Larry Gelbart, the creative force behind the long-running hit television series, “M*A*S*H,” died Sept. 11 of cancer. He was 81.
Gelbart was born in 1928 in Chicago. His Latvian father worked as a barber and his Polish mother was a seamstress; Gelbart spoke only Yiddish until the age of four. His career began in radio during World War II when he was a 16-year-old student at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.
Gelbart’s 60-year career included co-authoring the Broadway farce, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and the Oscar-nominated screenplay for the film comedy “Tootsie.”
He is survived by his wife, Patricia Marshall; and four children.
