Joey Bishop
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Joey Bishop | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Abraham Gottlieb |
| Spouse(s) | Sylvia Ruzga (1941 – 1999, widowed; 1 son) |
Joey Bishop (February 3 1918 – October 17 2007) was perhaps best remembered as being a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. He was the last survivor of that group of entertainers.
In 1941, Bishop married Sylvia Ruzga, who died in 1999 from lung cancer; they had one son, Larry Bishop.
Bishop appeared on television as early as 1948 and was a frequent guest on television talk shows, game shows, and comedy shows. He is listed as #96 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of all time.
Biography
Born as Joseph Abraham Gottlieb in the Bronx, New York to Jewish parents Anna and Jacob Gottlieb[1], the youngest of five children, he began his career as part of a standup comedy act with his elder brother, Maury.
Bishop guest-hosted on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson more times than anyone else, and frequently appeared on Steve Allen and Jack Paar's version of the show. He had his own television talk show, The Joey Bishop Show (1967-1969), a 90-minute late-night talk show on ABC. His co-host for this show was then-newcomer Regis Philbin. The Joey Bishop Show ran from 1961 until 1965 on both NBC and CBS; Bishop played a talk show host and Abby Dalton portrayed his wife. Bishop was portrayed in the TV movie The Rat Pack in 1998 by comedian Bobby Slayton.
Bishop was the last living member of The Rat Pack and was also the longest-lived member. Publicist and longtime friend, Warren Cowan, announced Bishop died from multiple causes at home in Newport Beach, California on October 17 2007, aged 89.
Mob ties
Though not directly affilated with the mafia, Bishop brushed paths with such infamous characters as Sam Giancana, Tony Accardo, and the like as a member of the Rat Pack. Though not as obviously involved with the outfit as Sinatra, he was privy to sundry illicit activities going on in that realm, though he doubtfully had anything but a peripheral impact on such.
Filmography
- The Deep Six (1958)
- The Naked and the Dead (1958)
- Onionhead (1958)
- Ocean's Eleven (1960)
- Pepe (1960) (Cameo)
- Sergeants 3 (1962)
- Johnny Cool (1963)
- Texas Across the River (1966)
- A Guide for the Married Man (1967)
- Who's Minding the Mint? (1967)
- Valley of the Dolls (1967)
- The Delta Force (1986)
- Betsy's Wedding (1990)
- Mad Dog Time (1996)
Television work
- What's My Line? (1950-1967) (frequent panelist)
- The Joey Bishop Show (1961-1965) situation comedy co-starring Abby Dalton
- Password (1961-1967) (frequent guest)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992) (frequent guest & substitute host)
- The Hollywood Squares (1966-1981) (frequent panelist)
- The Joey Bishop Show (1967-1969) late-night 90-minute talk show on ABC
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968 and 1971)
- Celebrity Sweepstakes (1974-1977) (frequent panelist)
- Liar's Club (1976-1978) (frequent panelist)
- Break the Bank (1976-1977) (frequent panelist)
- Glory Years (1987)