The Pickle Brothers were a three-man comedy act which enjoyed considerable success during the 1965-1968 period. Their madcap style, characterized by fast patter and constant motion, encompassed sketch comedy, spoofs of TV shows and commercials, and social and political humor. They were the house act at The Bitter End in New York City's Greenwich Village, appearing with such performers as Van Morrison

Van Morrison

Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...

, Richie Havens

Richie Havens

Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...

, and the Chapins. They were the opening act on three tours with The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...

.

They also appeared on such major network TV shows as The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...

with Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson

John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...

 and The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show

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....

. In 1967 they starred in a pilot for their own series that was written by Gerald Gardner

Gerald Gardner (scriptwriter)

Gerald Gardner is an author, scriptwriter, screenwriter, story editor and producer who was active in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s in the United States. He wrote 22 episodes of The Monkees and 11 of Get Smart, including "The Amazing Harry Hoo", "Washington 4, Indians 3", and "Diplomat's Daughter"...

 and Dee Caruso of The Monkees

The Monkees

The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...

, and directed by William Friedkin

William Friedkin

William Friedkin is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The French Connection in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director...

 of The French Connection

The French Connection (film)

This article is about the 1971 film. For the British fashion label, see French Connection .The French Connection is a 1971 American crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the non-fiction book by Robin Moore...

and The Exorcist

The Exorcist (film)

The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...

.

The Pickle Brothers were Ron Prince, Michael Mislove, and Peter Lee. They met and performed together while Theatre Arts majors at Hofstra University,on Long Island, New York, where they worked alongside Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...

, Lainie Kazan

Lainie Kazan

Lainie Kazan is an American actress and singer.-Personal life:Kazan was born Lanie Levine in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father who worked as a bookie and a Turkish Sephardic Jewish mother, Carole, whom Kazan has described as "neurotic, fragile and...

, and Madeline Kahn

Madeline Kahn

Madeline Kahn was an American actress. Kahn was known primarily for her comedic roles in films such as Paper Moon, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, What's Up, Doc?, and Clue.-Early life:...

. After college, they played extensively at clubs and coffeehouses in the New York area, including Bud Friedman's Improvisation. They were then put under contract by Fred Weintraub, owner of The Bitter End. They performed in many college concerts. as well as major clubs like The Cellar Door in Washington, D.C., and The Troubador in Los Angeles.

The group disbanded in 1968, largely over creative differences. Each former member continues to pursue creative and artistic interests.