dating a man old enough to be Leonard's father! On top of it all, the government has asked him to come back and save the world again.
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Cameo by Night
Title: Cameo by Night
Character: Gruddy
Released: July 12, 1987
Type: Movie
Failed TV pilot about Jennifer, a police secretary who goes undercover as rock fan Cameo to search the music scene for a serial killer who preys upon teens at music venues. Her handler is police detective Bellflower.
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Trouble in Mind
Title: Trouble in Mind
Character: Lieutenant Gunther
Released: December 11, 1985
Type: Movie
The lives of an ex-con, a coffee-shop owner, and a young couple looking to make it rich intersect in the hypnotic Rain City.
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Title: 227
Released: September 14, 1985
Type: TV
A housewife sits on the stoop of her apartment building in a black neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and discusses all manner of things with her neighbors.
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Puss in Boots
Title: Puss in Boots
Character: King
Released: September 9, 1985
Type: Movie
A young man (Gregory Hines) journeys from rags-to-riches thanks to his talented Puss in Boots (Ben Vereen). Starring Ben Vereen, Gregory Hines, Alfre Woodard, George Kirby, and Brock Peters. Narrated by Shelley Duvall.
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Title: Crazy like a Fox
Character: Restaurant Proprietor
Released: December 30, 1984
Type: TV
Crazy Like a Fox is an American television series set in San Francisco, California, that aired on CBS from December 30, 1984 to May 3, 1986.
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Title: Murder, She Wrote
Character: Eubie Sherwin
Released: September 30, 1984
Type: TV
An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.
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Sunset Limousine
Title: Sunset Limousine
Character: Elmer
Released: October 12, 1983
Type: Movie
Alan O'Black is a comic who wants to hit it big. But his endless attempts at stardom have worn down his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Julie. Thinking she'll give him another chance if he gets a real job, Alan gets a gig as a limo driver, which promptly lands him in a slew of trouble when he meets and gets involved in the hijinks of a crooked entrepreneur, Bradley Coleman.
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Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy
Title: Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy
Character: Self / Narrator
Released: January 1, 1983
Type: Movie
The history of the television version of "Amos and Andy" and the public outcry to cancel it.
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Title: Faerie Tale Theatre
Character: King Fortuitous
Released: September 11, 1982
Type: TV
A live-action children's television anthology series retelling popular fairy tales.
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Title: Fame
Released: January 7, 1982
Type: TV
An American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show is based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. With a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although fictional, it was based heavily on the actual Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York. Most interior scenes were filmed in Hollywood, California, and in all seasons but the third, several exterior scenes were shot on location in New York City. The popularity of the series, particularly in the UK, led to several hit records and live concert tours by the cast. Despite its success, very few of the actors maintained high-profile careers after the series was cancelled. A number of the cast members were seen again briefly in Bring Back...Fame, a reunion special made for British television in 2008.
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Title: Gimme a Break!
Released: October 29, 1981
Type: TV
Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC for six seasons, October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.
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On Location with George Kirby
Title: On Location with George Kirby
Character: Self
Released: January 6, 1978
Type: Movie
Whether the joke involved singing, dancing, playing the piano or doing impressions of popular celebrities, classic comedian George Kirby could do it all -- and audiences always repaid him with hearty laughter. In this installment of HBO's "On Location" series, filmed at Grossinger's Hotel in New York's Catskill Mountains in the late 1970s, Kirby unleashes his unique brand of humor, impersonating Sarah Vaughan, Marlon Brando and many more.
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Joys
Title: Joys
Character: Self
Released: March 5, 1976
Type: Movie
Over fifty of the greatest living comedians are called to a party at Bob Hope's house, where each of them is systematically killed (and their bodies thrown in Hope's pool!). Hope and the rapidly shrinking cast try to discover who is the mysterious killer known only as "Joys."
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Saga of Sonora
Title: Saga of Sonora
Character: Bartender
Released: May 3, 1973
Type: Movie
A musical TV special with Vince Edwards as a hero who must stop gold-greedy villains, Jill St. John and Zero Mostel, and prove his love to his girl, Lesley Ann Warren.
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Title: The ABC Comedy Hour
Released: January 12, 1972
Type: TV
The ABC Comedy Hour is an American television variety series that aired on ABC in 1972. Seven of the 13 episodes featured a guest host and a team of comedy impressionists known as The Kopycats. Guest hosts included Steve Lawrence, Orson Welles, Ed Sullivan, Raymond Burr, Robert Young, Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis. The remaining six episodes were variety specials and included two Friars Club roasts and a revival of the musical Hellzapoppin' starring Jack Cassidy. The show originally aired on Wednesday at 8:30 PM. Summer reruns of the seven Kopycats episodes were aired under the title The ABC Comedy Hour Presents the Kopycats. The same episodes aired in Great Britain simply as The Kopycats.
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The Special London Bridge Special
Title: The Special London Bridge Special
Character: Kirk Douglas Impressionist
Released: January 1, 1972
Type: Movie
In 1972, the Arizona State Park bought the London Bridge. Tom Jones (as himself) is magically transported to the bridge's new location where he, befuddled, sings with other celebrities, has adventures and gets kidnapped by “the villain”.
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Title: The Pearl Bailey Show
Character: Self
Released: January 23, 1971
Type: TV
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Title: Love, American Style
Character: Mr. Mystic
Released: September 29, 1969
Type: TV
An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories or vignettes within an hour about versions of love and romance.
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Dionne Warwick: Souled Out
Title: Dionne Warwick: Souled Out
Character: Self
Released: September 17, 1969
Type: Movie
CBS Television with Warwick's guests Burt Bacharach, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Glen Campbell
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The Temptations Show
Title: The Temptations Show
Character: Himself
Released: July 10, 1969
Type: Movie
A television special starring the vocal group The Temptations.
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Title: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Character: Self
Released: September 9, 1967
Type: TV
An American sketch comedy television program hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.
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Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad
Title: Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad
Character: Moses
Released: February 15, 1967
Type: Movie
A woman brings her son and husband to a tropical vacation spot for a little rest and relaxation. The only problem is that the husband has been dead for quite some time, and his wife had him stuffed and carries him everywhere with her. Complications ensue.
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Title: ABC Stage 67
Character: Self
Released: September 14, 1966
Type: TV
ABC Stage 67 is the umbrella title for a series of 26 weekly shows that included dramas, variety shows, documentaries, and original musicals. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company on September 14, 1966 with Murray Schisgal's The Love Song of Barney Kempinksi, directed by Stanley Prager and starring Alan Arkin as a man enjoying the sights and sounds of New York City in his last remaining hours of bachelorhood. Arkin was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By An Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama and the program was nominated as Outstanding Dramatic Program. Future programs included appearances by Petula Clark, Bobby Darin, Sir Laurence Olivier, Albert Finney, Peter Sellers, David Frost, and Jack Paar. ABC's effort to bring culture to the masses was a noble but unsuccessful experiment. Scheduled first against I Spy on Wednesdays and then The Dean Martin Show on Thursdays, the show consistently received low ratings. Its last production, an adaptation of Jean Cocteau's one-woman play The Human Voice starring Ingrid Bergman, aired on May 4, 1967. "Stage 67" was not actually a part of the primary ABC facilities in Los Angeles. It was produced at the old Monogram Studios backlot that was later sold to KCET.
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A Man Called Adam
Title: A Man Called Adam
Character: Party Guest (uncredited)
Released: March 16, 1966
Type: Movie
A famous jazz trumpeter finds himself unable to cope with the problems of everyday life.
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Title: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character: Self
Released: October 1, 1962
Type: TV
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
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Title: The Mike Douglas Show
Character: Self
Released: December 11, 1961
Type: TV
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
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Title: The Mike Douglas Show
Character: Self - Co-Host
Released: December 11, 1961
Type: TV
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
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Title: Kraft Music Hall
Character: Self
Released: October 8, 1958
Type: TV
Kraft Music Hall is an umbrella title for several television series aired by NBC in the United States from the 1950s to the 1970s in the musical variety genre, sponsored by Kraft Foods, the producers of a well-known line of cheeses and related dairy products. Their commercials were usually announced by "The Voice of Kraft", Ed Herlihy.
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Title: Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Character: Self
Released: July 29, 1957
Type: TV
Tonight Starring Jack Paar is an American talk show hosted by Jack Paar under The Tonight Show franchise from 1957 to 1962. It originally aired during late-night. During most of its run it was broadcast from Studio 6B inside the RCA Building. The same studio would also host early episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Its theme song was an instrumental version of "Everything's Coming Up Roses", and the closing theme was "So Until I See You" by Al Lerner.
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Title: The Ed Sullivan Show
Character: Self
Released: June 20, 1948
Type: TV
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
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Title: The Ed Sullivan Show
Character: Self - Impressionist
Released: June 20, 1948
Type: TV
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
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Title: The Ed Sullivan Show
Character: Self - Comedian
Released: June 20, 1948
Type: TV
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.