Was Sammy Hogarth supposed to represent some real-life comedian with a heart of flint? Who could it be? Berle? Cesare? Greene?
shareMaybe Gleason ? Good question --- although, perhaps to circumvent libel suits, it could have been a pastiche of different comedians / TV personalities.
Too bad we don't have a board for each of the Playhouse 90 episodes --- lots of questions there !
"J'ai l'oeil AMÉRICAIN !"
"Was Sammy Hogarth supposed to represent some real-life comedian with a heart of flint? Who could it be? Berle? Cesare? Greene?"
None of them were anything like Sammy Hogarth who was a pint-sized bully with a monstrous talent and an ego to match.
Sammy Hogarth was a fictional character.
That episode "The Comedian" has some of the finest ensemble acting I have ever seen anywhere. Mickey Rooney and every other actor was great and well-cast.
I thought (might be wrong) that I recall an article on this where Serling based it on a certain comedian -- but there was no way in h*ll he'd ever reveal who it was.
shareJust read an article by Kliph Nesteroff about comedian Red Buttons & when Buttons had his own TV show in the early 50s.
Based on the tremendous drama,firings,& turmoil behind the scenes of The Red Buttons Show,I gotta say Red sure fits the profile of Sammy Hogarth.