Just a story behind the all-American real-estate salesman.
Goodman Aiskowitz (1899-)
He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Latvian Jewish immigrants. He studied journalism at the Kansas City Junior College.
Along with his wife Jane Epstein, they founded a well-known radio show titled The Easy Aces, which was aired on NBC and CBS from the 1930\’s-40\’s. The premise of the show follows a bickering couple, who make the audience laugh with their humor. Goodman was known for his wry humor, while Jane constantly used malapropisms.
He had a career that spanned half a century, and worked with comedians, such as Milton Berle and Sid Caesar.
Goodman Ace (-1982)
Ace may have been an Anglicization of the surname Aiskowitz. This is not uncommon among Jews who wished to assimilate faster into American society. This is similar to Kirk Douglas, who picked his name because of its smooth-sounding aesthetic. This may have been the case for Ace, since Aiskowitz may have been difficult to pronounce in American mouths, especially on the radio.
Sources
- \”Goodman Ace.\” R U Sitting Comfortably?
- \”Goodman Ace.\” IMDb.
- Lieberson, Stanley. \”A Matter of Taste: How Names, Fashions, and Culture Change.\” Yale University Press. 2000.
- O\’Brian, Jack (23 May 1958). \”Goodman Ace, \”Dyspeptic\”, Called Best of TV Writers\”. Reading Eagle.