American Actor and Comedian. In a career that spanned eight decades, he endeared himself to generations of audiences as "Professor Corey, the World’s Foremost Authority", whose nonsensical monologues were laced with mock-intellectual routines filled with malapropisms and non sequiturs. He debuted on Broadway in a musical revue called 'New Faces of 1943'. He was drafted into the Army during World War II, appearing as the peddler Ali Hakim in a production of the musical 'Oklahoma!' for a U.S.O. tour of Europe. After his discharge, he became a regular in nightclubs in New York and Washington, D.C. Instantly recognizable for his disheveled-looking appearance with his frazzled hair sprouting in all directions, his signature outfit was a black tuxedo with tails, a string tie and a ratty pair of high-tops. He became a regular on late-night television talk shows from the 1950s onward and would also appear in nightclubs from London to Los Angeles. In the 1960 election, he launched a short-lived presidential campaign on Hugh Hefner’s Playboy ticket with the slogan: “Professor Corey will run for any party and bring his own bottle". He had roles in several films, among them 'How to Commit Marriage' (1969), 'Car Wash' (1976), 'Chatterbox!' (1977), 'The Comeback Trail' (1982), 'Crackers' (1984), That's Adequate' (1989), 'Jack' (1996), 'The Boys Behind the Desk' (2000), 'The Curse of the Jade Scorpion' (2001) and 'Irwin & Fran' (2013). Corey died at age 102 of natural causes.
American Actor and Comedian. In a career that spanned eight decades, he endeared himself to generations of audiences as "Professor Corey, the World’s Foremost Authority", whose nonsensical monologues were laced with mock-intellectual routines filled with malapropisms and non sequiturs. He debuted on Broadway in a musical revue called 'New Faces of 1943'. He was drafted into the Army during World War II, appearing as the peddler Ali Hakim in a production of the musical 'Oklahoma!' for a U.S.O. tour of Europe. After his discharge, he became a regular in nightclubs in New York and Washington, D.C. Instantly recognizable for his disheveled-looking appearance with his frazzled hair sprouting in all directions, his signature outfit was a black tuxedo with tails, a string tie and a ratty pair of high-tops. He became a regular on late-night television talk shows from the 1950s onward and would also appear in nightclubs from London to Los Angeles. In the 1960 election, he launched a short-lived presidential campaign on Hugh Hefner’s Playboy ticket with the slogan: “Professor Corey will run for any party and bring his own bottle". He had roles in several films, among them 'How to Commit Marriage' (1969), 'Car Wash' (1976), 'Chatterbox!' (1977), 'The Comeback Trail' (1982), 'Crackers' (1984), That's Adequate' (1989), 'Jack' (1996), 'The Boys Behind the Desk' (2000), 'The Curse of the Jade Scorpion' (2001) and 'Irwin & Fran' (2013). Corey died at age 102 of natural causes.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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