Sid Caesar | 1922-2014
Sid Caesar (1922-2013) -- A television pioneer who reigned as the king of live TV sketch comedy in the 1950s. (Krista Niles / Associated Press)
In his home office, Caesar has Emmys and a large collection of memorabilia from his work and others. (Tammy Lechner / Los Angeles Times)
Sid Caesar admired Bob Hope, and here the comedy legends dine in the Wedgwood Room of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
Comedians Milton Berle, left, Bob Hope and Sid Caesar wave from the stage during the 50th Primetime Emmy Awards. (Getty Images / AFP)
Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca pose in 1991 in front of a photo taken of them in 1952. (Larry Bessell / Los Angeles Times)
Caesar stands in front of a cardboard cutout from one of his early programs as he waits for ceremonies honoring him as one of the first inductees into NBC’s “Walk of Fame” in the network’s Rockefeller Center store in New York in 1999. (Richard Drew / Associated Press)
At a press conference in 1995 announcing the formation of the Glendale Festival Orchestra, Sid Caesar makes a face, which may or may not be part of his premiere performance with the orchestra, “Sid Caesar: Launching the Next Fifty Years!.” (Perry C. Riddle / Los Angeles Times)
Comedian Sid Caesar and his ‘50s TV series inspired Neil Simon’s play “Laughter on the 23rd Floor.” Pictured here with a quartet of comedy writers. (Bob Carey / Los Angeles Times)
Veteran writers and directors gather for lunch at Factors Deli in Los Angeles on July 11, 2012. Back row, from left: Matty Simmons, founder of National Lampoon and producer of “Animal House”; Bud Friedman, owner of the Improv; Gary Owens, radio announcer-actor and announcer on TV’s “Laugh-In”; John Rappaport, producer-writer of “MASH”; and Ben Starr, writer of “Our Man Flint.” In the front row, from left, Arthur Hiller, Oscar-nominated director for “Love Story”; Sid Caesar, Emmy award-winning comic actor; Rocky Kalish, writer; and Monty Hall, television host. They meet every two weeks and are the subject of a new documentary “Lunch” by Donna Kanter. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
