Bennett Cerf was a man of many talents and achievements. He was a writer, publisher, editor, humorist, and television personality. He co-founded Random House, one of the most influential publishing houses in America, and published some of the greatest authors of the 20th century, such as William Faulkner, James Joyce, Ayn Rand, and Dr. Seuss. He also appeared for over 17 years on the popular panel game show What’s My Line?, where he showcased his wit and charm. But how did this remarkable man die? What was the Bennett Cerf cause of death?
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The Early Life and Career of Bennett Cerf
Bennett Alfred Cerf was born on May 25, 1898, in Manhattan, New York, to a Jewish family of Alsatian and German origin. His father Gustave Cerf was a lithographer; his mother, Frederika Wise, was heiress to a tobacco-distribution fortune. She died when Bennett was 15; shortly afterward, her brother Herbert moved into the Cerf household and became a strong literary and social influence on the teenager. [according to Wikipedia]
Cerf graduated from Townsend Harris High School in 1916, the same public school as publisher Richard Simon, author Herman Wouk, and playwright Howard Dietz. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College of Columbia University (1919) and his Litt.B. (1920) from its School of Journalism. After graduation, he briefly worked as a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune and for some time in a Wall Street brokerage. He then was named a vice-president of the publishing firm Boni & Liveright. [according to Wikipedia]
In 1925, Cerf and Donald S. Klopfer formed a partnership to purchase the rights to the Modern Library imprint from Boni & Liveright, and they went into business for themselves. They increased the popularity of the series, which consisted of reprints of classic books, and in 1927, they began publishing general trade books that they had selected “at random”. This began their publishing business, which in time they named Random House. It used as its logo a little house drawn by Cerf’s friend and fellow Columbia alumnus Rockwell Kent. [according to Wikipedia]
Cerf’s talent in building and maintaining relationships brought contracts with such writers as William Faulkner, John O’Hara, Eugene O’Neill, James Michener, Truman Capote, Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), and others. He published Atlas Shrugged, written by Ayn Rand, though he vehemently disagreed with her philosophy of Objectivism. He admired her “sincerity” and “brilliance”, and the two became lifelong friends. In 1933, Cerf won United States v. One Book Called Ulysses, a landmark court case against government censorship, and thereafter he was the first in the United States to publish James Joyce’s unabridged Ulysses. [according to Wikipedia]
The Television Fame and Fortune of Bennett Cerf
Cerf was not only a successful publisher but also a prolific writer and humorist. He wrote more than 20 books of jokes, puns, anecdotes, and trivia, such as Try and Stop Me (1944), Shake Well Before Using (1949), The Life of the Party (1956), Out on a Limerick (1960), and Bennett Cerf’s Book of Laughs (1965). He also wrote several children’s books, such as The Animal Kingdom (1944), The Laugh’s on Me (1959), More Riddles (1961), and Bennett Cerf’s Book of Riddles (1964). He also edited several anthologies of humor, poetry, and literature, such as An Encyclopedia of Modern American Humor (1954), The Pocket Book of Humorous Verse (1956), Famous Ghost Stories (1944), Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural (1944), Sixteen Famous American Plays (1941), Sixteen Famous British Plays (1942), Sixteen Famous European Plays (1943), A Treasury of Great Poems (1947), A Treasury of Great Reporting (1949), A Treasury of Laughter (1946), A Treasury of War Poetry (1943), A Treasury of Gilbert & Sullivan (1941), A Treasury of Mark Twain (1948), A Treasury of Damon Runyon (1958), A Treasury of Stephen Foster (1946), A Treasury of American Folklore (1944), A Treasury of Mississippi River Folklore (1955), A Treasury of Southern Folklore (1949), A Treasury of New England Folklore (1959), A Treasury of Western Folklore (1951), A Treasury of Railroad Folklore (1953), A Treasury of Sea Stories (1956), and A Treasury of Fishing Stories (1958). [according to Wikipedia]
Cerf was also a regular guest on radio and television shows, where he displayed his wit and humor. He was a panelist on the radio quiz show Information Please from 1938 to 1948, and on the television panel game show What’s My Line? from 1950 to 1967. He also appeared on other shows, such as The Jack Benny Program, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Dick Cavett Show. He was known for his friendly and jovial personality, his distinctive laugh, and his trademark bow tie. He was also a popular lecturer and speaker, traveling across the country to entertain audiences with his stories and jokes. [according to Wikipedia]
The Bennett Cerf Cause of Death: How He Died
Cerf died of natural causes in Mount Kisco, New York, on August 27, 1971, aged 73. He was survived by his wife Phyllis Fraser, whom he married in 1940, and their two sons, Christopher Cerf and Jonathan Cerf. Christopher Cerf is a writer, composer, producer, and co-founder of the Children’s Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop), which produces Sesame Street. Jonathan Cerf is a journalist and author. [according to Wikipedia]
Cerf’s death was mourned by many in the literary and entertainment world, who remembered him as a generous, kind, and humorous man who enriched the lives of millions with his books and his presence. His legacy lives on through his publishing house, which continues to publish some of the most acclaimed and influential books in the world, and through his contributions to humor, literature, and culture. [according to Britannica]
