Robert “Bob” Weiskopf, a comedy writer who penned award-winning scripts for “I Love Lucy,” “Maude” and “All in the Family,” died Tuesday. He was 86.
Active until a decade ago, Mr. Weiskopf and his longtime writing partner, Robert A. Schiller–often called affectionately as “the Bobs”–earned Emmys for “The Flip Wilson Show” in 1971 and an episode of “All in the Family” titled “Cousin Liz” in 1978.
They shared Writers Guild awards for work on “I Love Lucy,” “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour,” “Maude” and “All in the Family.”
In 1988, the duo shared the Writers Guild’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television, given to writers who have “advanced the literature of television.”
“Dad and Schiller were joined at the hip,” said Mr. Weiskopf’s son, Kim.
But, when Mr. Weiskopf teamed up with Schiller in 1953, he already was a seasoned writer, primarily for radio.
Born in Chicago, Mr. Weiskopf grew up when radio ruled, and his favorites were the comedy shows of Ed Wynn, Jack Benny and, particularly, Fred Allen.
Nevertheless, Mr. Weiskopf rejected the suggestion of friends and soon-to-be comedy writers Melvin Frank and Norman Panama that he, too, try writing comedy.
Frank and Panama finally lured him to Hollywood in 1940 and helped him sell a couple of jokes to Bob Hope. That was Mr. Weiskopf’s first professional material to be aired.
He quickly landed a writing position with “The Eddie Cantor Show,” then moved to Rudy Vallee’s program. During World War II, Mr. Weiskopf was hired to write for “The Fred Allen Show” in New York–a job he was able to continue after enlisting in the Army because he was stationed in New York.
After nine years with Allen, Mr. Weiskopf moved west again and hooked up with Schiller. The two settled into the newly developing area of TV, writing for Danny Thomas’ “Make Room for Daddy” and Eve Arden’s “Our Miss Brooks.”
In 1955, they were put on contract to write for Desilu Studios, eventually working closely with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
They joined Norman Lear in 1972 to write for “Maude,” starring Bea Arthur as Archie Bunker’s liberal cousin.
