Henny Youngman
| Henny Youngman | |
|---|---|
Youngman, photographed in 1957 | |
| Birth name | Henry Youngman |
| Born | March 16, 1906 London, England, UK |
| Died | February 24, 1998 (aged 91) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Medium | comedy |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1923−1997 |
| Genres | One-liners |
| Spouse |
Sadie Cohen
(m. 1928; died 1987) |
| Children | 2 |
Henry "Henny" Youngman (March 16, 1906 – February 24, 1998) was an English-born American comedian and musician famous for his mastery of the "one-liner", his best known being "Take my wife... please".
In a time when many comedians told elaborate anecdotes, Youngman's routine consisted of telling simple one-liner jokes, occasionally with interludes of violin playing. These depicted simple, cartoon-like situations, eliminating lengthy build-ups and going straight to the punch line. Known as "the King of the One-Liners", a title conferred to him by columnist Walter Winchell, a stage performance by Youngman lasted only 15 to 20 minutes but contained dozens of jokes in rapid succession.