Artie Auerbach
| Artie "Mr. Kitzel" Auerbach | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Arthur Auerbach |
| Born |
May 17, 1903 New York City, NY |
| Died | October 3, 1957 (aged 54) Van Nuys, California, U.S. |
| Show |
The Jack Benny Program The Abbott and Costello Show |
| Style | Comedian |
| Country | United States |
Arthur (Artie) Auerbach (May 17, 1903 - October 3, 1957), was an American comic actor and professional photographer who became famous as “Mr. Kitzel”, first on the Al Pearce radio show in 1937 then as a regular on the Jack Benny radio show for 12 years. He also worked with Phil Baker before joining the Jack Benny Show.
Artie Auerbach had a successful career as a reporter and photographer for the New York tabloid Daily Mirror and the New York Daily News. Among the more famous stories he covered were the Lindbergh kidnapping and the Hall-Mills murder case. Reportedly, he once took an illegal picture of a person in the electric chair. While a photographer, Auerbach had become very popular at private parties by telling Yiddish anecdotes. It was during his days as a press photographer when Auerbach had the inspiration for the character that would prove to give him his greatest fame. He was on an assignment at a Bronx drug store when he heard a voice singing a popular song of the time, "Yes, Sir, That My Baby" with a strong Yiddish dialect and he loved the voice and personality. He would take that character and evolve it into the lovable and laughable Mr. Kitzel. Auerbach and the druggist who inspired the character, Maurice Adollf, became long-time close friends. Auerbach described Adollf as "a wealthy man who had found peace of mind... the thing we are all battling to find." When Auerbach began to find work as a comedian, he didn't quit the newspaper, but simply took a leave of absence. However, even by 1941, despite then appearing regularly on various radio programs, he still felt insecure about his future in show business and asked his newspaper for his seventh consecutive leave of absence.
Auerbach's career in show business began when he was discovered by Phil Baker who loved his dialect humor. Auerbach was a master of some 30 dialects. Baker introduced Auerbach to Lew Brown, and in 1934 he made his stage debut in the Broadway revue Calling All Stars as a hillbilly. Auerbach had first submitted comedy sketches for Brown with the intention of selling the material. However, Brown agreed to use them only if Auerbach performed them himself. It was at the point the character of Mr. Kitzel, which means "to tickle or make laugh" in Yiddish, was first performed.
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