Comedian Sammy Shore to become permanent fixture in Laughlin

By Jerry Fink (contact)

Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 | 11:23 a.m.

Christmas came early for 78-year-old stand-up comedian Sammy Shore, a former opening act for Elvis Presley.

His book, “The Man Who Made Elvis Laugh,” is doing so well he says he’s going to write another one.

A resort in Laughlin is naming its comedy room after him – Sammy’s Comedy by the Shore – and beginning Feb. 24 he will perform there once a month.

He is at the Tropicana Express in Laughlin this weekend performing his Two Gals and a Geezer act with comedians Kathleen Dunbar and impressionist Kathy Walker. They will return for another gig there the last weekend in January.

“More things are happening for me now than in years,” Shore says. “There’s been like a resurgence in my career.”

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Shore will sign copies of his autobiography at Barnes & Noble, 8915 W. Charleston Blvd. The book is a humorous look at his life and how it crossed paths with Elvis. He was Elvis Presley’s opening act for about four years, beginning in 1969.

“It’s about my time with Elvis, when I opened for him, but it’s also about the people I’ve worked with over the years. There’s an interview with Milton Berle and Sid Caesar. The book is a lot about me as an older person, how I deal with what’s going on, my attitude.”

Shore says his old friend Larry King called him recently and gave him a quote, “A very funny man, a very, very funny book.”

“Larry and I started out together about the same time in Miami,” he says.

“We’ve been friends for years. I was surprised that he took time off his busy schedule to call me, what with everything that’s going on in the news these days.”

Shore says his next book will be called “Little Sammy,” and it examines his childhood, growing up depressed, craving attention and growing up to be a stand-up comedian.

He’s excited about having a comedy room at the River Palms Hotel named in his honor.

Shore founded the legendary Comedy Store in Los Angeles in the early ’70s, but his wife Mitzi got the business in a divorce.

“This is like starting over,” he says.

He says he will perform in the club once a month, Wednesdays through Sundays, but the venue isn’t his. A company on the East Coast will book most of the acts.

“But I’ll be able to put in a couple of guys I know from time to time,” he says.

He and his son, Pauly, open the club Feb. 24 with their popular act, “A Family Affair.”