First biography of US satirist Mort as he turns 90

The first biography of groundbreaking American satirist Mort Sahl is to be released next month, just ahead of his 90th birthday.

Last Man Standing: Mort Sahl And The Birth of Modern Comedy has been written by  James Curtis, whose previous biographical subjects include W.C. Fields and Spencer Tracy.

It has been compiled with the comic’s cooperation and includes interviews with Sahl's friends and colleagues, including Woody Allen, Dick Cavett, and Shelley Berman.

Sahl has declined to read the book, but says: ‘It wasn't a very puritanical life, but it was a whole lot of fun.’

It will be published on May 2 by University Press of Mississippi – and available to UK readers via Amazon – nine days before Sahl enters his tenth decade.

The comedian made his debut at San Francisco's Hungry i in December, 1953, when the stand-up scene was dominated by Borscht Belt comics like Henny Youngman who steered clear of topical subjects.

But in a freeform style befitting the era, Sahl attacked the likes of Senator Joseph McCarthy, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Vice President Richard Nixon.

Sahl recorded the first modern comedy album in 1955, and appeared on the cover of Time in 1960, and is credited with opening the door for a generation of smart intelligent comics that included Lenny Bruce, Bob Newhart and Dick Gregory.

Now in his 64th year as a professional comedian, Sahl continues to perform with his appearances  every Thursday night at the Throckmorton Theatre near San Francisco streamed live on Periscope.

Published: 27 Apr 2017