 "professor" irwin corey (born july 29, 1914) is an american comic, film actor and activist, often billed as "the world's foremost authority". he introduced his unscripted, improvisational style of stand-up comedy at the well-known san francisco club, the hungry i. lenny bruce once described corey as "one of the most brilliant comedians of all time".kitty bruce (ed.), the almost unpublished lenny bruce: from the private collection of kitty bruce, running press, 1984. p. 10 ==personal life== corey was born in 1914 in brooklyn, new york. poverty-stricken, his parents were forced to place him in the hebrew orphan asylum of new york, where corey remained until his early teens, when he rode the rails out to california, and enrolled himself at belmont high school in los angeles. during the great depression he worked for the civilian conservation corps and, while working his way back east, became a featherweight golden gloves boxing champion. corey supported left-wing politics. "when i tried to join the communist party, they called me an anarchist." he has appeared in support of cuban children, mumia abu-jamal, and the american communist party, and was blacklisted in the 1950s, the effects of which he says still linger to this day. (corey never returned to late night with david letterman after his first appearance in 1982, which he claimed was a result of the blacklist still being in effect.knipfel, jim. who am the worldâs foremost authority? new york press, 2001.) during the 1960 election, corey campaigned for president on hugh hefner's playboy ticket.[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/nyregion/14comedian.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=irwin+corey&st=nyt&oref=slogin kilgannon,
1914_births American_Jews American_boxers American_centenarians American_male_film_actors American_stand-up_comedians Civilian_Conservation_Corps_people Jewish_comedians Living_people Male_actors_from_New_York_City Sportspeople_from_Brooklyn United_States_Army_soldiers