This person died 2007 age 84. He studied for a master’s degree in anthropology at the University of Chicago, writing a thesis on “The Fluctuations Between Good and Evil in Simple Tales.” Like Mark Twain, he used humor to tackle the basic questions of human existence. With a blend of science fiction, philosophy and jokes, he wrote about the banalities of consumer culture, and the destruction of the environment. With his curly hair askew, deep pouches under his eyes and rumpled clothes, he often looked like an out-of-work philosophy professor. The defining moment of his life was the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, by Allied forces in 1945, an event he witnessed firsthand as a young prisoner of war. His experience in Dresden was the basis of his book “Slaughterhouse-Five.” Today’s dead celebrity is Kurt Vonnegut.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 92 Acerbic Comedian (George Carlin) and Episode 80 Super Funkhouser (Bob Einstein).

Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Allie Arrazola, and features guest co-host Wiley Hodges.

LINKS:

Transcript of this episode

New York Times Obituary for Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut’s Shape of Stories lecture

Vonnegut in Back To School with Rodney Dangerfield

1975 Profile of Vonnegut

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads

Famous & Gravy official website

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This person died in 2008 at age 83. In the early 1950s he was accepted as a student at the Actors Studio in New York, where he took lessons alongside James Dean, Geraldine Page, and Marlon Brando. In midlife, racing cars became his obsession. He acted in more than 65 movies over more than 50 years, drawing on a physical grace, unassuming intelligence and good humor that made it all seem effortless. In 1982, as a lark, he decided to sell a salad dressing he had created for friends, and the brand expanded to include popcorn, spaghetti sauce, pretzels, and wine. Today’s dead celebrity is Paul Newman.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 93 “American Royalty” (Elizabeth Taylor)and Episode 65 “Father of the Bride” (William Goldman).

Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Allie Arrazola, and features guest co-host Michael Warburton.

LINKS:

Transcript of this episode

New York Times Obituary for Paul Newman

Support Michael Warburton on Ko-fi

Three interviews with Paul Newman

Paul Newman talks politics with Dick Cavett

10 year anniversary of Newman’s Own

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads

Famous & Gravy official website

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died in 2014 at age 69. In the late 1960s he was hired as jokes editor at Playboy magazine, and he also joined Second City’s touring company. After he had taken a job with SCTV, the Toronto sketch comedy show, SNL approached him to be a writer. His breakthrough came in 1978 when he co-wrote “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” and he made his directorial debut with the country club comedy “Caddyshack” (1980). He went on to write “Ghostbusters” (1984) and “Ghostbusters II” (1989), playing the super-intellectual Dr. Egon Spengler. He also wrote and directed “Groundhog Day”, which several critics called his masterpiece. Today’s dead celebrity is Harold Ramis.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 85 “More Respect” (Rodney Dangerfield) and Episode 54 “Secret Chord” (Leonard Cohen).

Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Allie Arrazola.

LINKS:

Transcript of this episode

New York Times Obituary for Harold Ramis

“The Joyful Comedy of Harold Ramis” New Yorker article

Harold Ramis Day proclaimed on Feb. 2 in Chicago

Harold Ramis and Seth Rogen in “Knocked Up”

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads

Famous & Gravy official website

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.