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Danny Simon
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Daniel Simon (December 18, 1918, The Bronx, New York – July 26, 2005, Portland, Oregon) was an American television writer and comedy teacher. He was the inspiration for the character of Felix Unger in his brother Neil Simon's play, The Odd Couple.[1]

Biography

[edit]

The older brother of playwright Neil Simon, he wrote comedy with his brother in the 1940s and 1950s.

As a writing team the brothers wrote for Buddy Hackett, Jan Murray and Phil Silvers and also wrote for radio and television shows such as Broadway Open House, The Red Buttons Show, The Jackie Gleason Show and Your Show of Shows until 1954 when Neil left the partnership to write plays.[2]

As a solo writer, Danny became head writer of The Colgate Comedy Hour and then Make Room for Daddy. He also wrote for The Phil Silvers Show, Kraft Music Hall, My Three Sons, The Mac Davis Show, The Carol Burnett Show, Diff'rent Strokes, and The Facts of Life and also wrote jokes for Joan Rivers for her appearances as guest host of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He later became a comedy teacher.[2]

Danny Simon came up with the idea for The Odd Couple from his own experience from 1961 to 1963 when, while divorcing his wife, he shared an apartment with Hollywood agent Roy Gerber, whose wife had left him. Struggling after writing 14 pages of a first draft, he asked his brother Neil, who had expressed interest in the idea, to write it instead. Danny Simon received one-sixth of the royalties but was irritated at not receiving a "from an idea by Danny Simon" credit. Its success caused the brothers to become estranged for a decade.[3][4][5][2]

Danny Simon also directed several Off-Broadway productions of his brother's plays and was the inspiration for characters in various Neil Simon plays such as Come Blow Your Horn, The Odd Couple, Plaza Suite, Chapter Two, Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound, leading him to joke “There have been more plays written about me than about Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc and Julius Caesar all put together."[2] He also contributed sketches to the Broadway stage revues New Faces of 1956 and Catch a Star.[1]

Quotations

[edit]

Woody Allen said about Simon, "I've learned a couple of things on my own since and modified things he taught me, but everything, unequivocally, that I learned about comedy writing I learned from him".[citation needed]

Jimmy Boyd, "Being around Danny always makes me and everyone else happy. He is always up and positive, and he sees humor in absolutely everything. It is endless funny one-liners. In rehearsal I could read the same comedy line a hundred times, and Danny would be laughing".[3]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Simon was married to Arlene Friedman from 1953 to 1962.[6] The couple had two children, Michael Howard Simon and Valerie Jeanne Simon (died 2009).[7][6] In 2011, Michael Simon was appointed by President Barack Obama to be a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.[8]

Danny Simon died of heart failure in 2005 at age 86 at the Robison Jewish Health Center in Portland, Oregon. He had also suffered a stroke.[3][1]

References

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[edit]
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Danny Simon

View on Grokipedia
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Danny Simon (December 18, 1918 – July 26, 2005) was an American comedy writer and director best known for his contributions to early television sketch comedy, particularly as a writer on the landmark series Your Show of Shows starring Sid Caesar. Born in the Bronx, New York, he was the older brother of renowned playwright Neil Simon, with whom he frequently collaborated in the early stages of his career and whose works often drew inspiration from Danny's life and personality. Simon's writing credits spanned radio and television from the late 1940s through the 1980s, including shows like The Colgate Comedy Hour, Make Room for Daddy, The Carol Burnett Show, My Three Sons, The Facts of Life, and Diff'rent Strokes, where he worked alongside comedy luminaries such as Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, Woody Allen, Carl Reiner, and Neil Simon himself. In addition to writing, Simon directed several off-Broadway productions of his brother's plays, including multiple stagings of The Odd Couple—a work partly inspired by Danny's own slovenly habits and his roommate's fastidiousness during their early struggles in New York—and contributed to the development of the 1985 all-female Broadway version of the same play. He also conceived the idea for The Odd Couple, earning a one-sixth share of its royalties despite not receiving on-screen credit, and served as the model for characters in Simon's and . Later in his career, Simon transitioned into education, lecturing on comedy writing at the from 1980 to 1995 and conducting three-day seminars across the United States and abroad for 15 years, influencing a new generation of writers. Simon died in , at the age of 86 from complications following a , survived by his son Michael, daughter Valerie, two grandchildren, and his brother . Though often overshadowed by 's Broadway success, Danny's foundational role in and his personal influence on one of America's most prolific playwrights cemented his legacy in the entertainment industry.

Early Life and Family

Childhood and Family Background

Danny Simon was born on December 18, 1918, in , , to Jewish parents Irving Simon, a garment salesman, and Mamie (née Levy) Simon, a homemaker. As the eldest of two sons, he was approximately eight years older than his brother , born on July 4, 1927. The family later moved to Washington Heights in , where Danny spent much of his youth. The Simons' household was marked by modest socioeconomic circumstances, exacerbated by the , during which Irving's job as a garment worker provided unstable and led to frequent absences from home. This instability contributed to a tumultuous parental , with Irving described as feckless and occasionally mistreating his sons, creating an environment of emotional hardship that the brothers later drew upon for themes of resilience and humor in their comedic work. often shouldered the family's burdens, at times taking in boarders to make ends meet, while the boys shared a small amid these challenges. From a young age, Danny was exposed to performances and radio comedy through family outings and home listening, which ignited his early interest in humor and writing. Shows featuring comedians like captivated him and his brother, providing an escape from their difficult home life and inspiring Danny to experiment with jokes and sketches even as a teenager. This foundational influence is reflected briefly in Neil Simon's later autobiographical plays, such as , which evoke the family's experiences.

Education and Military Service

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Simon did not attend college, opting instead to develop his skills independently through immersion in scripts, live performances, and practical observation rather than structured academic programs. Simon served in the U.S. Army during . After the war, he returned to , where he transitioned to civilian pursuits, leveraging the era's opportunities for veterans to focus on writing without pursuing a traditional degree. This period marked the conclusion of his formal educational path, as he immersed himself fully in the burgeoning world of post-war entertainment.

Professional Career

Comedy Writing Collaborations

Following , in the late 1940s, Danny Simon formed a writing partnership with his younger brother , initially crafting radio sketches under the team name "Danny and Doc." Their early work included material for comedians such as , , and , often performed on variety programs hosted by figures like Goodman Ace at . This collaboration marked Danny's entry into professional writing, leveraging observations from their to infuse sketches with relatable, everyday absurdities. Transitioning to television in the early 1950s, the Simon brothers contributed to live variety shows, including Broadway Open House (1950), The Red Buttons Show (1952), The Jackie Gleason Show (1950s), and notably Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), where they joined a prestigious writing staff alongside Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, and others for Sid Caesar's NBC program. Their sketches helped define the era's high-energy broadcast comedy, with the brothers' contributions to Your Show of Shows earning acclaim for elevating the medium's narrative sophistication. The Simons' style emphasized character-driven humor over standalone jokes, featuring rapid-fire dialogue rooted in Jewish-American family dynamics and personal anecdotes from their upbringing, which resonated in the competitive, deadline-driven environment of live TV production. This peak collaborative period concluded around 1954, as increasingly focused on playwriting, prompting Danny to pursue independent projects.

Independent Writing and Directing

Following the end of his collaboration with his brother in 1954, Danny Simon established himself as a solo television writer, serving as head writer for NBC's during the mid-1950s. In this role, he oversaw sketch development and hired emerging talents like as a contributor. Simon continued his independent television work into the late 1950s and 1960s, writing episodes for ABC's Make Room for Daddy (later retitled ), where he crafted comedic scenarios centered on family dynamics and the challenges of a traveling entertainer's life, as well as for . His solo contributions extended to variety and sitcom formats in later decades, including sketches for CBS's in the 1970s, which featured satirical takes on everyday absurdities, a teleplay for an episode of NBC's in the 1980s, focusing on intergenerational humor, and episodes of The Facts of Life. In addition to television, Simon contributed sketches to the Broadway revue New Faces of 1956, including the satirical "Madame Interpreter," which lampooned pretentious elements of Broadway culture and translation mishaps in theater productions. During the 1960s, Simon ventured into directing, helming multiple productions of his brother Neil Simon's plays, including several stagings of The Odd Couple—a work partly inspired by their shared living experiences—where he offered feedback on dramatic structure and comedic timing to refine the works before their broader staging. Simon's transition from the collaborative, fast-paced environment of writing to the more solitary demands of theater proved challenging, as he expressed a preference for team-based creativity over individual script development, a shift exacerbated by the evolution from live broadcasts to pre-recorded formats that altered the immediacy of delivery.

Comedy Teaching and Mentorship

In the later stages of his career, Danny Simon transitioned into , establishing himself as a prominent instructor of writing through workshops and seminars starting in the 1980s and extending into the 1990s. He lectured on comedy writing at the from 1980 to 1995, conducted private classes in Sherman Oaks, California, charging $250 per course, and offered three-day intensive seminars at colleges across the , as well as internationally in locations such as . These sessions focused on building foundational skills in structure, timing, and character development, prioritizing teachable techniques over innate talent; as Simon explained, "I cannot teach talent, but I can teach technique and structure." Simon's pedagogy drew from his extensive experience in , incorporating hands-on methods to instill practical writing principles such as setup, reversals, and precise word choice. His approach emphasized that comedy could be systematically learned, much like any craft, and he often used real-world examples from classic sketches to illustrate key elements. This philosophy resonated with aspiring writers navigating the shift from variety shows to scripted sitcoms, where structured became increasingly vital amid the decline of , improvisational formats. Among his most notable students was , whom Simon mentored early in Allen's career during the on The Colgate Comedy Hour and later through formal instruction; Allen credited him extensively, stating, "Everything I learned about comedy writing I learned from Danny Simon." Simon's classes in and New York attracted a broad range of participants, including emerging television writers, and his influence extended to a generation adapting to the evolving landscape of broadcast comedy. Drawing briefly from his early career observational skills honed in production, Simon taught students to capture authentic human behaviors as the basis for relatable humor.

Personal Life

Marriage and Children

Danny Simon married Arlene Friedman in 1953 after meeting her at Camp Tamiment in the Pocono Mountains. The couple settled in New York, where they raised their family amid Simon's rising career in television comedy writing. They had two children: a son, Michael Howard Simon, born in 1956 in New York City, and a daughter, Valerie Jeanne Simon, born in 1959. Michael later pursued a legal career and was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011 as a United States District Judge for the District of Oregon. Valerie worked as a graphic artist until her death in 2009. During the 1950s, the family navigated the demands of Simon's professional collaborations, including his work on shows like The Phil Silvers Show, while prioritizing parenting in their New York home. The marriage, which lasted nearly a decade, ended in divorce in 1962, strained by Simon's career relocation to California. Following the divorce, Simon maintained involvement in his children's lives through co-parenting arrangements, with Michael eventually moving to , and Valerie residing in Sherman Oaks, California. Public details on the marriage's inner dynamics remain limited, though accounts describe Arlene as initially supportive of Simon's creative pursuits during their early years together at the Tamiment resort.

Later Years and Relocation

In 1956, following the end of his writing partnership with his brother , Danny Simon relocated to with his family to pursue television opportunities, where he contributed as a to shows such as Make Room for Daddy (later retitled ). This move positioned him at the heart of Hollywood's burgeoning TV comedy scene, allowing him to work on established series while transitioning toward more independent projects. Simon maintained sporadic involvement in television writing through the , providing scripts and consultations for programs like , though his output gradually diminished as he shifted focus to teaching comedy writing seminars at the starting in 1980 and conducting workshops nationwide for over a decade. By this period, he had expressed a waning enthusiasm for active writing, stating in an interview that he had long realized he did not enjoy the process, preferring instead to mentor aspiring writers through structured classes that drew on his decades of experience. In April 2002, Simon relocated to , taking up residence at Rose Schnitzer Manor to be closer to his son Michael, daughter-in-law , and grandchildren and Sara. This move marked a phase of semi-retirement, where he enjoyed family time and took pride in his granddaughter Sara's budding interest in theater, while keeping ties to his mentorship legacy through occasional informal guidance.

Death and Legacy

Circumstances of Death

Danny Simon died on July 26, 2005, at the age of 86, at the Robison Jewish Health Center in . The cause of death was resulting from complications of a massive he suffered on July 11, 2005. He was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his passing. A funeral service took place on , 2005, at the Landau Chapel of Cemetery in Portland. A service was planned for a later date in .

Influence and Tributes

Danny Simon's influence extended significantly into his brother 's work, serving as the direct inspiration for the character of , the fastidious and neurotic roommate in the 1965 play The Odd Couple. This portrayal drew from Danny's own experiences during his early 1960s separation from his wife, when he moved in with theatrical agent Roy Gerber, another recently divorced individual, leading to comedic clashes in their shared West Hollywood home that mirrored the play's central dynamic. Elements of Danny's personality and life also appeared in other plays, including the older brother figure in (1961) and the Hollywood producer in one act of (1968), reflecting their close sibling collaboration and Danny's role as a muse for Neil's comedic explorations of family and relationships. Upon his death in 2005, obituaries recognized Danny Simon as an unsung pioneer of television comedy during its 1950s golden age, highlighting his contributions to landmark shows like Your Show of Shows and The Colgate Comedy Hour, where he honed the collaborative sketch-writing style that defined the era. The New York Times noted his partnerships with talents like Mel Brooks and Larry Gelbart, crediting him with shaping the fast-paced humor that influenced subsequent generations of writers. Similarly, The Los Angeles Times praised his headwriting roles on series such as Make Room for Daddy, emphasizing his diligent approach to comedy as foundational to the medium's early development. Tributes from prominent figures underscored Simon's mentorship and personal impact. , whom Simon hired and taught at The Colgate Variety Hour, credited him unequivocally: "Everything I learned about comedy writing I learned from Danny Simon." described him as "among the best" of comedy writers, while affirmed, "He knew his business, he knew comedy, and he worked at it diligently." These accounts portray Simon as a positive, indefatigable force whose optimism and humor-infused worldview inspired those around him. Simon received no major awards during his lifetime, his achievements often overshadowed by Neil's Broadway success, yet his workshops at institutions like USC exerted a lasting influence on modern writing by emphasizing character-driven humor over mere punchlines. Through these seminars, he launched careers of numerous writers, fostering techniques that persist in contemporary , and earned enduring respect within industry circles as a foundational, if underrecognized, figure.

References

  1. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jul-28-me-simon28-story.html
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/28/arts/danny-simon-who-wrote-comedy-for-tv-is-dead-at-86.html
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/sep/23/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries2
  4. https://www.playbill.com/article/danny-simon-neils-big-brother-and-a-major-figure-in-american-comedy-writing-dead-at-85-com-127193
  5. https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/neil-simon
  6. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/danny-simon-303243.html
  7. https://time.com/archive/6679829/neil-simon-reliving-a-poignant-past/
  8. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/danny-simon-4967
  9. https://time.com/archive/6707894/theater-danny-he-shared-the-dreams/
  10. https://travsd.wordpress.com/2024/12/18/on-danny-simon-neils-unsung-brother/
  11. https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Comedy-Subjects-Impact-ebook/dp/B008E8I7KK
  12. https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/danny-simon-dies-86-influential-comedy-writer
  13. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/11/19/danny-simon-his-brothers-teacher/25202f59-7317-456e-b736-864bc4fec3d1/
  14. https://www.newsfromme.com/2005/07/27/danny-simon-r-i-p/
  15. https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/danny-simon-obituary?id=19506435
  16. https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/simon-michael-h
  17. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/valerie-simon-obituary?pid=135735845
  18. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/valerie-simon-obituary?id=22255694
  19. https://jeweltheatre.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/TheOddCoupleWritingThePlay.pdf
  20. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2005/07/28/tv-comedy-writer-danny-simon-dies/790416b1-7a10-4f44-ab12-9f49f4878919/
  21. https://www.denverpost.com/2007/08/26/talent-manager-was-inspiration-for-sloppy-half-of-odd-couple/
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