Critics remember universal humor of Flip Wilson

Friday, Nov. 27, 1998 | 11:21 a.m.

Las Vegans remembered Flip Wilson on Thursday as a comedian who transcended race lines with material that was universal.

"He related well to all audiences, because blacks were able to laugh at his humor without anger and whites laughed without guilt," said Sig Sakowicz, a longtime entertainment host whose radio reports are aired in Las Vegas and Chicago.

Wilson, a popular performer at Caesars Palace and the Sahara Hotel in the 1970s and '80s whose hit "The Flip Wilson Show" aired on NBC from 1970 to 1974, died of liver cancer Wednesday at his Malibu home. He was 64.

The Emmy Award-winning performer had undergone surgery for a malignant tumor near his liver on Oct. 2 at a Santa Monica hospital.

Sun entertainment columnist Joe Delaney said there was a "likability" to Wilson: "He had a very gentle personality. Like Bill Cosby, Flip's humor was universal. "

Though Wilson has been out of the spotlight for more than a decade, he has maintained his popularity through rebroadcasts of his shows on cable television.

Wilson is perhaps most remembered for Geraldine, a brassy, sexy female character he portrayed in a micro-minidress. The character's signature lines "the devil made me do it" and "what you see is what you get, honey" became catch phrases of the '70s.

"In portraying Geraldine, he did not denigrate his race but rather gave a lot of insight," said Delaney.

Wilson was sent to 13 different reform schools as a boy, he told Sakowicz during one of their many interviews. His lifestyle as an entertainer was in stark contrast to that rough beginning.

"He had a hot tub in his lobby," said Sakowicz, who was a guest in Wilson's Malibu home several times. "In recent years, he lived like a monk there. He enjoyed milk and honey and he drank turkey noodle soup from a flask."

Sashaying in drag as Geraldine or performing as himself, Wilson was one of the few black faces seen on prime time television during the early 1970s. He and Cosby blazed a trail for scores of minority comedians and actors to follow.

"His shows at Caesars were just like his TV shows -- well prepared and well presented," said Sakowicz.

His show was a hit from the start. In 1970, it finished second for the year to ABC's "Marcus Welby, M.D.," according to the "Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows." The next season, Wilson's show was second to CBS's groundbreaking "All in the Family."

Wilson's show went off the air after the 1973-74 season.

"You not only laughed at Flip Wilson because his jokes were funny," said Delaney, "but also, as you watched him on stage, you felt that you liked him as a person."

Delaney recalled how Wilson associated himself with talented people, including his musical director at the Sahara, Don Costa, who had arranged music for Frank Sinatra.

Born Clerow Wilson on Dec. 8, 1933, in Jersey City, N.J., Wilson was raised in foster homes. He quit school at 16 and served four years in the Air Force.

His comedic career began in Stockton, Calif., with a short standup routine for which he was paid $1, Sakowicz recalled Wilson told him.

In the 1950s, Wilson, who got the nickname "Flip" for his irreverent humor, did his standup act in small clubs. He got his big break in 1965 with an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

After that, Wilson did "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "Laugh-In." He starred in a 1968 variety special, which led to his own show.

On May 9, 1971, Wilson received two Emmys, for Outstanding Variety Series Musical and for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Series.

In 1984, Wilson hosted the quiz show "People Are Funny" and, the next year, co-starred on "Charlie & Company."

Wilson is survived by two sons, Kevin and David, and three daughters Stacey, Tamara and Michelle, who was at his side when he died in his sleep.

A memorial service is pending.