A valued alumni of TV's Golden Age of Comedy has passed away. Writer Larry Gelbart was part of Sid Caesar's legendary circle of writers in the 1950s. He also wrote the book for the hit play
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and co-wrote the blockbuster comedy film
Tootsie. His greatest achievement was adapting Robert Altman's 1970 film
M*A*S*H into a hit comedy TV series that ran for years. Most attempts to bring hit movies to the small screen fail, but Gelbart found the right blend of sarcasm and poignancy to make the show a hit with both audiences and critics. Upon hearing of his death, Woody Allen called Gelbart "the best comedy writer I ever knew and one of the best guys." For more on his life and career
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