Biography
Harold (Hal) Goodman was a comedy writer whose career began in radio programming. Originally from the east coast, Goodman moved to Los Angeles in the 1940's sometime after being signed by the James L. Saphier Agency. Throughout the 1940's and early 1950's Goodman collaborated on radio scripts for Bob Hope, Milton Berle and The Martin and Lewis Show radio programs.
Goodman began writing for television programs in the 1950's, working briefly on such shows as The Red Skelton Show and The Steve Allen Show . Johnny Carson, also a writer for Red Skelton at the time, later worked with Goodman on his 1955 program The Johnny Carson Show. Goodman also wrote for a number of musical variety television programs, including The Carol Burnett Show, The Flip Wilson Show, The Julie Andrews Hour, and The Jerry Lewis Show . It was around this time Goodman began collaborating with Larry Klein, a fellow television writer and producer, and the two would continue to collaborate for the rest of Goodman's career.
When The Tonight Show featuring Johnny Carson moved from New York to California in 1972, Goodman and Klein joined the writing team. Goodman was nominated for Emmy Awards on a number of occasion throughout his career, but garnered only one for his work on The Flip Wilson Show, in 1971. Goodman died in 1997 in Los Angeles, CA from prostate cancer.
From the guide to the Hal Goodman papers, 1940-1993, (bulk 1969-1988), (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Performing Arts Special Collections.)
