Danny Simon Brings Out the Comic Genius

The story is one that Danny Simon had been waiting for all his life.

Two tourists in Europe once approached Simon’s brother, Neil, the most successful playwright of our time. One of them said: “I beg your pardon, but we think we know who you are, but we’re not sure. Isn’t your name Simon?” Smiling, Neil Simon produced a pen for the expected autograph.

The tourist continued: “We thought we recognized you. You’re Danny Simon’s brother, aren’t you?”

For a man eternally known as “Neil Simon’s brother,” the anecdote packs some real punch--even though the tourists were former students in Danny Simon’s comedy writing classes in Sherman Oaks.

“What I teach is the thought process of comedy,” said Simon, who lives in Sherman Oaks. “By merely taking my course, you don’t become funny. You have to be born funny. I just help bring it out--mold it and shape it.”

His first pupil was his younger brother, Neil, who at age 15 collaborated with Danny on their first sketch. The pair later formed a partnership and worked for nine years for such comedians as Buddy Hackett, Jan Murray, Red Buttons, Jackie Gleason and Milton Berle.

Neil split for Broadway, and Danny chose Hollywood, to direct and write for TV--and to bring along yet another great talent named Woody Allen.

Allen, who once said, “Everything, unequivocally, that I learned about comedy writing I learned from him,” worked for Simon on “The Colgate TV Comedy Hour” in the early 1950s. He later went on, as Simon tells it, to make a few movies.

Simon has now settled on a course devoted to bringing out the comic genius in others. The phone in his condominium rings with calls from producers and writing students whom he matches up, creating new-found careers. During 11 years, Simon figures he has taught about 4,000 students.

“A teacher always teaches himself,” he said, adding that his classes have helped him revise his play, “Convertible Girl,” first written in 1973 and now playing at the Jewish Community Center of Houston. “You begin to realize all the things you’ve been teaching yourself all these years.”

Simon teaches an eight-week TV-writing class that is followed by six weeks of instruction focusing on writing for theater and film. Continuing classes are available after completing the first two levels.