Born in Chicago, IL, the son of a barber. Gelbart honed his comic skills on radio and TV, contributing material for Danny Thomas on the Fanny Brice radio program at age 16. He wrote routines for Eddie Cantor, Bob Hope and Jack Paar before moving to TV and "The Red Buttons Show" in 1952. Although frequently cited as one of the legendary stable of comedy writers (Neil Simon, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen) for Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows," Gelbart actually joined Caesar after the show ended, and worked on "Caesar's Hour" (1954), which was a show very much like "Your Show of Shows." Gelbart wrote the first of many plays in 1950 and his first screenplay, THE NOTORIOUS LANDLADY, in 1962. He is perhaps best known for the uproarious 1966 Stephen Sondheim musical A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (co-written with Burt Shevelove) and his Tony® Award-winning Hollywood satire City of Angels (1990). Gelbart also scripted the Bryan Forbes gem THE WRONG BOX (1966) and was one of many collaborators on Sydney Pollack's TOOTSIE (1982), as well as producing and writing the long-running TV series, "M*A*S*H." Other notable screenwriting credits, alone or in collaboration, include THE THRILL OF IT ALL (1963 - story), NOT WITH MY WIFE, YOU DON'T! (1966), OH, GOD! (1977), MOVIE MOVIE (1978), ROUGH CUT (1980 - as Francis Burns), NEIGHBORS (1981), BLAME IT ON RIO (1984), BEDAZZLED (screenplay & director) and C-SCAM (also producer) (both 2000) and "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself" (2003, TV - also producer). He has been married since 1956 to film (GOOD NEWS, 1947) and Broadway (Mr. Wonderful, 1956) musical performer Patricia Marshall.  Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay based on material from another medium) 1977: OH, GOD!  Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay written directly for the screen) 1982: TOOTSIE (w. Murray Schisgal & Don McGuire) 2 nominations