Dick Shawn
Known for Acting · 61 credits
- Born
- 1923-12-01
- Died
- 1987-04-17
- Place of birth
- Buffalo, New York, USA
- Also known as
- Richard Schulefand
Biography
Dick Shawn (December 1, 1923 – April 17, 1987) was an American actor. Way ahead of his time most say, it was extremely difficult indeed to know how to properly tap into this man's eclectic talents. Shawn began inching toward the forefront during the be-bop 50s and early 60s with his odd penchant for playing cool cats. During his mild bid for film stardom, he was top-billed as a hip, laid back genie in the thoroughly dismal satire The Wizard of Baghdad (1960), but seemed to have better luck when taken in smaller doses. He fared quite well opposite another "way-out-there" comedian, Ernie Kovacs, in Wake Me When It's Over (1960) as a hustling soldier out to make a buck in the Far East. Also on the plus side, he replaced Zero Mostel in the bawdy musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" on Broadway and stole a small scene in the all-star epic comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). By far, the one role that completely overshadows all of his other hard work is his mock portrayal of a singing Adolf Hitler in the show-within-a-movie The Producers (1968). In the film, which starred Mostel and Gene Wilder as two con artists deliberately producing a stage "bomb" called "Springtime for Hitler," Shawn sang the hammy, absurdly narcissistic song "Love Power." The movie finally captured Shawn in his element, but this stroke of genius of matching actor to role would never happen again for him. For the most part his roles came off slick and smarmy, and were stuck in mediocre material. Shawn won a huge fan base, however, touring in one-man stage shows which contained a weird mix of songs, sketches, satire, philosophy and even pantomime. A bright, innovative wit, one of his best touring shows was called "The Second Greatest Entertainer in the World." During the show's intermission, Shawn would lie visibly on the stage floor absolutely still during the entire time. By freakish coincidence, Shawn was performing at the University of California at San Diego in 1987 when he suddenly fell forward on the stage during one of his spiels about the Holocaust. The audience, of course, laughed, thinking it was just a part of his odd shtick. In actuality, the 63-year-old married actor with four children had suffered a fatal heart attack. A not-surprising end for this thoroughly offbeat and intriguing personality.
Known For
TV Shows (24)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self - Co-Host
The Love Boat
1977
as David Jackson / Harvey Blanchard
Magnum, P.I.
1980
as Buzz Benoit
St. Elsewhere
1982
as Edgar Eisenberg
The Twilight Zone
1985
as (segment "Cold Reading")
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
Medical Center
1969
The Lucy Show
1962
as Ace Winthrop
Tales from the Darkside
1984
as Bo Gumbs
Laverne & Shirley
1976
Amazing Stories
1985
as Joe Willoughby
That Girl
1966
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Guest Interviewee / Emperor
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
as Self
ABC Stage 67
1966
as Paul Benderhof
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as Charlie Wilson
Madame's Place
1982
as Self
General Electric Theater
1953
as Felix Franklin
The Judy Garland Show
1963
as Self
Hail to the Chief
1985
as Ivan Zolotov
Movies (37)
Batman & Robin
1997
as Snow Miser (archive sound) (uncredited)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963
as Sylvester Marcus
The Producers
1968
as Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.)
Angel
1984
as Mae
Water
1985
as Deke Halliday
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?
1966
as Captain Lionel Cash
The Year Without a Santa Claus
1974
as Snow Miser (voice)
The Opposite Sex
1956
as Singer
Penelope
1966
as Dr. Gregory Mannix
Love at First Bite
1979
as Lieutenant Ferguson NYPD
Maid to Order
1987
as Stan Starkey
Captain EO
1986
as Commander Bog
Evil Roy Slade
1972
as Marshal Bing Bell
The Happy Ending
1969
as Harry Bricker
Way... Way Out
1966
as Igor Valkleinokov
The Making of Captain EO
1986
as Self
Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration
1979
as Self
Wake Me When It's Over
1960
as Gus Brubaker
Young Warriors
1983
as Professor Hoover
Rented Lips
1988
as Charlie Slater
The All-Star Christmas Show
1958
as Self
A Very Special Favor
1965
as Arnold Plum
The Check is in the Mail...
1986
as Donald
Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man
1970
as Himself
The Emperor's New Clothes
1985
as Emperor
Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'
1991
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Best Chest in the West
1984
as Self - Host
Good-bye Cruel World
1982
as Rodney Pointsetter / Ainsley Pointsetter
The Wizard of Baghdad
1961
as Genii-Ali Mahmud
Fast Friends
1979
as Deke Edwards
Dames at Sea
1971
as Lucky
The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud
1984
as The Ultimate Patient
The Tommy Chong Roast
1986
Looking Up
1977
as Manny Lander
Leave 'em Laughing
2020
as Self (archive footage)
The Perils of P.K
1986
as The Psychiatrist
About Dick Shawn
Dick Shawn (December 1, 1923 – April 17, 1987) was an American actor. Way ahead of his time most say, it was extremely difficult indeed to know how to properly tap into this man's eclectic talents. Shawn began inching toward the forefront during the be-bop 50s and early 60s with his odd penchant for playing cool cats. During his mild bid for film stardom, he was top-billed as a hip, laid back genie in the thoroughly dismal satire The Wizard of Baghdad (1960), but seemed to have better luck when taken in smaller doses. He fared quite well oppos… With 61 credits spanning from 1948 to 2020, Dick Shawn has appeared in 37 films and 24 TV shows.
Fans searching for Dick Shawn movies, Dick Shawn filmography, or the latest projects starring Dick Shawn can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Dick Shawn Movies
- Batman & Robin (1997) — as Snow Miser (archive sound) (uncredited)
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) — as Sylvester Marcus
- The Producers (1968) — as Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.)
- Angel (1984) — as Mae
- Water (1985) — as Deke Halliday
Where to Watch Dick Shawn Films
Most Dick Shawn movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Dick Shawn, check our movies catalogue and browse page.