>Sid Caesar was born to hard-working immigrant parents, his mother from the then Russian Empire, and his father from Poland. The young couple struggled to come to the United States where as too often happened back then… the age-old family surname was lost at Ellis Island when an immigration official decided to re-name the family “Caesar”.
Young Sid at age five was working in his parents deli/restaurant patronized by many customers who were immigrants from all over Europe: Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, France, Italy, parts of Asia, Russia. The little child listened to the cadences of the different native language speakers, and began to imitate their cadences out loud, but without knowing the exact words in each language {Sid spoke both English and Yiddish}. Customers in the restaurant were highly entertained by this child who spoke the made-up patois in cadences that sounded so like the actual languages of Italian, French, German, and more. The found this young and sensitive child to be able to carry humor across ethnic lines… and thus began Sid Caesar’s unfolding of his comedic talent.
There is so much to say about Sid, about his long time master-sidekick Imogene Coca, his many schticks…. No doubt there will be many tributes to him, for he earned it, as an American humorist/ comedian… and for setting a bar for comedy that makes light of the human condition; most every sketch is about wanting to be important in some way, and most often failing… but sometimes winning.
I remember him best as a commedian of great decency, a man who made so many people laugh with routines that were clean, and as much making fun of himself as finding humor in other humans’ propensities. I was able to see some of his tv shows when I was a child, and like Jackie Gleason and Red Skelton, Sid Caesar was also a consummate actor… and I not only laughed, but sometimes also wept for the humanity portrayed.
It is my hope that many a young comedian with a love of humanity and a quick wit, will study Sid’s massive works, and carry on –in the tradition of the insightful, the kindly, and the truly funny.
here is a YouTube of Sid Caesar ‘speaking’ in four ‘doubletalk’ foreign languages by using names of French, Italian, German and Japanese artists, manufacturers, scientists and musicians. Note the fabulous hand gestures that go with each nationality: Sid: A true student of the actor’s craft.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SqEmkwADmY