Ed Bluestone

Ed Bluestone
Born1948 or 1949
East Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedOctober 24, 2024(2024-10-24) (aged 75–76)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • writer
  • actor
Years active1970s–1980s

Ed Bluestone (1948 or 1949 – October 24, 2024) was an American comedian, writer and actor.

Bluestone wrote for National Lampoon magazine and was the originator of the publication's most famous cover. He is also known for his role on the 1977 revival of the sketch comedy series Laugh-In.

Early life

Bluestone was born in East Orange, New Jersey to a Jewish family.[1][2][3][4]

He studied speech and drama at Monmouth College (now known as Monmouth University) in West Long Branch.[3] He had the reputation of being the class clown,[5] and in a 1967 interview of Monmouth College students by the Long Branch Daily Record, students were asked "What do you think you will be doing five years from now?" Bluestone's response was "Selling subway tokens."[6] Bluestone eventually dropped-out and started performing stand-up comedy at 20 years of age.[1]

Career

Bluestone got his start in stand-up in New York City, first in folk clubs and coffee houses in Greenwich Village,[5][7] before becoming a regular performer at the comedy clubs Catch a Rising Star and The Improv in Manhattan.[1][4] He is known for his wry, deadpan delivery and for one-liners.[1][4] He is also known for his dark sense of humor.[8][9] Bluestone admired comedians such as Woody Allen, Jerry Lewis, Rodney Dangerfield and Richard Pryor.[5][10]

In 1972 he started writing for National Lampoon magazine.[5] Bluestone conceived of the magazine's famous cover from their 1973 Death issue.[5] It featured a dog with a gun pointed to his head next to the title "If You Don't Buy This Magazine We'll Kill This Dog," which originated from a joke in Bluestone's stand-up act.[5] Bluestone also produced two pieces for the Death issue titled "23 Ways to Be Offensive at the Funeral of Someone You Didn't Like" and "Telling a Kid His Parents are Dead".[9] It was the magazine's best seller that year.[11] The Lampoon cover was ranked number 7 on the American Society of Magazine Editors' list of the "Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years", published in 2005,[12] and was also one of five covers listed in a 2018 article in The Guardian titled "The best magazine covers ever?"[13]

A syndicated column featuring Bluestone, called "My Favorite Jokes", appeared in American newspapers nationally from 1973 to 1978. Each column opened with note from an unnamed "editor" who would provide a bit of information about Bluestone, followed by a curation of Bluestone's stand-up material.[14][15][16][17][18]

By the mid-1970s Bluestone's name was included in articles on the "new breed" of comedians, alongside names such as Robert Klein, Lily Tomlin, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Richard Lewis, Andy Kaufman and Elayne Boosler.[8][19] He also became a paid regular at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.[20]

He appeared on the variety show Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell in 1975[21] and appeared on three episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1976.[3][22] Bluestone appeared on the Dean Martin variety series Dean Martin's Comedyworld in 1974[23] and Dean's Place in 1976,[24] in addition to serving as a roaster on the Gabe Kaplan and Peter Marshall episodes of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast that aired in 1977.[25][26]

Laugh-In producer George Schlatter visited The Improv to find talent for the show's 1977 revival. Schlatter told the Washington Post: "He hit me with one line. The line was, 'He's a quadrasexual. That means he'll do anything to anybody for a quarter.' When I hear that. I went crazy, and the club went crazy."[27]

Bluestone dropped out of the public eye in the early 1980s. One of his last TV appearances was a 1982 episode of Late Night with David Letterman.[28]

During a Reddit AMA by filmmaker Douglas Tirola about his 2015 documentary Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon, Tirola was asked "Where is Ed Bluestone?", to which Tirola replied: "Ed Bluestone has a cameo in the movie visiting Los Angeles. And I believe he performs standup. He's still funny."[29]

Death

Bluestone died from complications of a stroke on October 24, 2024.[2] He was survived by his ex-wife, brother, and three nieces.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Meehan, Thomas (August 1, 1976). "Breaking in the bananas". The New York Times. New York City, New York, United States. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Ed Bluestone Obituary". Los Angeles Times. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024 – via Legacy.com.
  3. ^ a b c Knoblauch, Edward (July 18, 1976). "Being Funny Hard Work, But It's Fun". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States. p. C1. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. When Ed Bluestone studied speech and drama at Monmouth College, West Long Branch, in the late '60s, he wasn't too happy . . . Bluestone, who was raised in East Orange, left college and became a comedian, writing his own material and working small clubs in Manhattan. He has made recent appearances on Johnny Carson and Merv Griffen shows, and at The Bottom Line in Greenwich Village, and Town Hall, Flushing, NY.
  4. ^ a b c Zoglin, Richard (February 3, 2008). Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America. Bloomsbury USA. ISBN 9781582346243 – via today.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Karp, Josh (2006). A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever. Chicago Review Press. p. 153. ISBN 9781556526022. The most famous cover in Lampoon history began as a joke in the nightclub routine of Ed Bluestone, who'd been contributing to the magazine since 1972. In his early twenties, Bluestone was an angry, abrasive, upper-middle-class Jewish kid from New Jersey who idolized Woody Allen and cut his teeth on early Jerry Lewis. Dropping out of Monmouth College, the former class clown performed in Greenwich Village folk clubs that once hosted Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Bluestone's act was entirely verbal--no faces or noises. One of his jokes was about the kind of record club that [Michael] O'Donoghue berated on his oft-shattered office phone. The bit revolved around a club whose demands for payment got progressively more threatening until they finally sent a picture of their customer's cocker spaniel with a gun to his head. Henry [Beard], on a rare trip out to see live entertainment or a low-brow nature, heard the joke and loved it, and took the concept to [Michael C.] Gross.
  6. ^ Walsh, Ed (October 5, 1967). "Facing the ?uestion". Long Branch Daily Record. Long Branch, New Jersey, United States: Monmouth County Publishing Co. p. 9. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Question -- What do you think you will be doing five years from now? . . . Ed Bluestone, East Orange Student: Selling subway tokens.
  7. ^ Hutchinson, John. "Wine and Roses". Retrieved April 2, 2022. Described as the pride of East Orange, New Jersey. Ed Bluestone's humor was honed in Greenwich Village coffee houses.
  8. ^ a b Nachman, Gerald (March 7, 1975). "The New Comics". Daily News. New York City, New York, United States. p. 80. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Andy Kaufman, Elayne Boosler and Ed Bluestone are three of the funniest nobodies of comedy. If you're worried where all the new young comics are coming from, the most likely answer is 10th Ave. & 46th St., where The Improv is located and where all of the above may be seen on a good weekend night . . . Ed Bluestone behaves more traditionally -- he has a dry, deliberate, unblinking delivery -- but his concepts are equally inspired and insane. He reminds you of Rodney Dangerfield (bulging eyes, forlorn look) but he things like Woody Allen. Bluestone is less blue than black, even sick, but also ingenious, with quantum leaps in comic logic.
  9. ^ a b Karp, Josh (2006). A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever. Chicago Review Press. p. 154. ISBN 9781556526022. The Death issue includes two of Bluestone's best and darkest pieces: "23 Ways to Be Offensive at the Funeral of Someone You Didn't Like" and a series of cartoons entitled "Telling a Kid His Parents are Dead" (adult: "Here's your Halloween costume. You're gonna be an orphan"). In his funeral list, Bluestone suggests that disgruntled mourners: Walk up to the casket and start comparing the size of the deceased clothes to your own. Listen to the baseball game on a transistor radio and react loudly to every pitch. Stand around at the cemetery saying, "At least now he'll no longer be tormented over being impotent." Shake the widow's hand with an electric buzzer. With several other articles in the issue, Bluestone was the definitive voice of the Death issue.
  10. ^ Knoblauch, Edward (July 18, 1976). "Being Funny Hard Work, But It's Fun". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States. p. C4. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. [Bluestone] admires comedians Woody Allen, Rodney Dangerfield and Richie Pryor.
  11. ^ Berger, Phil (2000). The Last Laugh: The World of Stand-up Comics. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 368. ISBN 9780815410966. The January 1973 Lampoon cover that depicted a dog with a gun up against its head and this notation--If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog--was a Bluestone concept too. It drew the magazine's largest mail pull, much of it unamused. The issue was the Lampoon's best seller in 1973.
  12. ^ "Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years". asme.media. American Society of Magazine Editors. October 17, 2005. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  13. ^ Birch, Ian (September 23, 2018). "The best magazine covers ever?". The Guardian. London, England, United Kingdom. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  14. ^ Bluestone, Ed (November 25, 1973). "My favorite jokes". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts, United States. p. 18. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  15. ^ Bluestone, Ed (December 15, 1974). "My favorite jokes". Argus-Leader. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. p. 19. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  16. ^ Bluestone, Ed (May 30, 1976). "My favorite jokes". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California, United States. p. 19. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  17. ^ Bluestone, Ed (May 22, 1977). "My favorite jokes". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas, United States. p. 29. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  18. ^ Bluestone, Ed (July 26, 1978). "My favorite jokes". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee, United States. p. 18. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  19. ^ Mason, Bryant (August 24, 1975). "The Comedians Who Have to Be Funny". Leisure. Daily News. New York City, New York, United States. p. 5. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. For the new breed of comics, of whom [Robert] Klein, Lily Tomlin, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Richard Lewis and Larry Ragland, and Ed Bluestone are examples, the success or failure of a comic is largely determined by his ability to write material.
  20. ^ "Paid Regulars". thecomedystore.com. The Comedy Store. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  21. ^ "Weekend TV Key: Saturday". TV Listings. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. November 22, 1975. p. 19. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 8 p.m. -- Saturday Night Live With Howard Cosell -- Singers Tony Bennett and Linda Hopkins are the main attraction. Broadcast live from New York City, the show will feature Ed Bluestone, a new comedian.
  22. ^ "Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, Season 14 (NBC)(1975-76)". CTVA. The Classic TV Archive. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  23. ^ "Tonight". TV listings. The Albuquerque Tribune. Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. June 27, 1974. p. A19. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 8-9 (Channel 4) -- Dean Martin's Comedyworld has film clips from "What's Up Doc" and Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights," plus appearances by The Committee, Ed Bluestone, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Muledeer and Moondog, Irwin C. Watson, Kelly Montieth, Morecambe and Wise and Alan Bursky.
  24. ^ "Today's Hi-Lites". TV listings. Asheville Citizen-Times. Asheville, North Carolina, United States. January 10, 1976. p. 8. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Dean's Place: Dean Martin returns for his second variety special. Guests: Peter Graves, Jack Cassidy, Foster Brooks, Vincent Gardenia, Guy Marks and the Golddiggers. Also appearing are comedians Ed Bluestone, Kelly Monteith and Mike Preminger, singers Freddy Fender and Jesse Colter, the Untouchables vocal group and the Committee, an improvisational group.
  25. ^ "Monday Evening". TV listings. The News Leader. Staunton, Virginia, United States. May 1, 1977. p. 5. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Dean's Martin Celebrity Roast: Peter Marshall is "roasted" by Martin and guest Orson Wells, Paul Lynde, Rose Marie, Jack Carter, Joey Bishop, Ed Bluestone, Foster Brooks and many, many others.
  26. ^ "Monday Evening". TV listings. Carlsbad Current-Argus. Carlsbad, New Mexica, United States. February 21, 1977. p. B7. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Gabe Kaplan is 'roasted' by host Dean Martin and Orson Welles, Jimmie Walker, Alice Ghostley, Joe Garagiola, Johnny Bench, Liz Torres, Ed Bluestone, Charo, Abe Vigoda, Billy Crystal, Howard Cosell, Nipsey Russell, George Kirby, Charlie Callas, Milton Berle and Red Buttons.
  27. ^ Vanocur, Sander (May 25, 1977). "The Son Of 'Laugh-In'". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C., United States. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  28. ^ "TV Tonight". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California, United States. May 27, 1982. p. E9. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Late Night With David Letterman: singer Grace Jones, comedian Ed Bluestone, cooking show host Mollie Fitzgerald.
  29. ^ "Documentary Filmmaker Doug Tirola here – AMA!". Reddit. October 1, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2022.