Comedy writer and producer Bob Booker (1931-2024) no longer resides in the Land of the Living.
Booker has been top of mind for me lately, as I had ample chance to talk about one of his more famous projects in Josh Greenbaum's upcoming documentary Playing POTUS. The project to which I prefer is the 1962 hit comedy album The First Family and its 1963 The First Family Volume Two. Booker had been a popular local radio personality in Florida who'd recently moved to New York to break into the big time. Broadcasting jobs had not been forthcoming so he partnered with another writer Earle Doud in putting together these comedy records starring Vaughn Meader as John F. Kennedy, and it became an overnight sensation.
Upon hearing of Booker's demise I very nearly settled with simply linking readers to my existing post on The First Family, but I quickly realized that he was notable for much more, and that I had written about several other of his projects. First, he continued to have great success with comedy records over the next decade, with such albums as You Don't Have to Be Jewish (1964), When You're in Love, the Whole World is Jewish (1965), Al Tijuana & His Jewish Brass (1966), The Yiddish are Coming! The Yiddish are Coming! (1967), Scream On Someone You Love Today (1967), The New First Family 1968: A Futuristic Fairy Tale, Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts (1968), The Handwriting On the Wall (The Sounds Of Graffiti) (1968), Pat McCormick Tells It Like It Is (1968), and The Jewish American Princess (1971).
In 1970 Booker broke into films by writing and producing the all-star rock and roll spoof The Phynx, which I wrote about at length here.
Booker then broke into television, writing and producing the 1973 variety series NBC Follies, which I wrote about here, followed by Cotton Club '75, an all-black special inspired by the famous night club co-produced by Burt Reynolds, starring show biz legends like Cab Calloway, the Nicholas Brothers, Redd Foxx, Ray Charles, et al. Booker remained in TV nearly two decades, writing and producing specials starring the likes of Monty Hall, Charo, Wayne Newton, and Don Rickles. He also wrote for Rickles' sit-com CPO Sharkey, and roped Rickles in to host Foul-Ups, Bleeps and Blunders (1984-85), along with Steve Lawrence. Booker was also one of the folks responsible for the now-legendary (legendarily terrible) Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976).
Booker's last major project was the syndicated high-concept sit-com Out of This World (1987-1991) which starred Maureen Flannigan as a teenaged daughter of an alien played by the voice of Burt Reynolds, with Donna Pescow of Angie as the mom, and Doug McClure as a local politician. In keeping with surname (as well as his experience in variety television) Booker booked many notable guest stars to maintain interest in the show, including Susan Anton, Tom Bosley, Jamie Farr, Norman Fell, Kathleen Freeman, Florence Henderson, Charles Nelson Reilly, Mr. T., et al. Critics have lambasted this show as one of the worst sitcoms of all time, one likely reason why this show was his last to make it into production.
Today Bob Booker is best remembered for those comedy records. On this occasion it is well to remember that if he never won an Oscar, an Emmy, or a Tony, he most definitely won a Grammy.
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