Biography: Larry Simon Gelbart was born on February 25, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. He worked for the Armed Forces Radio Service in Los Angeles shortly after World War II. He began writing comedy scripts at sixteen. He married Patricia Marshall, with whom he had his children Becky Gelbart-Barton and Adam. He published his memoir, "Laughing Matters: On Writing M*A*S*H, Tootsie, Oh, God! and a Few Other Funny Things," in 1997.

Film/TV Credits: Film credits include: "Tootsie," "Bedazzled," "Blame It on Rio," "Neighbors," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Oh, God!," "The Thrill of It All," "The Wrong Box," and "Rough Cut." Television credits include: "Frasier," "M*A*S*H," "Three's Company," "After MASH," "Great Performances," and "General Electric Theater."

Other Awards: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for "M*A*S*H" in 1974. Inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2002. Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2008.

Trivia:
The marquees of Broadway theaters were dimmed in his honor on September 15, 2009.