BISHOP, JOEY

BISHOP, JOEY (Joseph Gottlieb; 1918– ), U.S. actor and comedian. Born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in South Philadelphia, Bishop earned fame as an actor, comedian, talk show host, and member of the "Rat Pack." After dropping out of high school and serving a stint in the U.S. Army during WWII, Bishop began doing stand-up comedy at clubs in New York, Cleveland, Miami, and Philadelphia. He adopted the surname "Bishop" while working with Morris Spector and Sammy Reisman in the comedy troupe "The Bishop Trio," whose members borrowed the name from their chauffeur. During the 1950s, Bishop's relationship with Frank Sinatra led to his inclusion in the "Rat Pack," in which he played the role of the straight-man in their stage performances, and wrote much of the group's comic material. Sinatra considered Bishop such an integral part of the "Rat Pack" and its enormous success that he called Bishop "the hub of the big wheel." Bishop co-starred alongside his fellow "Rat Pack" members in Ocean's Eleven (1960). He went on to host two versions of The Joey Bishop Show during the 1960s. Bishop also owns the distinction of having co-hosted The Tonight Show (starring Johnny Carson) more times than anyone else, 177. His other notable screen credits include The Deep Six (1958), The Naked and the Dead (1958), Texas Across the River (1966), Valley of the Dolls (1967), and The Delta Force (1986). (Walter Driver (2nd ed.)