Harry Einstein

Personal life

Einstein was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Sarah (née Klayman), who was born in Russia, and Charles Einstein, a pawnbroker from Austria. He married actress Thelma Leeds on February 7, 1937.

He started out a newspaper reporter in his native Boston, coming into comedy via Eddie Cantor's radio show. His own show soon followed, along with roles in films. He met his second wife, Thelma, while making New Faces of 1937. In time, Einstein became so inextricably linked with his character that he attempted—unsuccessfully—to change his name legally to Parkyakarkus. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame bears his character's name instead of his own.

Meet Me at Parky's

As a result of his popularity on the Cantor program, Einstein began a radio show of his own in 1945 called Meet Me at Parky's, featuring the same character, Greek restaurant owner Nick Parkyakarkus. It ran for two seasons on NBC before moving to the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1947 for a third and final season. Einstein wrote most of the program's scripts himself. Sheldon Leonard, Elliott Lewis and Betty Rhodes were part of the cast, with Rhodes as the female singer as well as supporting work.

Later years and death

Einstein had a long history of heart disease, which eventually began to limit his mobility and stamina. After his TV show was canceled, his appearances were largely confined to Friars' Club roasts. He suffered a fatal heart attack in 1958, at the age of 54, during a roast in honor of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. After Einstein delivered his monologue, emcee Art Linkletter remarked, "Every time he finishes, I ask myself, why isn't he on the air in a prime time?" Einstein turned to Milton Berle, who was seated next to him on the dais, and said, "Yeah, how come?"—then slumped into his lap. Berle's shout of "Is there a doctor in the house?" was initially thought to be a humorous ad lib, but the gravity of the situation quickly became clear.

Einstein was carried backstage, where five physicians in attendance (the event was a charity benefit for local hospitals) worked to revive him. One surgeon used his pen knife to make an incision for open heart massage; another used the ends of an electric cord as a makeshift defibrillator. With the remaining comedians on the bill reluctant to continue under the circumstances, Linkletter asked Tony Martin to sing a song; Martin's unfortunate choice was "There's No Tomorrow". Ball then came to the microphone and managed only, "I can say nothing", through tears. Arnaz, the closing speaker, said, "This is one of those moments that Lucy and I have waited a lifetime for, but it's meaningless now. They say the show must go on, but why must it? Let's close the show now by praying for this wonderful man backstage who has made a world laugh."

Despite two hours of continuous resuscitation by the physician volunteers and a rescue squad, Einstein was pronounced dead at 1:20 AM. The news of his death was the Los Angeles Times' front-page headline the following morning. Einstein's funeral service was attended by 300 mourners. After a eulogy by George Jessel, Einstein was buried in Home of Peace mausoleum in Los Angeles.

Family

Einstein was the father of four sons: the writer Charles Einstein, by his first marriage to Lillian Anshen; comedians Albert Brooks and Bob Einstein, and advertising executive Clifford Einstein, with his second wife, actress Thelma Leeds.

In popular culture

The argument has been made that Albert Brooks, who was 11 years old when Einstein died, has dealt with the trauma of his father's passing through vignettes in his movies. For example, early in Defending Your Life (1991), Brooks’s recently deceased character, Albert, finds himself in an afterlife nightclub, watching a terrible comedian. “How’d you die?” the comic asks him; Albert replies, “Onstage, like you.” Later, Meryl Streep's character invites Albert to leave with her. “I can’t,” he says, gesturing toward the stage. “That’s my father.”