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And then it stopped.
Audiences did not want an audience-pleaser.
He was dismissed as a laugh machine, synthetic, a gagmeister.
Simon was staggeringly prolific and successful.
Many of the biggest laughs he got stemmed from exasperation.
The moment inThe Odd Couplewhen Oscar Madison explodes at his roommate, You leave me little notes!
We are out of corn flakes.
It took me 15 minutes to figure out F.U.
stood for Felix Unger!
He never met a silence he liked.
His roles were catnip for performers.
Up until opening the author and director control a play, he said in 1963.
Then its the actors.
Fifty times, they received Tony nominations or awards for saying his words.
Every playwright today who is able to drive a hard bargain owes him a debt.
