Jerry Belson
Encyclopedia
Jerry Belson was a writer, director, and producer of Hollywood films for over forty years.
Belson's writing credits include the Steven Spielberg films Always and Close Encounters of the Third Kind
, several episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show
and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
and I Spy. During the early 1960s, concurrent with contributing scripts for TV sitcoms with then writing partner Garry Marshall
, Belson did stories for Gold Key Comics
. Belson also helped produce The Drew Carey Show
, The Norm Show
and The Tracey Ullman Show
.
In the TV Land
2006 documentary The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catchphrases Lowell Ganz
credits Belson with including in the script of the season 3 Odd Couple
episode "My Strife in Court" (originally aired Friday February 16, 1973) the catch-phrase "Never ASSUME, because when you ASSUME, you make an ASS of U and ME." Ganz noted Belson had heard it used years ago by a teacher in a typewriter repair class.
Belson died in Los Angeles, California
on October 10, 2006 after a long battle with prostate cancer
. His sister, screenwriter Monica Johnson
, died on November 1, 2010.
Belson's writing credits include the Steven Spielberg films Always and Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey...
, several episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
and I Spy. During the early 1960s, concurrent with contributing scripts for TV sitcoms with then writing partner Garry Marshall
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
, Belson did stories for Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
. Belson also helped produce The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
, The Norm Show
The Norm Show
The Norm Show is an American television sitcom that ran from 1999 through 2001 on the ABC television network.-Synopsis:...
and The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
.
In the TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
2006 documentary The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catchphrases Lowell Ganz
Lowell Ganz
Lowell Ganz is an American screenwriter, television writer, and television producer. He is the long-time writing partner of Babaloo Mandel.-Life and career:...
credits Belson with including in the script of the season 3 Odd Couple
The Odd Couple (TV series)
The Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
episode "My Strife in Court" (originally aired Friday February 16, 1973) the catch-phrase "Never ASSUME, because when you ASSUME, you make an ASS of U and ME." Ganz noted Belson had heard it used years ago by a teacher in a typewriter repair class.
Belson died in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on October 10, 2006 after a long battle with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. His sister, screenwriter Monica Johnson
Monica Johnson
Monica McGowan Johnson was an American novelist and screenwriter whose film credits included Mother, Lost in America, Modern Romance, Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again and The Muse. Her television credits included The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Laverne & Shirley...
, died on November 1, 2010.
Television credits
- The Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
(1961–1966) - Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theater (1964)
- Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. (1964–1969)
- I Spy (1965–1968)
- Hey Landlord! (1966–1967)
- Sheriff Who? (pilot) (1967)
- Love, American StyleLove, American StyleLove, American Style is an hour-long TV anthology produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974...
(1969–1974) - The Murdocks And The McClays (pilot) (1970)
- Barefoot In The ParkBarefoot in the ParkThis article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Barefoot in the Park .Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley ,...
(1970) - The Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple (TV series)The Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
(1970–1975) - Evil Roy SladeEvil Roy SladeEvil Roy Slade is a 1972 made-for-television comedy film about the "meanest villain in the West."-Plot:Orphaned and left in the desert as an infant, Evil Roy Slade grew up alone—save for his teddy bear—and mean...
(1972) - Cops (1973)
- Mixed NutsMixed NutsMixed Nuts is a motion picture comedy directed by Nora Ephron, based on the French comedy film, Le Père Noël est une ordure . Its cast includes Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Rita Wilson, Anthony LaPaglia, Garry Shandling, Juliette Lewis and Adam Sandler...
(pilot) (with Michael J. LeesonMichael J. LeesonMichael J. Leeson is an American screenwriter.-Filmography:*Love, American Style *All in the Family *The Partridge Family *The Odd Couple *Happy Days...
) (1977) - The Tracey Ullman ShowThe Tracey Ullman ShowThe Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
(1987–1990) - Tracey Takes On...Tracey Takes On...Tracey Takes On... is an HBO sketch comedy series created by British-American comedienne Tracey Ullman.In 1993, Ullman returned to television after her hit Fox comedy series, The Tracey Ullman Show, was canceled, with two comedy specials for HBO. Tracey Ullman Takes On New York, and Tracey Ullman:...
(1996–1999) - The Drew Carey ShowThe Drew Carey ShowThe Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
(Consulting Producer) (1995–2004) - The Norm ShowThe Norm ShowThe Norm Show is an American television sitcom that ran from 1999 through 2001 on the ABC television network.-Synopsis:...
(Consulting Producer) (1999–2001)
Film credits
- How Sweet It Is!How Sweet It Is!How Sweet It Is! is a 1968 comedy movie starring James Garner and Debbie Reynolds, with a supporting cast including Terry-Thomas and Paul Lynde. Garner plays a photographer who brings his wife, Jenny, and teenage son, David, along on a Paris shoot, with both husband and wife struggling to stay...
(1968) (with Garry MarshallGarry MarshallGarry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
) - The GrasshopperThe Grasshopper (film)The Grasshopper is a 1969 drama film directed by Jerry Paris. It stars Jacqueline Bisset and Jim Brown.-Plot:Christine Adams, a cheerful 19-year-old from British Columbia, Canada, travels to Los Angeles to be with her fiance, who works there in a bank. When the relationship doesn't work out, she...
(1970) - SmileSmile (1975 film)Smile is a 1975 film directed by American director Michael Ritchie, with a screenplay by Jerry Belson, about a beauty pageant in Santa Rosa, California. It stars Bruce Dern and Barbara Feldon and introduced a number of young actresses who later went on to greater success and recognition, such as...
(1975) - Fun With Dick And JaneFun with Dick and Jane (1977 film)Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 American film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda as an upper-middle-class couple who lose their jobs, fall through the cracks of society in the United States and then become high-class thieves to get back all they lost. The comedy was directed by Ted Kotcheff and...
(with David GilerDavid GilerDavid Giler is an American filmmaker who has been active in the motion picture industry since the early 1960s.He started his career as a writer, providing scripts for television programs such as Kraft Suspense Theatre and The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
and Mordecai RichlerMordecai RichlerMordecai Richler, CC was a Canadian Jewish author, screenwriter and essayist. A leading critic called him "the great shining star of his Canadian literary generation" and a pivotal figure in the country's history. His best known works are The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Barney's Version,...
) (1977) - The EndThe End (film)The End is a 1978 comedy film, directed by Burt Reynolds and starring Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Sally Field, Strother Martin, David Steinberg, Joanne Woodward, Norman Fell, Myrna Loy, Kristy McNichol, Pat O'Brien, Robby Benson, and Carl Reiner.- Plot :...
(1978) - Smokey and the Bandit IISmokey and the Bandit IISmokey and the Bandit II is a comedy film released on August 15, 1980 in the United States. It is the sequel to the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit. The film stars Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason, and Dom DeLuise...
(with Brock YatesBrock YatesBrock Yates is an American journalist and author. He was longtime executive editor of Car and Driver, an American automotive magazine. He was a pit reporter for CBS' coverage of certain NASCAR Sprint Cup series races in the 1980s, including the Daytona 500...
) (1980) - Student BodiesStudent BodiesStudent Bodies is a 1981 comedy film written and directed by Mickey Rose, with an uncredited Michael Ritchie co-directing. The film stars Kristen Ritter, Matthew Goldsby, and Cullen Chambers....
(1981) (Executive Producer) - Jekyll and Hyde... Together AgainJekyll and Hyde... Together AgainJekyll and Hyde...Together Again is a 1982 comedy based on the novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film is more like a cross between the original story and some aspects of The Nutty Professor...
(with Monica JohnsonMonica JohnsonMonica McGowan Johnson was an American novelist and screenwriter whose film credits included Mother, Lost in America, Modern Romance, Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again and The Muse. Her television credits included The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Laverne & Shirley...
, Harvey Miller and Michael J. LeesonMichael J. LeesonMichael J. Leeson is an American screenwriter.-Filmography:*Love, American Style *All in the Family *The Partridge Family *The Odd Couple *Happy Days...
) (1982) - Surrender (1987)
- Always (1989)
Theater credits
- The Roast (with Garry MarshallGarry MarshallGarry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
) (1980) - Smile (musical)Smile (musical)Smile is a musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch and book and lyrics by Howard Ashman. It was originally produced on Broadway in 1986. The musical is based loosely on a 1975 film of the same title, from a screenplay by Jerry Belson.-Production:...
(1986) (adapted from the screenplay)