Remembering Mal Z. Lawrence - King of Catskills Comedy

Last week the world of Jewish humor lost one of its greatest stars with the death of Mal Z. Lawrence, one of our favorite comedians, who brought Borscht Belt comedy and waves of laughter to Jewish audiences in the Catskills, South Florida, Las Vegas, and Midtown Manhattan.

As Neil Genzlinger wrote in The New York Times,

Mr. Lawrence came to prominence in the Catskills in the 1950s but was soon known all over the country, playing Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Florida and other stops on the comedy circuit, where his brand of relatively mild Jewish-tinged humor was greeted enthusiastically. To a Florida audience he might joke about the Catskills; to a Northern audience, he’d poke fun at Florida.

Manny Miller was born on Sept. 2, 1932, in the Bronx and grew up there. “Mal Z. Lawrence,” as he variously told the story over the years, was the suggestion of an early agent, or perhaps several different agents. “Lawrence” was borrowed from a Long Island village where he was appearing. As for the Z, which stood for nothing, “My agent told me I’d get more marquee space,” he said.

As a tribute to Mal, we're sharing a video clip of one of his classic performances. Enjoy! 

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