Sid Caesar, award-winning actor and comedian, dead at 91

USPA News - American actor and comedian Sid Caesar, whose sketches lit up television in the 1950s, died at his home in Southern California on Wednesday, the private club where he was a member said. He was 91. Caesar died early Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills after a brief illness, biographer and family friend Eddy Friedfeld told the Los Angeles Times.

Jerry Lewis, Abbot of the private Friars Club in New York City, also confirmed Caesar`s death. "The Friars Club is deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of the true comic geniuses of the 20th century. Friar Sid Caesar leaves behind a legacy that is equaled by very few," Lewis said. "His work on `Your Show of Shows` remains the gold standard by which all sketch comedy is judged. He shall forever be the patron saint of that unique art form." TV host Larry King also responded to Caesar`s death, calling him a close friend. "Sorry to learn about the passing of Sid Caesar - a dear friend, a comic genius & an American classic. There will never be another one like him," he wrote on the social networking website Twitter. Caesar, a comedic genius whose sketches lit up 1950`s television, was a pioneer of television sketch comedy and may best be remembered for his work on the hit-television shows "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar`s Hour." During the seven year span that the two television shows ran, between 1950 and 1957, Caesar was responsible for gathering and introducing many other talented comedians to the screen, such as Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, and Neil Simon. Caesar, a two-time Emmy award winner and Tony award nominee, also experienced success on Broadway in the musical "Little Me" and in several films including "Grease" and its sequel, "Grease 2." Sid Caesar is survived by three children, Michele, Karen, and Rick. His wife of nearly seven decades, Florence Caesar, died in 2010.