Phil Silvers (May , â€" November , ) was an American entertainer and
comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a
professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved
major popularity when he starred in The Phil Silvers Show, a s sitcom
set on a U.S. Army post in which he played Master Sergeant Ernest
(Ernie) Bilko. He also starred in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad
World (), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (). He is
a winner of two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on The Phil Silvers
Show and two Tony Awards for his performances in Top Banana and A
Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.Born Philip Silver or
Philip Silversmith on May , , in Brooklyn, New York, in the
working-class Brownsville section, he was the eighth and youngest
child of Russian Jewish immigrants, Saul and Sarah (née Handler)
Silver. His siblings were Lillian, Harry, Jack, Saul, Pearl, Michael,
and Reuben Silver. His father, a sheet metal worker, helped build the
early New York skyscrapers.Silvers began entertaining at the age of ,
when he would sing in theaters when the film projector broke (a common
occurrence in those days), to the point where he was allowed to keep
attending the same movie theater free of charge, to sing through any
future breakdowns. By age , he was working as a singer in the Gus
Edwards Revue. Subsequently, he worked in vaudeville and as a
burlesque comic.Silvers next worked in short films for the Vitaphone
studio, such as Ups and Downs (), and on Broadway, where he made his
début in the short-lived show Yokel Boy in . Critics raved about
Silvers, who was hailed as the bright spot in the mediocre play. The
Broadway revue High Kickers () was based on his concept.
comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a
professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved
major popularity when he starred in The Phil Silvers Show, a s sitcom
set on a U.S. Army post in which he played Master Sergeant Ernest
(Ernie) Bilko. He also starred in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad
World (), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (). He is
a winner of two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on The Phil Silvers
Show and two Tony Awards for his performances in Top Banana and A
Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.Born Philip Silver or
Philip Silversmith on May , , in Brooklyn, New York, in the
working-class Brownsville section, he was the eighth and youngest
child of Russian Jewish immigrants, Saul and Sarah (née Handler)
Silver. His siblings were Lillian, Harry, Jack, Saul, Pearl, Michael,
and Reuben Silver. His father, a sheet metal worker, helped build the
early New York skyscrapers.Silvers began entertaining at the age of ,
when he would sing in theaters when the film projector broke (a common
occurrence in those days), to the point where he was allowed to keep
attending the same movie theater free of charge, to sing through any
future breakdowns. By age , he was working as a singer in the Gus
Edwards Revue. Subsequently, he worked in vaudeville and as a
burlesque comic.Silvers next worked in short films for the Vitaphone
studio, such as Ups and Downs (), and on Broadway, where he made his
début in the short-lived show Yokel Boy in . Critics raved about
Silvers, who was hailed as the bright spot in the mediocre play. The
Broadway revue High Kickers () was based on his concept.
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