Henny Youngman

Uncommon card · No. 158604

Henry "Henny" Youngman (March 16, 1906 – February 24, 1998) was an American comedian and musician famous for his mastery of the "one-liner", his best known being "Take my wife... please". Youngman's routine consisted of telling simple one-liner jokes in an age when many comedians told elaborate anecdotes; he also would occasionally perform an interlude of violin playing. His jokes depicted simple, cartoon-like situations, eliminating lengthy build-ups and going straight to the punch line. Youngman was known as "the King of the One-Liners", a title conferred by columnist Walter Winchell. His typical stage performance lasted only 15 to 20 minutes but contained dozens of jokes in rapid succession.

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