Eliot Wald
Encyclopedia
Eliot Wald was a comedy writer who worked for The Second City
improv group in Chicago and for Saturday Night Live
before turning to movies. He and a partner, Andrew Kurtzman, wrote scripts for the television movie Hot Paint (1988) and for the films See No Evil, Hear No Evil
(1989), Camp Nowhere
(1994) and Down Periscope
(1996). Wald grew up in the Bronx, graduated from Bronx High School of Science
(1962) and Hofstra University
(B.A., 1967) and then moved to Chicago where he wrote for underground papers and for WTTW
, the public television station in that city. At the station in 1975, he came up with the idea for a movie critics' show, the program that eventually became Siskel & Ebert and now At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper. Wald joined the staff of the Chicago Daily News
to write for a youth-oriented section called Sidetracks. When the Daily News closed in 1978, he joined the Chicago Sun-Times
where he wrote about music, television and other topics before joining the writing staff of Second City. One of many Second City alums to join Saturday Night Live, Wald contributed to the show in an era known for performances by Eddie Murphy
and Billy Crystal
. He lived and wrote in New York for five years before he and Kurtzman moved to Los Angeles. He was married to Jane Shay Wald, an intellectual property lawyer. Eliot Wald died at age 57 on July 12, 2003, of cancer in Los Angeles.
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
improv group in Chicago and for Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
before turning to movies. He and a partner, Andrew Kurtzman, wrote scripts for the television movie Hot Paint (1988) and for the films See No Evil, Hear No Evil
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
See No Evil, Hear No Evil is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and produced by Marvin Worth for TriStar Pictures. It stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a band of murderous thieves.-Plot summary:A blind man named Wally...
(1989), Camp Nowhere
Camp Nowhere
Camp Nowhere is a 1994 film directed by Jonathan Prince, written by Andrew Kurtzman and Eliot Wald, and starring Jonathan Jackson, Christopher Lloyd, Melody Kay, Andrew Keegan, and Marnette Patterson. The film also features Jessica Alba in her first film role...
(1994) and Down Periscope
Down Periscope
Down Periscope is a 1996 comedy film starring Kelsey Grammer as the captain of a rust-bucket Navy submarine, the USS Stingray, who is fighting for his career....
(1996). Wald grew up in the Bronx, graduated from Bronx High School of Science
Bronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
(1962) and Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
(B.A., 1967) and then moved to Chicago where he wrote for underground papers and for WTTW
WTTW
WTTW channel 11 is one of three Public Broadcasting Service member public television stations serving the Chicago, Illinois market; the others are WYCC and WYIN. WTTW began broadcasting on September 6, 1955 and it is owned and operated by Window to the World Communications, Inc., a not-for-profit...
, the public television station in that city. At the station in 1975, he came up with the idea for a movie critics' show, the program that eventually became Siskel & Ebert and now At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper. Wald joined the staff of the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
to write for a youth-oriented section called Sidetracks. When the Daily News closed in 1978, he joined the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
where he wrote about music, television and other topics before joining the writing staff of Second City. One of many Second City alums to join Saturday Night Live, Wald contributed to the show in an era known for performances by Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
and Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal
William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
. He lived and wrote in New York for five years before he and Kurtzman moved to Los Angeles. He was married to Jane Shay Wald, an intellectual property lawyer. Eliot Wald died at age 57 on July 12, 2003, of cancer in Los Angeles.