Funny Celebrity Stories: Shelley Berman and Author Ben Bryant in “Guys & Dolls”


One of these funny celebrity stories is in chapter 5 of Three Stages but the other got left out.

First the excerpt:

“That summer (‘61) I got another job with the LA Civic Light Opera in the chorus of Guys & Dolls. The show starred Dan Dailey, Janis Paige, Shelley Berman, Constance Towers, Joey Faye and Maxie Rosenbloom.

“Joey played “Benny Southstreet” and understudied “Nicely Nicely”. I was Joey’s understudy so we got to know each other pretty well in our weekly rehearsals. He became my comedy mentor and taught me many useful things such as how to sneeze on command and how to do a double-take.

“Maxie had been a professional boxer. In 1932, he won the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World and held the title for over two years. In his nightclub act when he forgot what he was talking about and was heckled his usual response was, “I had two hundred and ninety-eight fights. What’s your excuse?” He was a little punch drunk but still quick with a comeback. Maxie played the gangster, “Big Julie From Chicago”. One night in the scene where he has forced “Nathan” (Shelley Berman) to let him roll blank dice in the crap game he rolled and said, “A ten, I win” Shelley said, “A ten?” Maxie said, “Yeah. A six and a five.” Everybody, including the orchestra, broke up. Laughter rolled through both the stage and the audience and Shelly Berman stood there like a statue. When the hilarity subsided Maxie looked at “Nathan” and said, “Whazza mattah, Shelley? I say somethin’ wrong?” That ended Mr. Berman’s composure and another show-stopping wave of laughter swept the theatre.”

Here is the tale left untold in Three Stages:

Shelley Berman had one of the best toupees I ever saw. I didn’t recognize it as such until one day in rehearsal I was sitting on a riser and Shelly leaned against it right in front of me and looking down at the top of his head, I saw the weave.

Anyhow, in Act II, the Mission scene that follows Luck be a Lady, the staging was that as the cop, Lt. Brannigan, heads for the door all the gamblers throw their hats at him. One night Shelley Berman was slightly out of position and several of the hats hit him on the head knocking his hair piece askew. With utter aplomb Shelley carefully adjusted the wig and glared at all of us laughing gamblers until we settled down.

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