Gelbart is doing just fine, thanks

A funny thing happened to Larry Gelbart this week on the way to death’s door: Having already placed himself in select comic-writing company over the last half-century and more, the two-time Tony winner and co-creator of the “MASH” television series woke up Monday to find himself rubbing elbows with Mark Twain on the list of notable wits who have been privileged to affirm that reports of their actual or imminent deaths were greatly exaggerated.

In Gelbart’s case, the blog alt.obituaries carried grim tidings in Monday’s wee hours that he was “gravely ill . . . from a massive stroke.”

Sounding chipper, unruffled and amused over the phone from his home in Beverly Hills, Gelbart confirmed Tuesday that it wasn’t true. He said one of the first things he did upon learning of the report was to tap out an e-mailed quip informing netizens that he wasn’t in danger of cancellation just yet: “Does that mean I can stop exercising?”

-- Mike Boehm