Mort Sahl
Mort Sahl was a pioneering comedian known for his incisive commentary on American politics, particularly during the Cold War era. He first gained prominence in 1953 at San Francisco's hungry i nightclub, where he boldly satirized government actions and societal issues, even in the face of McCarthyism. Sahl's style was distinctive, characterized by free-ranging monologues that were insightful yet non-obscene, positioning him as an "iconoclast in the nightclub." His performances often targeted the House Committee on Un-American Activities, exposing the absurdities of the political climate of his time. Despite his critical approach, Sahl faced challenges in mainstream media, as his humor was deemed too cerebral for mass television audiences.
In addition to his comedic work, Sahl was involved in the investigation of President John F. Kennedy's assassination alongside New Orleans district attorney James Garrison, which impacted his career and bookings. He later transitioned to screenwriting and college lectures but eventually returned to the stage with a one-man show in 1994. Sahl continued to perform into his late eighties and remained a vocal advocate for comedians to engage with pressing political issues, reflecting his enduring commitment to using humor as a tool for social commentary.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Mort Sahl
Identification: Canadian comedian and screenwriter
Significance: Sahl was an innovative political satirist whose publicly stated disbelief of the official account of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination hurt his entertainment career
Comedian Mort Sahl introduced a hipster’s view of America’s Cold War politics to audiences at San Francisco’s legendary hungry i nightclub in 1953. Undaunted by McCarthyism, Sahl satirized the House Committee on Un-American Activities: “Every time the Russians throw an American in jail, HUAC retaliates—by throwing an American in jail.” Dubbed the “iconoclast in the nightclub,” Sahl stood apart from television vaudeville and Las Vegas stand-up comedy. Never obscene and rarely even acerbic, Sahl was still regarded as a dangerous comedian; his free-ranging monologues good-naturedly revealed the emperor without clothes. It was a winning style in nightclubs and on the jazz circuit, but it unnerved the show business establishment, who doubted that Sahl would appeal to mass television audiences. Sahl himself acknowledged that more than any other form of censorship, he “ran into intellectual censorship against the audience . . . the most dangerous censorship of all.”
From 1966 to 1970, Sahl assisted New Orleans district attorney James Garrison in his independent investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Sahl’s unstinting promotion of Garrison cost him television appearances and nightclub bookings, so he turned to Hollywood screenwriting and college appearances. In 1994, he returned to the stage in a one-man show, “Mort Sahl’s America.”
In 2007, a group of influential comedians including Jay Leno, George Carlin, and Drew Carey gathered together for a tribute event in honor of Sahl's eightieth birthday. By 2015, Sahl had settled in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco. In his late eighties and performing regularly at the Throckmorton Theatre, he has criticized contemporary comedians for shying away from committing to truly rattling political cages through their acts.
Bibliography
Hopper, Tristin. "Mort Sahl Invented Stand-Up Comedy—So What's He doing at a Community Theatre in Northern California?" National Post. Postmedia Network, 25 May 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Kogan, Rick. "Happy Birthday to Mort Sahl, a Comic without Parallel." Chicago Tribune. Tribune, 4 May 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Nachman, Gerald. "Comedy's Lion in Winter." American Spectator. Amer. Spectator, Apr. 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Thompson, Stephen. "Mort Sahl." A.V. Club. Onion, 7 Jan. 2004. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Wolcott, James. "Mort the Knife." Vanity Fair. Condé Nast, Aug. 2007. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.