Suicide May be Painless, but Metastasis is a Bitch

Larry Gelbart, the genius whose caustic wit brought M*A*S*H to the small screen and whose absence let the show slip into preachy sermonizing, has died of cancer at the age of 81. With Gene Reynolds, Gelbart produced and developed M*A*S*H, writing and directing many episodes over the first 4 years and setting the tone for the show, with a talented ensemble cast, multiple plots and mixing of snappy one-liners and slapstick comedy with the drama of war. Gelbart’s career began in radio as a joke writer for Jack Paar, Eddie Cantor and Bob Hope, before moving to TV with Red Buttons and Sid Caesar. Gelbart was at home in any medium, with Tonys and Emmys and Oscar nominations to his credit. In addition to M*A*S*H, he wrote the book for Broadway hit A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and the screenplays for Oh, God! and Tootsie.