A native of Lakewood, Ohio, he combined high-school athletics, World War II Army service and a brief stint at Harvard-where he played basketball and hurdling before leaving law school-to launch a career in comedy writing. He supplied jokes for Red Skelton, Phyllis Diller and Johnny Carson, contributed to series such as Get Smart, The Jack Paar Show, The Danny Kaye Show and Candid Camera, and serve…
