I was friends with Andy Kaufman in the last few years of his life. I was surprised to find out that Andy didn't know who Theodore was. I described some of Theodore's work to him and he liked what he heard.
He was playing his one-person show on the day I was born in 1947. The show, BTW, was called Blossoms of Evil and I must say the reviews were very strong.
He played at the 13th Street theatre. It was a rats nest. When Theodore was there it was a palace. He was once deported from Switzerland for being a chess hustler.
@@michaelcohen2760 I would have bought tickets to see that. Did Theadore shine his shoes up and down both sides of your backside ?😂 Or did he let you win ? He was quite good .
@@gmajorspresents When he was not “on” he was quite sweet. He asked that my girlfriend and I call him “uncle Theodore”. Occasionally when the inevitable coffee housing badinage would erupt during a game flashes of “Brother Theodore” would erupt to the often bewildering dismay of his opponents who did not know who he was. He would shout in stentorian tones things like; “Stop breathing that clam sauce on me!” I was in my early twenties and a very strong coffee house player. The Chess House was an unusual place that never closed. It was run, probably at a loss, by “Charlie”, a local real estate broker. He had hypercholesterolemia and he said that he always wanted to have a Chess Club before he died. There was a plethora of unusual characters and celebrities . A failed rabbinical student and the son of a prominent lower east side rabbi would be playing with a former officer from Rommels army. I would regularly see Isaac Bashevis Singer, George C Scott, Eliot Gould, Edward Lasker, Josh Mostel, Prince Alexis Obelensky, Paul Magriel, Walter Browne, steve Brandywine. I became friends with a middle aged Rusian Émigré international master named Yakov Yuchtman. He was a gambler and nogoodnick and was actually grandmaster strength
Brother Theodore called his performance Standup Tragedy. Professor Irwin Corey considered himself a Standup Philosopher. They were contemporaries. I wonder if they ever interacted?
Theodore. He was supposedly the kindest, friendliest, gentle man offstage. Dante comparing him to Kaufman was spot on.
I was friends with Andy Kaufman in the last few years of his life. I was surprised to find out that Andy didn't know who Theodore was. I described some of Theodore's work to him and he liked what he heard.
He was playing his one-person show on the day I was born in 1947. The show, BTW, was called Blossoms of Evil and I must say the reviews were very strong.
He played at the 13th Street theatre. It was a rats nest. When Theodore was there it was a palace. He was once deported from Switzerland for being a chess hustler.
I used to play chess with him in the early 1970's at The Chess House on west 72nd st in Manhattan
@@michaelcohen2760 I would have bought tickets to see that. Did Theadore shine his shoes up and down both sides of your backside ?😂 Or did he let you win ? He was quite good .
@@gmajorspresents When he was not “on” he was quite sweet. He asked that my girlfriend and I call him “uncle Theodore”. Occasionally when the inevitable coffee housing badinage would erupt during a game flashes of “Brother Theodore” would erupt to the often bewildering dismay of his opponents who did not know who he was. He would shout in stentorian tones things like; “Stop breathing that clam sauce on me!” I was in my early twenties and a very strong coffee house player. The Chess House was an unusual place that never closed. It was run, probably at a loss, by “Charlie”, a local real estate broker. He had hypercholesterolemia and he said that he always wanted to have a Chess Club before he died. There was a plethora of unusual characters and celebrities . A failed rabbinical student and the son of a prominent lower east side rabbi would be playing with a former officer from Rommels army. I would regularly see Isaac Bashevis Singer, George C Scott, Eliot Gould, Edward Lasker, Josh Mostel, Prince Alexis Obelensky, Paul Magriel, Walter Browne, steve Brandywine. I became friends with a middle aged Rusian Émigré international master named Yakov Yuchtman. He was a gambler and nogoodnick and was actually grandmaster strength
@@michaelcohen2760 Stop breathing that clam sauce on me , HYSTERICAL 😂
I saw Theodore twice at 13 st.Theatre in the 80s.
He would have you sitting on the edge of your seat, that's for sure.
Brother Theodore called his performance Standup Tragedy. Professor Irwin Corey considered himself a Standup Philosopher. They were contemporaries. I wonder if they ever interacted?
Kaufman, exactly what I thought. I think he was a combination of Moe Howard, Harpo Marx, and Andy Kaufman.
“You are the one who lives next door!”
I wonder how the script originally ended? I love that movie.
Merv brought me here... Then Dave, too.
People who play chess are nuts.
Dante talks and says nothing