Biography
Morey Amsterdam earned the nickname "The Human Joke Machine," and that label captured his abilities with precision rather than exaggeration. Any topic thrown his way triggered an instantaneous response from the mental storehouse that supplied an exactly fitting quip. Setting aside questions of depth, the material lacked intellectual layering or the kind of wit one lingers over for its phrasing or conceptual spark; instead it followed the high-velocity, gag-stacked pattern of Catskills and Borscht Belt stages, emphasizing breakneck pacing over nuance. Comparable to Milton Berle, who had long worked a parallel vein, Amsterdam could exhaust a crowd through unrelenting presentational force. Well before his performance as Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show lodged him in the public mind, Morey had already established himself as a nightclub act, comedian, and uncredited comedy scribe. He also turned out songs from time to time and showed skill at crafting first-rate novelty numbers. The fact that he penned "Rum and Coca-Cola," the Andrews Sisters' major World War II success, stands as perhaps the most obscure piece of trivia attached to his name. From the same busy hand came his signature piece "Yuk A Puk" and the tune "Why oh Why Did I Ever Leave Wyoming?"
Born in Chicago on December 14, 1914, he moved with his family to the West Coast soon afterward and settled in San Francisco. There, at age ten, he entered show business as a boy soprano on a local radio outlet. Training on the cello proved useful when he joined his older brother's vaudeville routine shortly thereafter. After his brother left the profession, Morey continued alone. While sharpening his rapid-fire joke delivery and cello-based novelty act, he stayed in steady demand as a comedy writer. Frequently called in to strengthen flagging radio or television material, he supplied work at various points for Will Rogers, Milton Berle, Fanny Brice, Jack Benny, and Henny Youngman. He also made frequent guest appearances on radio and television programs during the late 1940s and early 1950s before The Dick Van Dyke Show, including Can You Top This?, Stop Me If You've Heard This One, Sooner or Later, and the Morey Amsterdam Silver Swan Show. Capable in both comic and dramatic roles, his screen credits encompassed Machine Gun Kelly, The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit, Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title, Murder, Inc., Muscle Beach Party, and Wholly Moses with Richard Pryor. Later he took on directing and producing duties as well. Yet the part of Buddy Sorrell on the Van Dyke series finally secured his widespread recognition. Portraying the wisecracking television writer Buddy—in what many consider the ideal ensemble sitcom cast—he struck some observers as life mirroring art. "I am Buddy," Amsterdam told interviewers. "Buddy is not only a comic, but an experienced writer, a fellow who knows timing and funny situations." Others highlighted the flawless comic timing that grounded nearly every scene. One installment, "Divorce," offered a rare view of Morey's dramatic range by casting the Buddy character beyond pure comedy. When the series ended in 1966, the comedian sent the producers a note of appreciation stating, "I learned a great deal. When you surround yourself with happy people, it's much easier to do the show. We had fun." He would always remember those years as the most enjoyable stretch of his career in entertainment. After the five-year run concluded, Morey authored two volumes, Keep Laughing and Morey Amsterdam's Book for Drinkers or Betty Cooker's Crock Book. Remaining active into his eighties, his last on-camera appearance came in 1996 when he joined longtime friend and Van Dyke Show colleague Rose Marie on the NBC sitcom Caroline in the City. Following his death from a heart attack in November 1996, his former employer Dick Van Dyke observed, "When Morey died, he took about 100,000 jokes with him." The human joke machine, indeed.
Born in Chicago on December 14, 1914, he moved with his family to the West Coast soon afterward and settled in San Francisco. There, at age ten, he entered show business as a boy soprano on a local radio outlet. Training on the cello proved useful when he joined his older brother's vaudeville routine shortly thereafter. After his brother left the profession, Morey continued alone. While sharpening his rapid-fire joke delivery and cello-based novelty act, he stayed in steady demand as a comedy writer. Frequently called in to strengthen flagging radio or television material, he supplied work at various points for Will Rogers, Milton Berle, Fanny Brice, Jack Benny, and Henny Youngman. He also made frequent guest appearances on radio and television programs during the late 1940s and early 1950s before The Dick Van Dyke Show, including Can You Top This?, Stop Me If You've Heard This One, Sooner or Later, and the Morey Amsterdam Silver Swan Show. Capable in both comic and dramatic roles, his screen credits encompassed Machine Gun Kelly, The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit, Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title, Murder, Inc., Muscle Beach Party, and Wholly Moses with Richard Pryor. Later he took on directing and producing duties as well. Yet the part of Buddy Sorrell on the Van Dyke series finally secured his widespread recognition. Portraying the wisecracking television writer Buddy—in what many consider the ideal ensemble sitcom cast—he struck some observers as life mirroring art. "I am Buddy," Amsterdam told interviewers. "Buddy is not only a comic, but an experienced writer, a fellow who knows timing and funny situations." Others highlighted the flawless comic timing that grounded nearly every scene. One installment, "Divorce," offered a rare view of Morey's dramatic range by casting the Buddy character beyond pure comedy. When the series ended in 1966, the comedian sent the producers a note of appreciation stating, "I learned a great deal. When you surround yourself with happy people, it's much easier to do the show. We had fun." He would always remember those years as the most enjoyable stretch of his career in entertainment. After the five-year run concluded, Morey authored two volumes, Keep Laughing and Morey Amsterdam's Book for Drinkers or Betty Cooker's Crock Book. Remaining active into his eighties, his last on-camera appearance came in 1996 when he joined longtime friend and Van Dyke Show colleague Rose Marie on the NBC sitcom Caroline in the City. Following his death from a heart attack in November 1996, his former employer Dick Van Dyke observed, "When Morey died, he took about 100,000 jokes with him." The human joke machine, indeed.
Albums