Take My Henny Youngman Quiz... Please!

Answer: The King of One-Liners

Henny Yongman was given the nickname "The King of One-Liners" by columnist Walter Winchell. Youngman was known for his rapid-fire telling of one-line jokes and zingers during his stage performances. A typical Henny Youngman stage performance only lasted fifteen to twenty minutes, but the audiences were blown away by the number of one-liners they heard.

An example of Youngman's one-line jokes is "A doctor gave a man six months to live. The man couldn't pay his bills, so he gave him another six months to live".

Another example of Youngman's one-line jokes is "My wife said to me, 'For our anniversary I want to go somewhere I've never been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen!'".

Answer: Milton Berle

A young Henny Youngman worked at print shop in New York City. In his spare time at work Youngman would make "comedy cards" containing jokes or one-line gags. These cards were discovered by comedian and future television legend Milton Berle. Berle encouraged and helped start the comedy career of Youngman.

Answer: Violin

Henny Youngman's father encouraged the young lad take violin lessons. Henny's father loved orchestra music, especially violin music. The father arranged for his son to take classes so he could become an orchestra performer.

Youngman was part of a band called the Swanee Syncopaters that performed in the "Borscht Belt" vaudeville circuit in the Catskill Mountains in New York. Youngman told jokes on stage between performances. One night, Youngman was asked to fill in for a standup comedian in New Jersey. After this successful performance, he became a regular stand-up comedian.

Answer: Kate Smith

After working clubs and speakeasies, Henny Youngman got his first big break in 1937. Youngman's manager booked him on Kate Smith's radio show, which was called "The Kate Smith Hour", and he became one of its regular comics. Henny Youngman's last movie appearance was in the 1995 film "Eyes Beyond Seeing". Youngman worked for approximately seven decades non-stop.

Answer: His wife

Henny Youngman had a 59 year marriage to his wife Sadie Cohen. Sadie became the subject of many of her husband's jokes. The period around Sadie Cohen's death was the only time during Youngman's seventy year career that he took time off.

Youngman's famous catchphrase was "take my wife, please". Youngman brought his wife to one of his radio performances. He asked a stagehand to escort his wife to her seat by saying the phrase "take my wife, please". This statement was thought to be a joke. So Youngman incorporated this line into his show.

Answer: True

In 1959, Henny Youngman recorded a live album titled "The Primitive Sounds of Henny Youngman" for the National Recording Corporation. The album was recorded at the Celebrity Club in St. Louis, Missouri. Youngman worked on this album with writer and producer Danny Shapiro.

Answer: Henny Youngman's grandson

Henny Youngman frequently traveled with his grandson, Larry Kelly. While Larry Kelly became a comedian and entrepreneur, he was was also a shrewd judge of comedic talent. He used this talent to promote the careers of young comedians such as Sam Kinison, Louie Anderson, and Roseanne Barr.

Answer: Silent Movie and History of the World, Part 1

The 1976 film "Silent Movie" was directed by Mel Brooks and had an ensemble cast. The entire film was silent with subtitles except for one word. Henny Youngman appears in a scene in this movie as a customer in a diner with a fly in his soup.

"History of the World, Part 1" was a 1981 film directed by Mel Brooks and had an ensemble cast. This film featured segments from different historical eras. During "The Roman Empire" segment Henny Youngman played a scientist who gave a one-line joke.

Answer: Goodfellas

The 1990 crime film "Goodfellas" starred Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino and Ray Liotta. The movie was about the life mob associate Henry Hill.

In one scene, Henry Hill took his girlfriend, Karen Friedman, on a date to the Copacabana nightclub in New York City. The couple saw a performance of Henny Youngman.

Answer: Take My Life, Please!

The autobiography of Henny Youngman, titled "Take My Life, Please!", was published on October 1, 1991. The book was co-written by Neal Karlen and published by William Morrow & Company. In this book, Youngman discussed various topics including his comedic career, wife and various other stories.