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The Spectacle Blog
Actor/comedian Steve Landesberg died yesterday of cancer. He was 74.
Landesberg is best known for his portrayal of Arthur Dietrich, the Jewish intellectual detective on the ABC comedy series Barney Miller. He joined the cast in the show’s second season and remained until the series concluded in 1982.
Younger audiences might remember him from his role in the 2008 romantic comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
For many years, Landesberg had a stand up comedy act. In 1985, this act took him to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium and my parents went to see him perform. One of his first jokes was, “Any Jews from New York in the audience?” My Dad immediately whistled much to the shock of Landesberg. Then for the next ten minutes Dad and Landesberg kibbitzed back and forth much to the audience’s delight.
Now I was not there to witness this dialogue between two New York Jews in the middle of Northwestern Ontario. Believe me, I wish I had been there. However, I know it happened because for years after when our family would go out people would approach Dad and ask, “Hey, aren’t you the guy who did that act with Steve Landesberg?”
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More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/12/21/steve-landesberg-rip
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Grzmlyk| 12.21.10 @ 10:54AM
I gotta say, I thought he was hilarious.
Nobody did a better deadpan. As I recall, he performed a bit of stand-up on Carson a few times and never failed to amuse. It was intelligent, gentle humor and he had impeccable timing.
I was sorry to see that, after Barney Miller, he kind of disappeared (I didn't know about his recent role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall).
I will miss him.
Richard Baker| 12.21.10 @ 11:03AM
His imitation on Barney Miller of Gregory Peck was hilarious. "Go away, Beverly is busy."
Eric Cartman| 12.21.10 @ 11:13AM
The funniest Barney Miller was the one Landesberg was abstaining from sex. Of course, beautiful women were coming through the station for one reason or another. Finally, a beautiful Madam was sitting on his desk answering his questions and giving her take on sexuality and men. Then she sprays some perfume on her arm and says " Do you like? It's new from so and so" Landesberg, after days of celibacy, finally breaks down and growls "Will ya get your stinkin' arm outta my FACE!" The way he says it is priceless.
In my beginning days doing stand up, I had an opportunity to volunteer at a comedy club when he was there. Very funny man, and was very nice to us newbies with advice on why we should still keep our day jobs ;-)
Cheryl Familant| 12.21.10 @ 12:20PM
He also played Stan's shrink on "THE GOLDEN GIRLS".
Joe| 12.21.10 @ 12:35PM
Farewell, Steve. We hardly knew ye. His deep, droning voice and deadpan style of story telling and delivery of punchlines was honed to an art form long before Steven Wright became famous with a similar act. An under appreciated talent to be sure. He will be missed.