Willie Gilbert

Willie Gilbert (24 February 1916 – 2 December 1980) was an American author and playwright. Born William Gomberg in Cleveland, Ohio, Gilbert's proclivity for creating gags emerged as the humor writer for the Glenville High School Torch on which he worked alongside future playwright Jerome Lawrence and the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. After earning a BS in education he moved to New York City to pursue a career as a comedian. There he discovered that his physician, Jack Weinstock, had a skill for writing, and soon the two were contributing sketch comedy to night-club performers including Kaye Ballard and Eileen Barton, and then to the Broadway review Tickets Please. They…