The Great Jewish Comedians: Harry "Parkyakarkus" Einstein

Last week we featured Albert Brooks as one of the great Jewish comedians. Today it's his father's turn.

Albert's father, Harry Einstein (1904-1958) was known professionally by a multitude of pseudonyms, most commonly Parkyakarkus. He was an American comedian, writer, and character actor. 

A specialist in Greek dialect comedy, he became famous as the Greek chef Nick Parkyakarkus on the Eddie Cantor and Al Jolson radio programs, and later on a program of his own. He appeared in eleven films as Parkyakarkas, or Parkyarkarkas, from 1936 to 1945. 

In 1944 (Yes, that was 72 years ago) he appeared in a wartime musical comedy, Sweethearts of the USA, also starring Una Merkel. The song You Can't Brush Off a Russian was written by Lew Pollack and Charles Newman.

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)

The Great Jewish Comedians: Albert Brooks as a Ventriloquist

Albert Brooks, the voice of Marlin, Nemo's father in the hit animated movie Finding Nemo and its just-opened sequel, Finding Dory, is a stand-up comedian, comedy writer and filmmaker.

His parents were Thelma (Goodman) Leeds and Harry Einstein, both children of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Austria. His mother was a singer and actress and his father a radio comedian known as Parkyakarkus. 

Unable to pass up a good punchline, the two performers named their youngest son Albert Einstein, a name he changed to Brooks as soon as he became an adult. His brother Bob retained the Einstein name and plays the role of Marty Funkhouser, one of Larry David's friends on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In his stand-up comic days in 1972 Brooks performed on The Flip Wilson show. Here's one of his routines as a ventriloquist whose technique with a dummy left a lot to be desired.

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)