The sudden death of comedian Harry Einstein on stage in 1958 changed showbiz history forever and deeply affected his son, Albert Brooks. Decades later, Brooks has recounted the surreal events of that fateful night.
Einstein, known professionally as Nick Parkyakarkus, was a master of Greek dialect comedy. On Nov. 23, 1958, he took the stage at the Friars Club to roast Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz during their induction ceremony. These would be Einstein’s last moments.
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At the HBO and Max Emmy Nominee Celebration on Sunday, Aug. 11, Brooks, alongside friend and fellow comedian Rob Reiner, shared the bizarre details of his father’s final performance. “Then he sat down at the desk and he died,” Reiner said via People, setting the stage for Brooks’ recollection. “And people say, ‘Why don’t you do stand up?’” Brooks quipped.
He continued, “So there was a very famous singer named Tony Martin — older generation, but he had the number one song in the country at that time — and Milton Berle was there when my father dropped his head. It was at the Beverly Hilton. They said, ‘Is there a doctor in the house?’ A third of the audience came up and they took him backstage and they literally cut them open with a pen knife and tried to [save him]. Nothing worked.”
Albert, only 11 years old at the time, watched the bittersweet scene unfold. “But Milton Berle was still Mr. Show Business, and the audience was sitting there stunned, and Milton Berle was going, ‘What do we do?’ He said to Tony Martin, ‘Get up there, sing your hit.’ And Tony Martin got up and he sang and his hit was called, ‘There’s No Tomorrow.’”
Doctors tried in vain for two hours to resuscitate the comedian, but Einstein was pronounced dead at 1:20 a.m. on Nov. 24. The cause of death was a massive heart attack.
Brooks couldn’t help but point out the irony of that song playing as his dad died, noting that “comedy followed his father everywhere.” Despite the tragic circumstances, Einstein’s professionalism left a lasting impression on his son. “I was amazed that he got through the entire routine,” Brooks remarked.
The event became a part of Brooks’ comedic act, a sign of his ability to find the humor in anything. “So there was a very famous singer named Tony Martin — older generation, but he had the number one song in the country at that time — and Milton Berle was there when my father dropped his head,” he explained in his Emmy-nominated documentary, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, per People.
At the end of that fateful evening, Arnaz, Einstein’s friend, delivered a poignant closing statement: “This is one of those moments that Lucy and I have waited a lifetime for but it’s meaningless now. They say the show must go on. But why must it? Let’s close the show now by praying for this wonderful man backstage who made the world laugh.”
For Brooks, it became a significant chapter in his family history, one that he’s revisited throughout his career with a mix of humor and reverence. He later changed his surname from Einstein to Brooks to forge his own identity in comedy. From his Academy Award-nominated performance in Broadcast News to his voice work as Marlin in Finding Nemo, he achieved fame as a comedian, actor, and filmmaker.
