For What It's Worth

Remembering Larry Gelbart

Screenwriter Robert J. Elisberg writes about culture and technology issues for the Huffington Post.

Some days, you wish you didn't answer the phone. Today was that day. It was a friend telling me that Larry Gelbart had died.

I can't do justice to Larry Gelbart, even if I had several months to write something about it. He was an amazing writer and probably a better person. There may have been more renowned writers in a single medium, but his versatility was breathtaking, and so he may have been the most successful and best writer ever in America who wrote in all three major media -- the theater, movies and television.

On stage, he won Tony Awards for his musicals, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and City of Angels. And he wrote the big hit play, Sly Fox.

For television, he had an amazing 12 Emmy nominations, and an additional one, wining the award for M*A*S*H, the series he developed. He wrote the HBO movies, Barbarians at the Gate, Weapons of Mass Distractions and ...and starring Pancho Villa as Himself (all three of which got Emmy nominations). And he was part of the legendary writing staff for the equally legendary series, Caesar's Hour.

And for movies, he got Oscar nominations for Oh, God!, and his co-written script, Tootsie.

And none of this gives a hint who Larry Gelbart was. None of that even gives a hint to all that he wrote, he was that prolific, and talented. Do yourself a favor and check out his film and TV credits on IMDb. As a friend said, describing Larry Gelbart would take Mount Rushmore.

The Amazing Reality of "Reality" TV

Hollywood Sweat Shops

This column originally appeared in The Huffington Post.

First, a familiar story from America's past.

Around the previous turn of the century, the nation was plagued by sweatshops raking in outlandish earnings while their employees struggled under inhumane conditions. In one infamous example, a factory reported profits of $200 million, one proprietor taking in $50 million himself, yet its employees were discovered to be working loathsome 18-hour days, seven days a week. Lunch breaks weren't allowed, or rest breaks. No basic healthcare, and, obviously, no protective pensions were provided. The conditions of work mills were such a national embarrassment, the outcry so loud that the creation of government protections and unions were understood, even demanded by most of the compassionate nation. Today, we cringe at the memory, yet are proud for the basic protection America has long-since provided its workforce.

Okay, I have to admit that I wasn't totally honest there.