LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Sheldon Keller, a writer who collaborated
with Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner on the
1950s sketch comedy show "Caesar's Hour" and wrote variety shows
for Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren and other stars, has died. He was
85.
Keller died Monday of complications from Alzheimer's disease,
his son Casey said.
A son of Polish immigrants, Keller moved from Chicago to New
York in the early 1950s to pursue a career in comedy. He found
success in 1955 when he joined the renowned writing staff that
worked on Sid Caesar's television show, a spinoff of the popular
program "Your Show of Shows."
Keller was the inspiration for the character Milton in the
Broadway play "Laughter on the 23rd Floor," based on Simon's time
working on the shows, his son said.
He also wrote variety shows for such stars as Sinatra, Loren,
Dick Van Dyke, Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore. He won an Emmy for a
show he wrote for Carol Channing.
Keller also had a successful career as a composer and songwriter
and performed in a jazz band with actors George Segal and Conrad
Janis.