Joey Bishop started his career as a nightclub comedian. He was featured on The Joey Bishop Show and The Joey Bishop Show (late night talk show), and acted in various motion pictures, including Ocean's Eleven and Valley of the Dolls. In the 1960s and 1970s, he also performed regularly with the Rat Pack. The collection consists largely of records pertaining to The Joey Bishop Show (late night talk show) and is made up of guest research files, guest contracts, weekly lineups, and financial records. Also included in the collection are a small number of scripts representing Bishop's other television projects.

Joseph Abraham Gottlieb, later changed to Joey Bishop, was born February 3, 1918 (some sources say 1919) in Bronx, New York. Bishop established himself as a nightclub comedian by the early 1950s, and was nicknamed The Frown Prince of Comedy for his cynical demeanor. It was during this time that he caught the attention of Frank Sinatra, who hired him as his opening act. Bishop started his television career performing standup comedy on the Cavalcade of Stars. He regularly appeared on the game show Keep Talking, and as a guest host for Jack Paar and Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. In the 1960s, Bishop earned a spot in the Rat Pack, a group of entertainers comprising Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Peter Lawford, who performed live in Las Vegas, Miami, Atlantic City, and Palm Springs.

29.0 linear ft. (45 boxes and 11 cartons)

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