Skip E. Lowe

Sammy Labella (June 6, 1929 – September 22, 2014), better known by his stage name Skip E. Lowe, was an American stand-up comedian, talk show host and actor.

Skip E. Lowe
Born
Sammy Labella

(1929-06-06)June 6, 1929
Greenville, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedSeptember 22, 2014(2014-09-22) (aged 85)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesGaylord Esterbrook[1][2][3]
Occupation(s)Talk show host, actor

Career

Before adopting his now familiar stage name, LaBella worked as a stand-up comic, impressionist and master of ceremonies. In 1958, he performed in a number of Pittsburgh venues,[4][5] most notably Lenny Litman's Copa, where he opened for Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and Dakota Staton.[6][7] The following summer saw a number of engagements in New York State, and it was in July 1959 that LaBella made his first appearance as Skip E. Lowe at Glen Casino in Williamsville, New York.[8]

Beginning in 1978, he hosted Skip E. Lowe Looks at Hollywood, a weekly talk show for public-access cable television that aired in Los Angeles and New York City.[9]

He appeared in the films Black Shampoo (1976), The World's Greatest Lover (1977), Cameron's Closet (1988), and A-List (2006). In 2001, Lowe wrote The Boy with the Betty Grable Legs: A Showbiz Memoir.[10]

Martin Short cited him as the inspiration for his character Jiminy Glick.[11]

It is estimated that Lowe conducted some 6,000 cable-television interviews from 1978 to 2014.

He was openly gay.[12][13]

Death

Lowe died in Los Angeles, at age 85, on September 22, 2014, from emphysema.[11]

According to his former website, Lowe was cremated and had his ashes scattered at Ventura Pier on November 23, 2014.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1943Best Foot ForwardCadetuncredited
1944Song of the Open RoadMinor Roleuncredited
1945Hotel BerlinTeenage Boyuncredited
1947Forever AmberYoung Manuncredited
1975Crazy Mamauncredited
1976Black ShampooArtie
1976Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil SheiksDoctoruncredited
1977Bare KnucklesCedric
1977The World's Greatest LoverFirst Wardrobe Man
1979Bitter Heritage
1988Cameron's ClosetNewscaster
1989Prime SuspectPatient
1994Sunny Side UpHimself
2005Murder on the Yellow Brick RoadSecurity Guard
2006A-ListHarry
2006PittsburghHimself
2006Running Out of Time in Hollywood
2014The Final SongHimself

See also

References
  1. "It Pays (for Him) to Be Insulting". The Honolulu Advertiser. March 15, 1967. p. 16. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  2. "Comic Gaylord Esterbrook With a Well-Rounded Show". Detroit Free Press. August 6, 1969. p. 10. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  3. Huddy, John (March 21, 1970). "My Kind of Town: M.A.S.H.—A Zany, Touching Movie". The Miami Herald. March 21, 1970. p. 39. Retrieved September 11, 2022. "Comic Gaylord Esterbrook catching Tubby Hooks act."
  4. "Show at Elmhurst Has Johnny Jack". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 19, 1958. p. 13. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  5. "Rosemary Bellan Stays at Showcase". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 19, 1958. p. 13. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  6. "Lambert Singers Debut at Copa". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 12, 1958. p. 12. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  7. "Dakota Staton at Litman's Copa". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 1, 1958. p. 12. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  8. "Glen Casino: Opens Tomorrow". Buffalo Evening News. July 6, 1959. p. 12. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  9. Jarvis, Michael T. (October 5, 2003). "If You Have a Talent, He'll Showcase It". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. Casillo, Charles (June 13, 2001). "Almost Famous – Celebrity Interviewer Skip E. Lowe Basks in the Low-Wattage Glow of Hollywood – Public Access Style". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. Barnes, Mike (September 23, 2014). "Skip E. Lowe, Talk Show Host and Inspiration for Martin Short's Jiminy Glick, Dies at 85". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. Lowe, Skip E (2014). Hollywood Gomorrah. USA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1497307261.
  13. "Skip E. Lowe and Mamie Van Doren". YouTube. Retrieved January 20, 2023.

Further reading
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