Hillcrest Round Table
Encyclopedia
The Hillcrest Round Table, or "Comedian's Round Table", was a group of Jewish comedian
s who met daily at a particular round table at the Men's Grill of the Hillcrest Country Club
in Los Angeles
. The group included (from oldest to youngest):
Arthur Marx wrote,
Each comedian had to have an actual membership in the country club. George Burns
, the penultimate surviving member, was also one of the first in the group to join. His original membership fee was $300.
With Milton Berle's death in 2002, all members had died.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s who met daily at a particular round table at the Men's Grill of the Hillcrest Country Club
Hillcrest Country Club (Los Angeles)
Hillcrest Country Club is a private social club located in Los Angeles, California, United States.-The club:The property includes an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts, and serves as a meeting place for its members. The 18-hole "Hillcrest" golf course was designed by Willie Watson and opened in...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The group included (from oldest to youngest):
- Al JolsonAl JolsonAl Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
1886-1950 - Chico MarxChico MarxLeonard "Chico" Marx was an American comedian and film star as part of the Marx Brothers. His persona in the act was that of a dim-witted albeit crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes, and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat.As the first-born of the...
1887-1961 - Harpo MarxHarpo MarxAdolph "Harpo" Marx was an American comedian and film star. He was the second oldest of the Marx Brothers. His comic style was influenced by clown and pantomime traditions. He wore a curly reddish wig, and never spoke during performances...
1888-1964 - Groucho MarxGroucho MarxJulius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
1890-1977 - Eddie CantorEddie CantorEddie Cantor was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter...
1892-1964 - Gummo MarxGummo MarxMilton "Gummo" Marx was an American vaudeville performer and theatrical agent. He was the fourth-born of the Marx Brothers. Born in New York City, he worked with his brothers on the vaudeville circuit, but left acting when he was drafted into the U.S...
1892-1977 - Lou HoltzLou Holtz (actor)Lou Holtz was an American vaudevillian and comic actor.He was discovered by vaudevillian Elsie Janis in San Francisco while still in his teens, and came to New York. He appeared in his first Broadway show in 1913, World of Pleasure...
1893-1980 - Jack BennyJack BennyJack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
1894-1974 - George BurnsGeorge BurnsGeorge Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...
1896-1996 - George JesselGeorge Jessel (actor)George Albert Jessel was an American illustrated song "model," actor, singer, songwriter, and Academy Award-winning movie producer. He was famous in his lifetime as a multitalented comedic entertainer, achieving a level of recognition that transcended his limited roles in movies...
1898-1981 - Zeppo MarxZeppo MarxHerbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx was an American film star, musician, engineer, theatrical agent and businessman. He was the youngest of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers feature films, from 1929 to 1933, but then left the act to start his second career as an...
1901-1979 - Al Ritz 1901-1965
- Jimmy Ritz 1904-1985
- Harry Ritz 1907-1986
- Milton BerleMilton BerleMilton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
1908-2002 - Danny KayeDanny KayeDanny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
1913-1987 - Danny ThomasDanny ThomasDanny Thomas was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy . He was also the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
1914-1991
Arthur Marx wrote,
In the heyday of the Round Table, in the '40s, '50s and '60s, it was probably the most amusing place to lunch in all the world. Imagine sitting at a table with that group, each one trying to out-funny the other, and all but HarpoHarpo MarxAdolph "Harpo" Marx was an American comedian and film star. He was the second oldest of the Marx Brothers. His comic style was influenced by clown and pantomime traditions. He wore a curly reddish wig, and never spoke during performances...
, ChicoChico MarxLeonard "Chico" Marx was an American comedian and film star as part of the Marx Brothers. His persona in the act was that of a dim-witted albeit crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes, and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat.As the first-born of the...
and Danny KayeDanny KayeDanny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
puffing on long, fragrant Havanas. If you didn't die laughing, you could have choked on the smoke."
Each comedian had to have an actual membership in the country club. George Burns
George Burns
George Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...
, the penultimate surviving member, was also one of the first in the group to join. His original membership fee was $300.
With Milton Berle's death in 2002, all members had died.