RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
#1
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RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
Bob Einstein, a two-time Emmy winner who has recurred on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm since its launch and created the wacky Super Dave Osborne character, died today in Indian Wells, CA. He was 76 and recently had been diagnosed with cancer.
Best known to today’s viewers for playing the serious, often surly but always hilarious Marty Funkhouser on Curb, Einstein was a foil for its creator-star Larry David. He appeared in nearly two dozen episodes of the series dating from 2004 to the most recent season.
Einstein’s younger brother, actor-director Albert Brooks, tweeted today, “R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever.”
Einstein first made his name as a writer. His career dates to the 1960s, when he won his first Emmy as part of the writing team for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, whose staff also included Steve Martin. Einstein, who also appeared on the show, went on to earn Emmy noms as a writer for The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour in 1972 and 1974 and two more for writing on Dick Van Dyke’s mid-’70s series Van Dyke and Company. Einstein won his other Emmy as a producer for the series, sharing the 1977 award for Outstanding Comedy Series.
He was born Stewart Robert Einstein on November 20, 1942, in Los Angeles. Mother Thelma Leeds was an actress, and father Harry Einstein (aka Parkyakarkus) was a comic, writer and actor. When Milton Berle and other comics told jokes at his father’s 1958 funeral, the teenage Einstein decided he would never go into comedy.
Instead, he went to college and played basketball at Chapman University and then pursued a career in advertising. But when he did a TV performance on a local cable show for a friend, pretending to be the man who installed the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it caught the eye of Tom Smothers. After Smothers invited the 26-year old to the set, Einstein recalled how it transformed his life. “I go over and now I’m sitting and watching rehearsals and my mind is burning and all of sudden out of nowhere I want this, a bee has stung me in the back, and I want this.”
Einstein’s most memorable character on the Smothers Brothers show, Officer Judy, famously gave Liberace a speeding ticket for playing the piano too fast in a 1969 episode. “Tom Smothers made our life by giving us that,” Einstein said in 2017.
He executive produced, wrote and appeared as the bumbling Super Dave Osborne on numerous shows including the sketch comedy show Bizarre from 1979-85, on the self-titled Super Dave from 1987-91 on Showtime and most recently in 2009 on Super Dave’s SpikeTacular, all of which he produced with his longtime professional partner, Allan Blye. From falling off Toronto’s CN Tower to being crushed by a wrecking ball to being swept off the top of a bus while singing “King of the Road,” Super Dave failed on every pre-Jackass stunt.
Perhaps his greatest stunt, however, was having a case against him nearly make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. A Polish group objected to an appearance on The Dick Cavett Show in 1972, when Einstein posed as the president of a fake Polish Defamation League and told a series of offensive jokes. Four years later, the high court refused to hear the case, denying the request for an on-air rebuttal.
Einstein also was a guest on numerous late-night and comedy shows spanning a half-century, ranging from The Steve Allen Show and Late Night with David Letterman to Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Hollywood Squares. He also appeared on The Tonight Show with hosts Johnny Carson, Jey Leno and Conan O’Brien and is the only guest to appear twice on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Along with Brooks, Einstein is survived by Roberta Einstein, his wife of over 40 years; daughter Erin Einstein Dale; son-in-law Andrew Dale; grandchildren Ethan and Zoe. He is also survived by his older brother, retired advertising executive Cliff Einstein.
Donations can be made in Einstein’s memory to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
Best known to today’s viewers for playing the serious, often surly but always hilarious Marty Funkhouser on Curb, Einstein was a foil for its creator-star Larry David. He appeared in nearly two dozen episodes of the series dating from 2004 to the most recent season.
Einstein’s younger brother, actor-director Albert Brooks, tweeted today, “R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever.”
Einstein first made his name as a writer. His career dates to the 1960s, when he won his first Emmy as part of the writing team for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, whose staff also included Steve Martin. Einstein, who also appeared on the show, went on to earn Emmy noms as a writer for The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour in 1972 and 1974 and two more for writing on Dick Van Dyke’s mid-’70s series Van Dyke and Company. Einstein won his other Emmy as a producer for the series, sharing the 1977 award for Outstanding Comedy Series.
He was born Stewart Robert Einstein on November 20, 1942, in Los Angeles. Mother Thelma Leeds was an actress, and father Harry Einstein (aka Parkyakarkus) was a comic, writer and actor. When Milton Berle and other comics told jokes at his father’s 1958 funeral, the teenage Einstein decided he would never go into comedy.
Instead, he went to college and played basketball at Chapman University and then pursued a career in advertising. But when he did a TV performance on a local cable show for a friend, pretending to be the man who installed the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it caught the eye of Tom Smothers. After Smothers invited the 26-year old to the set, Einstein recalled how it transformed his life. “I go over and now I’m sitting and watching rehearsals and my mind is burning and all of sudden out of nowhere I want this, a bee has stung me in the back, and I want this.”
Einstein’s most memorable character on the Smothers Brothers show, Officer Judy, famously gave Liberace a speeding ticket for playing the piano too fast in a 1969 episode. “Tom Smothers made our life by giving us that,” Einstein said in 2017.
He executive produced, wrote and appeared as the bumbling Super Dave Osborne on numerous shows including the sketch comedy show Bizarre from 1979-85, on the self-titled Super Dave from 1987-91 on Showtime and most recently in 2009 on Super Dave’s SpikeTacular, all of which he produced with his longtime professional partner, Allan Blye. From falling off Toronto’s CN Tower to being crushed by a wrecking ball to being swept off the top of a bus while singing “King of the Road,” Super Dave failed on every pre-Jackass stunt.
Perhaps his greatest stunt, however, was having a case against him nearly make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. A Polish group objected to an appearance on The Dick Cavett Show in 1972, when Einstein posed as the president of a fake Polish Defamation League and told a series of offensive jokes. Four years later, the high court refused to hear the case, denying the request for an on-air rebuttal.
Einstein also was a guest on numerous late-night and comedy shows spanning a half-century, ranging from The Steve Allen Show and Late Night with David Letterman to Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Hollywood Squares. He also appeared on The Tonight Show with hosts Johnny Carson, Jey Leno and Conan O’Brien and is the only guest to appear twice on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Along with Brooks, Einstein is survived by Roberta Einstein, his wife of over 40 years; daughter Erin Einstein Dale; son-in-law Andrew Dale; grandchildren Ethan and Zoe. He is also survived by his older brother, retired advertising executive Cliff Einstein.
Donations can be made in Einstein’s memory to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
RIP Super Dave. Had no idea Albert Brooks was his little brother.
#4
DVD Talk Limited Edition
#5
DVD Talk Hero
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
So Bob Einstein basically refused to go back to the Dan Le Batard show back in 2017 because guests kept dying (Alan Thicke, Bill Paxton, Adam West)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aBVw...tu.be&t=34m35s
Mean Gene was just on the show last year.
Just a tip for the dead pool people, I guess.
#6
DVD Talk Legend
#7
DVD Talk Legend
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
If you have never heard about Bob and Albert's father, and how he died, you should seek out the story.
#8
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Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
Well that sucks. I grew up watching him as Super Dave on Bizarre. I just watched his last appearance on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee a couple months ago and was happy to see him still looking/acting well. Count me in as someone who had no idea that Albert Brooks was his brother, but it's understandable why Brooks changed his last name.
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#10
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Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
Seek out Bob Einstein's appearance on Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast. It's pants-shittingly hilarious.
RIP Funkhouser
RIP Funkhouser
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
He was a funny deadpanner on Curb. Sad news.
#15
DVD Talk Legend & 2021 TOTY Winner
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
RIP Super Dave and Mean Gene. Thinking maybe I better stay inside today.
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) January 2, 2019
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#16
DVD Talk Legend
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
If you can find them, check out his appearances on Letterman. He was brilliant. He would go on and (very seriously) read some terribly lousy poetry, causing Dave and the audience to laugh, and he would just GLARE ANGRILY at Dave, without saying a word, without ever losing character.
Magnificent.
Magnificent.
#17
DVD Talk Legend
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
RIP Super Dave and Mean Gene. Thinking maybe I better stay inside today.
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) January 2, 2019
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#18
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
Loved him on Curb, but also thought he was great in his appearances on Arrested Development...
#20
DVD Talk Hero
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
Damn. I was a big fan of Super Dave when I was a kid. He was hilarious!
RIP
RIP
#21
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
Use to watch Super Dave on cable back when I was a kid.
Damn.... this has just been a shit day already.
Damn.... this has just been a shit day already.
#22
DVD Talk Hero
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
Didn’t know Super Dave Osborne was Albert Brooks’ brother.
Also didn’t know that was Super Dave Osborne on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Also didn’t know that was Super Dave Osborne on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
#23
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
I really should've posted this yesterday, but whatever. It's still pretty funny, and probably the sketch that really put him on the map. Dropping ANYTHING off of the CN Tower today would probably get you fined or jailed, depending on what or who it hit down below.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KTxiW3DRb3E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KTxiW3DRb3E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Last edited by Brian T; 01-03-19 at 10:09 AM.
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Re: RIP: Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Super Dave Osborne)
If you can find them, check out his appearances on Letterman. He was brilliant. He would go on and (very seriously) read some terribly lousy poetry, causing Dave and the audience to laugh, and he would just GLARE ANGRILY at Dave, without saying a word, without ever losing character.
Magnificent.
Magnificent.
Heh, I love that one and the one where he's playing a piano on the back of a truck.