Biography for
Alan King (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

26 December 1927, New York City, New York, USA

Date of Death

9 May 2004, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA (lung cancer)

Birth Name

Irwin Alan Kniberg

Nickname

The Last Angry Man of the Suburbs

Spouse

Jeanette Sprung

(1 February 1947 - 9 May 2004) (his death) 3 children

Trivia

Was the Abbot of the New York Friars Club and attended all celebrity roasts until shortly before his death.

Dropping out of high school, he was schooled instead in rimshot comedy by Milton Berle in the Catskills.

In January 1961, he was the emcee for a portion of President John F. Kennedy's inaugural party.

Produced the Broadway plays "The Lion in Winter" and the revival of "Dinner at Eight".

Three children: Robert, Andrew and Elaine Ray.

Developed a fondness for drinking and gambling during his years on the Las Vegas circuit. He credited his family for helping him curb his problems.

Thrived on social humor and life's annoyances. Jerry Stiller once called him "the Jewish Will Rogers".

Played drums and formed a group called Earl Knight and His Musical Knights while a teenager.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 307-309. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.

Personal Quotes

Modesty is not one of my virtues.

Comedy is a reflection. We create nothing. We set no styles, no standards. We're reflections. It'a a distorted mirror in the fun house. We watch society. As society behaves, then we have the ability to make fun of it.

[on Vanessa Redgrave's anti-Zionist remarks] I am that Zionist hoodlum she was talking about. It's just a pity I wasn't on the platform tonight. I would have gone for the jugular.