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Veteran TV comedy writer Sheldon Keller dies at 85

Sheldon Keller, a comedy writer who collaborated with Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner on the 1950's 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 at his home in Valencia, his son, Casey, said.

"He was on one of the greatest shows on television," Casey Keller said of "Caesar's Hour." "It created a huge reputation for him that lasted for many years."

A son of Polish immigrants who grew up in Chicago, Keller moved 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, which was 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   Read Full Article...