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Barry Mitchell’s Morty Gunty memories

July 30th, 2009

Comedian Barry Mitchell spotted my items about Morty Gunty and he sent a very nice note with a state-of-the-art (for 1964) screen shot. Here is Barry’s YouTube channel. Great stuff, Barry!

http://www.youtube.com/user/barryfunnytv

On a cold January day in 1964, I was did my ventriloquism act on Morty Gunty’s local Channel 9 kiddie show, “The Funny Company.”

It was taped at WOR’s Times Square studio. I believe the address was 1440 Broadway.

Morty asked me my dummy’s name and I told him, “Melvin Mazel.” (“Mazel” is the Yiddish word for “Luck.”)

The attached screen grab is the exact moment Morty asked incredulously, “Melvin MAZEL?” then turned his head and said to an off- camera stagehand, “Irving, he’s from your parish!”

I saw Morty one more time in 1978 when he was performing at a nightclub in Miami Beach. I remember one of his jokes (paraphrasing, here) “My wife is an avid reader. She bought “The Joy of Cooking” and “The Joy of Sex” and brought a brisket to climax.”

Keep Smiling!
Barry Mitchell

I’ll try, Barry! Thanks very much.

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Tags: Barry Mitchell, BarryFunny, Morty Gunty