| Henny Youngman Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 3 in |
| Weight | 84 kg |
| Date of Birth | March 16, 1906 |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Date of Death | February 24, 1998 |
Henny Youngman was a British-born American comedian and musician who was known for his mastery of the “one-liner”, his best one though being “Take my wife… please”. He was also one of the only comedians of his time to do one-liner jokes, occasionally with interludes of playing the violin.
Born Name
Henry Youngman
Nick Name
Henny, King of the One Liners
Age
Henny Youngman was born on March 16, 1906.
Died
Henny Youngman died on February 24, 1998, at the age of 91, in Manhattan, New York, United States, due to pneumonia.
Sun Sign
Pisces
Born Place
Whitechapel, London, England, United Kingdom
Nationality
Education
Henny had trained in violin.
Occupation
Comedian, Musician
Family
- Father – Olga Chetkin
- Mother – Yonkel Yungman
- Siblings – Lester (Brother)
Manager
Henny was managed by Ted Collins.
Genre
Jazz
Instruments
Violin, Vocals
Labels
Unsigned
Build
Average
Height
6 ft 3 in or 190.5 cm
Weight
84 kg or 185 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Henney was married to –
- Sadie Cohen (1928- 1987) – Henney was married to a woman named Sadie Cohen from May 4, 1928, to March 19, 1987, until her death. Together, the couple had two children, a girl Marilyn and a boy Gary. He would often praise his wife’s cooking.
Race / Ethnicity
White
Henny had Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.
Hair Color
Light Brown
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Often performed his comedy act with a violin
Henny Youngman Facts
- He was still a child when his family relocated to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York.
- Henny was brought up in New York City.
- His one-line jokes included simple, cartoon-like situations, that eliminated lengthy build-ups and going straight to a punch line.
- Henny’s parents encouraged him to learn to play the violin. Hence, he went on to enter the show business as a musician with a Jazz band called Swanee Syncopaters.
- During his musical performances, Henny would often tell jokes. However, his first break as a comedian came when one of the club’s regular comedians failed to show up and Youngman was asked to fill in for him. The excitement he got from doing his first stand-up led to his long and successful comedic career.
- One of his earliest jobs was at a print shop writing comedy cards which contained one-line gags.
- He got his first break in radio in 1937, with Kate Smith often referred to as “The First Lady of Radio”.
- It was former actor and comedian Milton Berle who convinced Henny to start a career in comedy and he even went on to become a close friend of Henney’s.
- Henny was named “King of the One-Liners”, by columnist Walter Winchell.
- His comedic sessions would only last between 15 to 20 minutes but included many jokes.
- He began trying his luck in acting in the 1940s but failed to find success in Hollywood at the time and decided to return to doing stand-up comedies at nightclubs performing in more than 200 a year.
- Henny recorded his first live album in 1959, titled The Primitive Sounds of Henny Youngman, with the help of writer/producer Danny Shapiro for the National Recording Corporation.
- He had been cast in various films including Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, History of the World, Part I; and Goodfellas.
- The last film that Henny was cast in was as a Mental Patient in Eyes Beyond Seeing in 1995.
- Henney sadly passed away at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan on February 24, 1998. It was just three weeks prior to his 92nd birthday. He was interred next to his wife Sadie at the Mount Carmel Cemetery, in Glendale, New York.
Featured Image By GAC-General Artists Corporation-management / Wikimedia / Public Domain
