Dick Shawn

Dick Shawn (1924-1987) was a comedian and actor who guest starred on the July 23, 1967 broadcast of Our Place. Rowlf supplies a gracious introduction to Shawn's routine, which revolves around his pet cause, Alaska. He later performs with The Doodletown Pipers, and shakes Rowlf's paw at the end, offering him a job in the frozen north (since he already has the coat for it).

Dick Shawn carved a reputation as a brash nightclub comic in the 1950s and 1960s, combining social satire, dance, and pantomime with a general "hip" delivery. He became a staple of the TV variety show circuit during that period. Today, Shawn may be best remembered for his film work in It's a Mad Mad Mad World (as Ethel Merman's son) and The Producers (as LSD, a hippy cast as Adolf Hitler), as well as supplying the voice of Snow Miser in the Rankin/Bass special Year Without a Santa Claus. Other film credits include What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? and Love at First Bite (with George Hamilton).