Shecky Greene
Also known as Fred Sheldon Greenfield
Who Shecky Greene is
Shecky Greene was a stand-up comedian and actor from Chicago who became a headliner in Las Vegas nightclubs and lounges in the 1950s and 1960s. After starting out at the Prevue Lounge in New Orleans, he opened at the Last Frontier in Las Vegas in 1954 and headlined at the Tropicana from 1957 for five years. He made 40 appearances on The Tonight Show, where he also served as a guest host, played Pvt. Braddock on Combat! and acted in films including Tony Rome, History of the World, Part I and Splash.
At a glance
- Born
- 1926
- Died
- 2023
- Based in
- Las Vegas, NV
- Came up through
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Stand-up specials
- Shecky Greene
- Albums
- A Day at the Races
- On screen
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Combat!, The Merv Griffin Show and 5 more
- Official site
- sheckygreene.com ↗
Specials, shows and podcasts
Stand-up specials
- Shecky Greene 1977, HBO
Albums
- A Day at the Races 1979
On screen
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson guest host; 40 appearances on The Tonight Show
- Combat! Pvt. Braddock, 1962–63 season
- The Merv Griffin Show guest and occasional guest host
- The Ed Sullivan Show guest
- The Love Boat Paul Baynes, 1977
- Tony Rome Catleg, 1967
- History of the World, Part I Marcus Vindictus, 1981
- Splash Mr. Buyrite, 1984
Where they got their start
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson guest host; 40 appearances
Came up the same way
Other comedians in SUCDb who came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson:
Comedians like Shecky Greene
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Totie Fields also in The Merv Griffin Show
- Dick Shawn also in The Ed Sullivan Show
- Flip Wilson also in The Ed Sullivan Show
- Rodney Dangerfield also in The Ed Sullivan Show
- Moms Mabley also in The Merv Griffin Show
- Andy Kaufman also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Bill Engvall also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Bob Newhart also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Career timeline
- 1926Born
- 1962Combat! (Pvt. Braddock, 1962–63 season) On screen
- 1967Tony Rome (Catleg, 1967) On screen
- 1977Shecky Greene (1977, HBO) Special
- 1977The Love Boat (Paul Baynes, 1977) On screen
- 1979A Day at the Races (1979) Album
- 1981History of the World, Part I (Marcus Vindictus, 1981) On screen
- 1984Splash (Mr. Buyrite, 1984) On screen
- 2023Died
Questions about Shecky Greene
What stand-up specials has Shecky Greene released?
Shecky Greene.
What TV shows and films are they in?
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Combat!, The Merv Griffin Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Love Boat and Tony Rome, among 8 credits.
Where did they get their start?
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (guest host; 40 appearances).
Where are they based?
Las Vegas, NV, as their record gives it.
Who are some comedians like them?
Totie Fields (also in The Merv Griffin Show), Dick Shawn (also in The Ed Sullivan Show), Flip Wilson (also in The Ed Sullivan Show), Rodney Dangerfield (also in The Ed Sullivan Show) and Moms Mabley (also in The Merv Griffin Show).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Shecky Greene ↗ Birth name, birth and death dates and places, Chicago roots, Prevue Lounge in New Orleans, Last Frontier opening in 1954, Tropicana headliner from 1957, Las…
- Shecky Greene — official site ↗ Official site
- Shecky Greene — official site, The Story ↗ Guest host on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show; Private Braddock on the first (1962–63) season of Combat!; Las Vegas casinos and lounges
- Wikipedia — On Location (TV series) ↗ HBO On Location special Shecky Greene, premiered 16 December 1977
- Discogs — Shecky Greene, A Day at the Races ↗ Comedy LP A Day at the Races, Laff Records A204, 1979
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 27 September 2026