Biography
Born on July 29, 1914, in Brooklyn, New York, Professor Irwin Corey, known as "The World's Foremost Authority," grew up in the Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum alongside his five siblings. During the Great Depression, he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) and proudly claimed the title of the C.C.C.'s 112-pound boxing champion.
Before earning his reputation as a surreal professor, Irwin's passion for performance began with a small role in the borscht belt show "Pots and Pans." He made his musical comedy debut playing Ali Hakim, the Arab peddler, in a U.S.O. production of "Oklahoma" in Europe.
Corey honed his eccentric professor persona, always dressed in an old-fashioned tuxedo with tails reminiscent of Groucho Marx. He gained fame as a stand-up comic at San Francisco’s "hungry i" and New York City's Copacabana and Village Vanguard clubs. His lectures, filled with endless non-sequiturs and double-talk, drew inspiration from the wordplay of Groucho and Chico Marx in routines like "Why a Duck?" Unlike the Marx Brothers, however, Corey's act lacked any real logic, turning "Stop Making Sense" into an art form long before the Talking Heads popularized the phrase.
Theater critic Kenneth Tynan described Corey as "a cultural clown, a parody of literacy, a travesty of all that our civilization holds dear, and one of the funniest grotesques in America. He is Chaplin's clown with a college education."
Corey excelled on radio, notably appearing as a tutor to Charlie McCarthy on Edgar Bergen's show. Television also suited him well; he was a regular on The Jackie Gleason Show (1952) and frequently appeared on talk shows throughout the 1950s to 1970s, including those hosted by Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett, Merv Griffin, and Mike Douglas. He also appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and later with David Letterman in the Ed Sullivan Theater.
On Broadway, Corey performed in "Heaven on Earth," "Happy as Larry," "Fla-hooley," and "Mrs. McThing," as well as in productions of "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Hamlet." Off-Broadway, he starred in "The Good Soldier Schweik" and played Marlo Thomas' father in Herb Gardner's "Thieves," reprising the role in the 1977 film adaptation. His television appearances included episodes of The Andy Griffith Show (1960), "Doc" (with Barnard Hughes), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967), and Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour (1970).
His final film role was in Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001). At 91 and still active, Professor Irwin Corey remains a pioneering figure in stand-up comedy, truly the dean of the craft, if not quite at the top of his class.
