Noshing With George Schlatter – December 7, 2023

Ira's Everything Bagel

Author, Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy (From the Creator of Laugh-in)

This week on Ira’s Everything Bagel Podcast, host Ira Sternberg engaged in a captivating conversation with George Schlatter, the legendary creator of “Laugh-In” and author of “Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy (From the Creator of Laugh-In).” George Schlatter is a pivotal figure in television comedy, best known for his groundbreaking work on “Laugh-In.” In this humorous and insightful episode, George discusses the serendipitous events that shaped his career, his philosophy on celebrating accidents, and his incredible journey through the entertainment industry.

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Early Career: From Talent Booker to Comedy Legend

George Schlatter’s career began with a series of fortuitous accidents. He started his professional journey booking talent at the iconic Ciro’s nightclub in Hollywood and the Last Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. These early experiences allowed him to hone his skills in identifying and nurturing comedic talent. George’s keen eye for talent and his ability to navigate the entertainment landscape would eventually lead him to create one of the most influential television shows of all time.

The Creation of “Laugh-In” and Its Impact on Television

“Laugh-In” was a revolutionary television show that changed the face of comedy. George Schlatter shares the story of how he sold “Laugh-In” to the network and introduced a host of talented comedians to the nation. The show became an instant hit, known for its fast-paced, irreverent humor and its ability to capture the zeitgeist of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Through “Laugh-In,” George Schlatter not only entertained millions but also set a new standard for television comedy.

Personal Anecdotes: Convincing His Wife and Celebrating Accidents

One of the most charming aspects of George Schlatter’s story is how he convinced his wife, Jolene, to marry him. This personal anecdote adds a delightful layer to his professional narrative, highlighting the blend of humor and heartfelt moments that define his life. George emphasizes the importance of listening to feedback on culture to create relevant and resonant comedy. He also discusses why we should celebrate accidents, as they often lead to unexpected and wonderful outcomes.

Producing “Real People” and Other Television Milestones

Beyond “Laugh-In,” George Schlatter’s influence extended to other significant television projects. He created and produced the TV series “Real People,” which brought ordinary individuals with extraordinary stories into the spotlight. George also produced the first five years of the Grammy Awards, numerous variety series and specials featuring the biggest names in comedy and music, and two Presidential inaugural opening ceremonies. His versatility and ability to produce content that resonates with a wide audience are testaments to his enduring talent.

The American Comedy Awards: Honoring the Best in Comedy

George Schlatter’s dedication to comedy was further exemplified by his creation and production of “The American Comedy Awards.” This annual event honored and celebrated comedic artists and performances, running on network television for 15 years. The awards became a prestigious platform for recognizing the best in comedy, further cementing George Schlatter’s legacy as a champion of the comedic arts.

Reflections on a Storied Career and the Future of Comedy

Throughout the podcast, George Schlatter reflects on his storied career and the future of comedy. He shares insights into how comedy has evolved over the decades and the importance of adapting to cultural shifts. George’s ability to stay relevant in an ever-changing industry is a testament to his keen understanding of humor and its role in society.

George Schlatter’s Influence and Contributions

George Schlatter’s contributions to television and comedy are numerous and significant. His work has earned him a place among the most influential figures in entertainment. His series “Laugh-In” not only introduced groundbreaking comedic formats but also showcased a diverse array of talent, some of whom went on to become legends in their own right. The show’s success was a combination of innovative content and George’s unique vision.

The Personal Side of George Schlatter: Family and Humor

A significant aspect of George Schlatter’s life is his family. His marriage to Jolene is a testament to his personal charm and wit. George shares humorous stories about their life together, offering listeners a glimpse into the man behind the magic. His ability to find humor in everyday situations and his dedication to his family are recurring themes in his interviews and writings.

George Schlatter’s Ongoing Projects and Legacy

Even today, George Schlatter remains active in the entertainment industry, continually working on new projects that reflect his enduring passion for comedy. His book, “Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy (From the Creator of Laugh-In),” offers an in-depth look at his career and the principles that have guided him. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of television comedy and George’s unique perspective on life and laughter.

Conclusion: The Enduring Influence of George Schlatter

George Schlatter continues to inspire new generations of comedians and entertainers. His legacy as the creator of “Laugh-In” and his work on numerous other television projects have left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. His book, “Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy (From the Creator of Laugh-In),” is a testament to his incredible journey and the wisdom he has gained along the way.

To learn more about George Schlatter and his incredible contributions to comedy, explore his book and other works at George Schlatter’s Official Website.

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Talking with George Schlatter Full Transcript
Ira Sternberg: Welcome to Ira’s Everything Bagel, where I talk with intriguing people about everything – their passions, pursuits, and points of view. My guest is passionate about comedy and has pursued it in a career that spans 70 years. He has 25 Emmy nominations, three Emmy Awards, plus Television Critics Association Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Golden Globes, the Director’s Guild Award, The Producers Guild Man of the Year, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Wow, yeah, George Schlatter, the creator of Laugh-In, author of Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all the usual places, and now available as an Audible audiobook. For everything about George, go to georgeschlatter.com. And George, welcome to the show.
George Schlatter: Thank you. Glad to be here.
Ira Sternberg: That’s quite an introduction.
George Schlatter: I had to do it. You’re quite the accomplished person.
Ira Sternberg: Yes, you did stay out of jail. I’m sure you’ve gotten this question, but I have to ask it: when did you first realize you were funny?
George Schlatter: In the sixth grade. We did a production of Jack and the Beanstalk and I played the Giant. I had to be at the top of a ladder and bring a chicken down, and the chicken relieved itself all over my green tunic. It was a terrible thing, but the audience laughed, and I heard that laugh, and it was seductive. So, I’ve been working my way through chicken droppings ever since.
Ira Sternberg: Is it seductive or addictive or both?
George Schlatter: Seductive. It’s a seductive way to make a living, you know, the best feeling in the world.
Ira Sternberg: How do you remember everything? I mean, I can’t remember yesterday, yet you were able to write this memoir and do an audio version as well. How do you remember it all?
George Schlatter: What happened was I would sit in the office and just tell stories and recollections of things I’d done. Marab Bose, who worked for me for a long time, would type all of those notes and put them together into sections and send them to John Max, who would distill what we collected and omit everything that was not going to be in the book. There were a number of things that just weren’t going to get into the book, which, at the suggestion of Mrs. Schlatter, probably stayed out.
Ira Sternberg: Part of your career, part of your life has been colorful. I mean, you worked in Vegas for a long time.
George Schlatter: Yeah, I want to talk about that because we’re based in Vegas.
Ira Sternberg: You booked Ronald Reagan before he was president.
George Schlatter: That’s right, before he was a politician or a governor or any of that stuff.
Ira Sternberg: Tell us a little bit about your background in Las Vegas. How did you get involved with booking people in Las Vegas?
George Schlatter: I was working at Ciro’s, which was a nightclub on the Sunset Strip, and I started booking comedians into Ciro’s. Then that expanded up to the Frontier Hotel in Vegas. I just knew all the people, knew all the acts, and had relationships with a lot of them from the time I’d spent at Ciro’s. So, I just started booking them, and it was very exciting because they were outrageous. The events that happened in Vegas were outrageous, and it’s a large part of my warm and wonderful memory book. Not all of it is included in the book, fortunately or unfortunately.
Ira Sternberg: Well, I think part of it is too that Las Vegas, it was a certain period of time where Las Vegas was not run by corporations, so you had a little bit more fun, I think, in those days booking and dealing with people.
George Schlatter: Yeah, it was memorable though. It was run by some very colorful people.
Ira Sternberg: Those colorful people are now immortalized in the Mob Museum here in Las Vegas.
George Schlatter: The Mob Museum is an unflattering term. It was a collection of characters.
Ira Sternberg: Exactly, colorful characters.
George Schlatter: That’s good, colorful characters. But that does work, colorful characters Museum versus Mob Museum. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for calling it The Mob Museum. It wasn’t really a mob as such, there were individuals. Each hotel had a select number and collection of individuals, all of whom were colorful, and I knew all of them. It was a large part of my career, and when I wanted to marry Jolene, she said to me she wouldn’t marry me because I’d be dead before I was 30 with the people I was with and known. So, I said I’d lose them. She said you’d never lose those people. It took me a year and a half to sever a lot of those colorful connections because they were indeed colorful, and I survived all of that.
Ira Sternberg: You did, and you still have a little color in you, which is good. You haven’t gone pale from dealing with the colorful people.
George Schlatter: I’m alive from having dealt with them. Not everybody survived those people.
Ira Sternberg: True, you could have ended up, you know, at the bottom of Lake Mead, but that’s another story for another time. So, the Frontier Hotel, where you booked a lot of the acts, were you surprised when you made the transition to producer and creator? Because I think if you mention your name to most people, George Schlatter, they think of Laugh-In more than your entire career, even though you’ve done so much. I want to also talk a little bit about the Comedy Center that you’re involved in as well. But for now, when you decided to create Laugh-In, this was at a certain time when it was very different. Your decision to do it was a little crazy in those days because the networks looked at you and they said, well, and as I remember the story, you were very busy with the pre-Grammy Awards shows and they wanted you to keep doing it. You said, well, I’ll do it one more year if you’ll let me do this thing that is different.
George Schlatter: See, so much of my career is the result of accidents, you know. I’ve been doing the Grammy Awards before it was a Grammy. It was called the Best on Record, and we couldn’t really get anybody to do it because nobody knew what it was. So, we had to go to different locations to tape each winner, and that worked, and that became the Grammy Awards. They wanted me to do it for one more year, and I said I’ll do it if you let me do one show my way with no interference. That’s a difficult thing to sell to a network today; it’s impossible, but then it was just difficult. So, they could do that, and the result of that was me collecting all of these funny people that I had spent so much time with and putting them all into one show, and that became Laugh-In.
Ira Sternberg: How did you decide on Rowan and Martin?
George Schlatter: Accident. See, everything about me is an accident. I wanted to do this show of all these young character people, and we sold it to Tom Ellers of Timex. He said he would buy it, but he needed a host. The show originally did not have a host. Rowan and Martin were a great nightclub act, and they were straight; they were a little older. So, I got them, and they did these introductions, and it worked. But it was never originally designed with a host. It was just going to happen like an explosion. But putting Rowan and Martin in it, I think, helped give us some semblance of dignity and conformity.
Ira Sternberg: Especially being in tuxedos, right?
George Schlatter: Yes, George would come do the opening, the closing, and do some of the news of the past, present, and future in tuxedos. And it really worked. I don’t know if the show would have worked without them because they were so straight and older, and the rest of that craziness just happened around them. It was an accident.
Ira Sternberg: My sense of it too is that you got that old Vegas vibe from Rowan and Martin because of the tuxes and just the way they came across.
George Schlatter: Well, Vegas at that point was also colorful, you know. And fortunately, because of all the time I’d spent at Ciro’s and then in Vegas, I knew all of those acts and had relationships with all of them. So, when we started to do Laugh-In, we didn’t have any money. I sold it because it was cheap. We had this collection of all these young character people, and we didn’t have any money to book guest stars. Matter of fact, the first year of Laugh-In, we just stopped people in the hall coming back from the Johnny Carson show and said, would you like to do it? And John Wayne said, I’m not gonna do that show with those crazy people. We put that here. Accident. If we can treasure and celebrate our accidents, we have a richer life, and I’ve had a bunch of them.
Ira Sternberg: That’s true. Most people who have accidents end up suing, but you actually prospered with a career.
George Schlatter: Oh, yeah. Well, there’s humor in everything. See, there’s humor in everything we do. More so in some activities, but we should celebrate the accidents. Accident is not an accident; it’s an opportunity. And certainly, I’ve seized enough accidents that I’ve seized on those opportunities.
Ira Sternberg: I like your philosophy. I had on my office wall for a long time the quote, “You’re only young once, but with humor, you can be immature forever.”
George Schlatter: That’s absolutely right. If you’re walking down the street, that’s not funny. But when he’s walking down the street and you see a kid with a pile of snowballs, it’s starting to be funny. When you see a top hat on him, it’s going to be funny. And then you know the buildup to it makes it funny. Just throwing the snowball at the hat isn’t funny until you build up this dignified guy and all of that. It’s all set up. We must laugh. When a baby’s born, you don’t have to teach it how to eat, sleep, do, or laugh. It just naturally laughs, and it’s part of our culture. It’s part of our physical well-being. If we can sustain that, we can survive our elections.
Ira Sternberg: Let’s not go there because I have opinions on that that will get you canceled. Do you think that your sense of humor has changed? Not changed, but is your perspective with humor different at your current age versus 30 years ago, 40 years ago, or 50 years ago? You could even possibly go 60 years ago.
George Schlatter: Humor is the lubricant. When you’re laughing, it just feels better. As a matter of fact, the ultimate agony, the ultimate pain causes you to laugh. When it hurts worse than anything could hurt, you laugh. I don’t believe it hurts as bad. Laughter is our panacea, and we must laugh. With jokes, some of them we elect.
Ira Sternberg: Okay, let’s not go there because I’ll get you canceled. How did you convince Jolene to marry you? Was it with humor, or was it with looks or a combination of both?
George Schlatter: She said she would not marry me because the people I was hanging out with, I’d be dead before I was 30. I had to hang out with them anymore. She said, you’ll never lose those people. It took me about a year to sever all of those connections. I did know some colorful people from working at Ciro’s and the Frontier in Vegas because Vegas was different than it is now. I severed all of those connections, and they would occasionally still come up to me and say, Guido said to tell you hello. It was a very colorful time in my life that I cherish. Jolene is the best thing that ever happened to me because without Jolene, I’d have been taking a dirt nap years ago.
Ira Sternberg: What did she see in you? Was it your sense of humor? Was it your stunning good looks? What drew her to you?
George Schlatter: Multiple choice. It could have been either one of those. Jolene was the queen of the Los Angeles County Fair, and she won all kinds of beauty contests. One of the prizes was an engagement at the Sands Hotel. When she arrived, they found out she was 17 years old, so she had to have a chaperone and go back and forth to the Sands Hotel. Her chaperone was Felicia Farr, who was married to Jack Lemmon. Jolene had to come to and go back and forth with Felicia as her guidance and a man by the name of Carl Cohen, who kind of hovered over Jolene and kept her out of trouble. Jolene was 17 years old, but she was gorgeous. From there, she went on and did Gunsmoke, then met Ernie Kovacs, who fell in love with her and featured her as his leading lady. She never knew what she was going to do. He never told her. She’d just show up at the studio, and Ernie would have her do something. Ernie Kovacs loomed large in our relationship.
Ira Sternberg: What sealed the deal in terms of her deciding to marry you, though? Why you, as opposed to Jack Lemmon or somebody else, of course, he was married at the time?
George Schlatter: Well, first of all, I told all the guys because Jolene was there and everybody was hitting on Jolene. I told everybody, I said, you can talk to her, just don’t hit on her because she’s going with a really ugly guy, and you could get hurt. I don’t understand it. All these guys talk to me, but nobody ever asked me out. I said, I’ll ask you out. They get hurt, right? So, I asked her out, and then I asked her in, and the best because we’re married, you know, we’re married a long time. Married 65 years.
Ira Sternberg: That’s incredible. Congratulations.
George Schlatter: She made my life. She gave me two wonderful, delightful, talented children and made me respectable. I was colorful but not respectable.
Ira Sternberg: Now you’re both.
George Schlatter: Marrying Jolene got me an invitation to a lot of places I normally would never have been invited to.
Ira Sternberg: Now you’re both respectable.
George Schlatter: And I got $12 in the bank and two grandchildren.
Ira Sternberg: Excellent. Do you stay in touch with any of the people from Laugh-In?
George Schlatter: Oh, yeah. Goldie Hawn, Joanne Worley, Ruth Buzzi. It was a collection of young character people, and there was no place for them in television. You had guest stars and stars, but you didn’t have any place for Goldie. Goldie was one of the brightest women ever, but we found out that we could make her laugh, and then everything would disappear. So, when Goldie would come on, Ruth Buzzi would make naughty sounds, anything to break Goldie. She never had a chance to do anything straight. She’s very, very bright, brilliant woman, but easy to break up, you know. So, we would do anything to make her laugh. Joanne was an event. She was like an air raid siren. Lily Tomlin was different. Lily would show up and be any one of ten different characters, each one definable. We were fortunate to find these people who were not sought after in television at that point. There was no place for Edith Ann and all those characters, right? We featured them, and it happened at a time when there was nothing else really going on that was exciting, and these characters just started to appear, and it caught on. Not for the first week or two weeks. NBC only bought it because they had nothing to put on opposite Gunsmoke and Lucy. So, they bought it just to have something to put on the air until they got a show ready. By the third week, people were coming by saying, what is going on in there?
Ira Sternberg: Right.
George Schlatter: Part of it was because they presented these crazy people as if they weren’t crazy. Accident. You’ve got to look at accidents as an opportunity rather than an accident. If you can cherish the accidents that surround you, you can find some fun.
Ira Sternberg: Were you surprised, George, at the success of Laugh-In? There’s so much more to your career we can’t cover it all, but I was just wondering if you were surprised at the success of Laugh-In.
George Schlatter: Well, probably, yes. I think I was surprised because nobody, they had nothing to put on opposite Lucy and Gunsmoke, so they put it on by accident. The show cost nothing, and it had no promotion. So, they just put it on until they could get a real show ready. By the third week, people said, what’s going on in there? Stopping people in the hall that refused to do the show and then airing their refusal. Accident. A large part of my life is accident. It’s not an accident; it’s an opportunity. I’ve had a lot of those opportunities.
Ira Sternberg: When did you get involved with the National Comedy Center? I mentioned it earlier without giving the name, but I want to talk a little bit about it.
George Schlatter: Journey Gunderson called me and said, I’m doing this museum in Jamestown. I said, yeah. She said, do you have a couple of things from Laugh-In we could use? I said, yes, and I sent some things. She said, this is wonderful. Do you have anything else? I’ve got a warehouse full of things. I started sending her these different collections of comedy that I’d done. She said, this is wonderful. So, I became involved with her and with the museum, and then made a sizable donation to the museum, thinking that there needed to be a place celebrating the comedians because the comedians are the panacea. The comedians are what will help us survive, including now. When you realize that we’re in trouble, but there’s things about it that are funny. So, savoring those moments because the best feeling, well, second best feeling in the world is laughter.
Ira Sternberg: What was the first one?
George Schlatter: Let’s not go there.
Ira Sternberg: Sometimes it’s easier to laugh than the other. You can laugh at any age, right?
George Schlatter: You’ve got to introduce or celebrate the accident. Look at accident as an opportunity rather than a setback. I’ve had a lot of those opportunities.
Ira Sternberg: I mentioned the National Comedy Center, and now there’s a theater named in honor of you and Jolene there.
George Schlatter: Yes, it has to do with the enormity of the comedy collection that I gave them, of all the comedy shows that I’d done. It also had a lot to do with the large donation I made. Why in the world I did that? Because, you know, I just felt there should be a place celebrating the people who’ve made us laugh. Now that collection is vast. They have all of the comics that sent them excerpts of their best material. So, when you go through the museum in Jamestown, you find everything from Don Rickles to Snoop Dogg. All of these comedians are proud to be in that museum. I thought it’s important that we have one place celebrating laughter. That’s it.
Ira Sternberg: I know that was Lucille Ball’s hometown, but I’m wondering whether it would have made more sense to have the National Comedy Center either in Hollywood or New York or some major metropolitan area.
George Schlatter: Well, making sense is not what got me out of the valley.
Ira Sternberg: That’s true.
George Schlatter: It was nonsense rather than sense. They were going to build this theater. It’s a huge theater, and it’s named the George and Jolene National Comedy Center, which I’m very proud of. It’ll be there after I’m not, you know. I feel even more so now, where we are politically in the world, that it is important that we retain laughter. We just lost Norman Lear, which is a major loss, but what he left us is great laughter with Archie Bunker, Maude, and Sanford and Son. Celebrate his career as one of the main people who helped make us laugh. We must laugh. When something hurts so much that anything can hurt, you laugh. Laughter is the panacea.
Ira Sternberg: You’ve mentioned in previous interviews and in other venues that you were arrogant when you were running Laugh-In. Theoretically, you’re arrogant today, but you were really arrogant then with the share that you had in terms of ratings and everything going on at the time. Were you able to listen to anybody for advice in those days? In other words, was there a network official you respected or a peer that you listened to for advice either on how to run Laugh-In or to do something different?
George Schlatter: Listening was never one of my talents or abilities that I perfected. But you must listen if you’re going to feed back on the culture. When you think about it, where Laugh-In happened, Laugh-In begot the Smothers Brothers and all kinds of other shows. The success of Laugh-In had everybody in awe because there was no way. It was unknown people, impossible time period, and when that succeeded, it promoted other adventures. Comedy is a worthwhile activity. You must laugh.
Ira Sternberg: You were listening to the culture, no doubt, but were there any individuals in your orbit that you listened to for advice during those years of Laugh-In?
George Schlatter: Well, the comics. We were not subjected to a lot of parental supervision because what happened was they put it on because they had nothing else to put on opposite Gunsmoke and Lucy. So, we put it on, and they weren’t going to air it. So, we said, okay, we’ll change it. Then we wouldn’t change it. We went on the air, and they said, George, what did you do last night? You know what you said. We would say things that were outrageous. Since there was nothing going on opposite Gunsmoke and Lucy, the audience kind of discovered it. By the third week, we were getting a big rating. I’m arrogant now, but you should have seen me back then.
Ira Sternberg: That’s my point. Was there an individual that you listened to or went to for advice?
George Schlatter: A man by the name of Herb Schlosser. He was the one that said, we’ve got nothing to put on opposite Gunsmoke and Lucy. So, we tried this out. He put it on the air reluctantly because they had censors. We had at one point five censors doing nothing but watching us. While we were saying to one censor we couldn’t say this, we were saying something else that we couldn’t say. We broke all kinds of barriers, and once those barriers were lifted, you got All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, all those shows that were edgy. But you didn’t have anything edgy at that point. I’m proud of that, but I’m aware of the fact that it wasn’t me. It was the accident and celebrating accidents. Being married to Jolene meant that I was socially acceptable.
Ira Sternberg: Marrying Jolene was not an accident.
George Schlatter: Pretty much an accident. She said, I don’t understand all these guys talk to me, but nobody asks me out. I said, I’ll ask you out. So, then I asked her out, and she didn’t really understand that.
Ira Sternberg: She’s been stuck with you all these years, so I guess it worked out.
George Schlatter: But the guys I told if they hit on Jolene, they could get hurt. So, they all talked to her but didn’t ask her out. I was the ugly guy that did it.
Ira Sternberg: If there’s one thing that you want people to take away from the book itself, and now available as an Audible audiobook as well, what would you say that is?
George Schlatter: The necessity to laugh. Laugh, you can survive anything. You can tell that the emperor was not very well endowed. It’s not just a luxury; it is a necessity. We must laugh. That’s the reason why losing Norman Lear today is a very sad event. However, there is always a bright side. What he leaves us with is Sanford and Son, Maude, All in the Family, and all of those shows that were edgy. Archie Bunker was an offensive human being but funny. We’ve got to look around us and look at our friends and our life and realize that there’s always the element of humor in there. Celebrate that and have a good time. It’s the second best feeling you can have, and if I talk about the first best feeling, you’ll be off the air.
Ira Sternberg: Before I let you go, what are you working on these days? You finished a memoir, and again, it’s called Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy, and it’s available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, all the usual places, and Audible audiobook now too. What was it like recording your Audible audiobook? Did you do it in stages over a period of a couple of months?
George Schlatter: That was fun. I couldn’t do it myself because my eyesight now is not what it once was. I could still see Jolene, but that’s pretty much it. It was an adventure. You can’t look at failure as an end. Failure is something you stop by on the way to success. Failure gives you opportunities. I think when you read the book, you’ll see in there all the anecdotes and episodes in my long and shady career.
Ira Sternberg: Shady, I like that.
George Schlatter: Disappointment and disaster into comedy. The only thing I can suggest to anybody interested is to look for funny. You can find funny everywhere. The guy walking down the street, funny. And it’s funny, not just in Washington. Now it’s difficult to laugh about what’s going on in Washington, but it’s not impossible.
Ira Sternberg: I think that’s a great way to leave it. My guest has been George Schlatter, the creator of Laugh-In and the author of Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all the usual places, and now available as an Audible audiobook as well. For everything about George, go to georgeschlatter.com. George, thanks for being on the show.
George Schlatter: Thank you for having me, and I hope I don’t get you canceled.
Ira Sternberg: No, you won’t. Join us every Thursday for a new schmear on Ira’s Everything Bagel.
[Music]

FAQs About George Schlatter

Who is George Schlatter?

George Schlatter is an American television producer and director best known for creating and producing the groundbreaking comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” which aired from 1968 to 1973. He is also the creator of the American Comedy Awards and has been involved in numerous television specials and series throughout his career, working with many iconic figures in entertainment. Schlatter has been recognized with multiple awards, including Emmys and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

What is George Schlatter’s Book?

George Schlatter’s book is titled “Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy.” Released in July 2023, the memoir shares his experiences and adventures in the television industry, particularly his work on “Laugh-In” and his interactions with many legendary comedians and entertainers​.

What is George Schlatter’s Net Worth?

While specific figures for George Schlatter’s net worth are not readily available, his extensive career in television production, spanning over six decades with numerous successful shows and specials, suggests significant financial success. He has received many awards and accolades, which also contribute to his esteemed status in the industry.

What is George Schlatter Productions?

George Schlatter Productions is the production company founded by George Schlatter. The company is known for producing a variety of television programs and specials, including “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and the American Comedy Awards. It has been a significant player in the television industry, particularly in comedy and variety shows.

How Old is George Schlatter?

George Schlatter was born on December 31, 1929. As of 2024, he is 94 years old. Despite his age, he remains active in the entertainment industry and continues to influence the world of comedy and television production.

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