Eddie Lawrence

Eddie Lawrence was an actor and comedian known for his “Old Philosopher” comedy routine and his work on Paramount cartoons from 1961-1965.

Lawrence first debuted his three-minute, well-known routine “The Old Philosopher” in 1956. The performance earned a place on the Top 40 Billboard chart and helped the popular comedian land spots in multiple comic sketches, commercials and televisions shows including The Steve Allen Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Lawrence also explored acting through roles in the off-Broadway production The Threepenny Opera and the Broadway show Bells Are Ringing. In addition, he lent his voice to on-screen cartoons such as Percy and Ralph (later renamed Swifty and Shorty) in over a dozen Paramount shorts in the 1960s.

In 1965, Lawrence tried his hand at writing lyrics and dialogue for Kelly, a show based on the story of Steve Brodie, who survived jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886. While one of the songs, "I’ll Never Go There Anymore," was successful, the production as a whole is considered one of the biggest flops in Broadway history. It opened on February 6 and closed one day later. In 1998, the York Theater Company honored neglected Broadway scores and performed a concert version of the production.

Born as Lawrence Eisler, the comedian performed in variety shows at the Roxy Theater in the 1930s and worked as a disc jockey during World War II. After the war, he did impersonations on the radio and used the G.I. Bill to study painting in Paris with Fernand Léger. Lawrence exhibited his work in galleries and signed his paintings with his real name.

Over the course of his career, Lawrence produced multiple albums of comedy sketches, including variations of “The Old Philosopher.” He performed standup comedy into his eighties. Nickelodeon introduced his work to a younger audience by re-running his cartoons in the 1990s.

Lawrence died in on March 25, 2014, in New York City. He was 98.