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Leonard B. Stern

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Screenwriter

The Resume

    (December 23, 1923-June 7, 2011)
    Born in New York City, New York
    Screenwriter for the films 'Ma and Pa Kettle Go To Town' (1950), 'Abbot and Costello in the Foreign Legion' (1950), 'Just You & Me, Kid' (1979) and 'Missing Pieces' (1992)
    Writer for 'The Honeymooners,' 'The Tonight Show with Steve Allen,' 'The Steve Allen Show,' 'The Phil Silvers Show' and 'The Jackie Gleason Show'
    Producer/writer for 'Get Smart'
    Creator/director/writer for 'McMillan and Wife'
    With Roger Price, co-creator of the game 'Mad Libs'

Why he might be annoying:

    'Mad Libs' was initially rejected by book publishers for being too much like a game and by games manufacturers for being too much like a book.
    He took advantage of his status as a writer for the 'Steve Allen Show' by having Allen promote Mad Libs on the air.
    His death seemed to inspire obituary writers to get all Mad-Libby. (New York Times: 'With that, Mad Libs sold ______ [adverb].' Entertainment Weekly: 'Leonard Stern, an _______ [adjective] writer....')
    Maybe you were luckier, but we always seemed to get stuck playing with the kid who thought 'poop' was the all-time funniest word, producing gems like, ''Poop!' cried Ed as he jumped poopily into his convertible poop.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was married to actress Gloria Stroock for 55 years until his death.
    He won two writing Emmys, for 'The Phil Silver Show' (1957) and 'Get Smart' (1967).
    He and Price self-published Mad Libs, which went through over 120 titles and 150 million in total sales.
    'Mad Libs' are up there with 'Schoolhouse Rock!' as the two least painful ways of learning parts of speech.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 7 Votes: 14.29% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 6 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 46.67% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 23 Votes: 60.87% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 86 Votes: 53.49% Annoying