The Gary Belkin Papers, 1955-1985, document Belkin’s writing career, especially his early years. The bulk of his collection consists of skits he wrote or co-wrote for “The Danny Kaye Show” and “Caesar’s Hour.”

Born April 24, 1927, Gary Belkin grew up in New York City. After serving in the Army in WWII, he began his career as a writer for radio comedians and proposed cartoon ideas to the New Yorker magazine. He started in television when he was hired as a writer for Caesar’s Hour. Afterward, he wrote for shows including Car 54, Where are You?, The Danny Kaye Show, and The Carol Burnett Show, as well as specials for performers including Doris Day and Anne Bancroft. He wrote for Newhart, Three’s Company and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson later in his career. Belkin won many awards over the course of his career. He earned two Emmys and a WGA Award on the Carol Burnett Show, and won an Emmy and a WGA Award for Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man. He was nominated for seven additional Emmy Awards: two for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, one for The Carrol Burnett Show, one for The Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff Special, one for The Danny Kaye Show, and two for Caesar’s Hour. He also won a WGA Award for Car 54, Where Are You? in 1963 and the Danny Kaye Show in 1966 and was nominated in 1975 for Annie and the Hoods. Additionally, he won and was nominated for two Daytime Emmys for Sesame Street. Belkin died on July 28, 2005 of emphysema and he was survived by friends.

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