Jack E. Leonard, the 'mouth that roared'

February 18, 1973

Jack E. Leonard, affectionately known as "The Mouth That Roared," opens at the Tom Jones Cabaret-in-the-Round Monday. Leonard is the man that Show Business deems responsible for the emergence of the age of the insult comic.

He was the first stand-up comic to become a star by using the celebrities in the audience as well as the regular customers as part and parcel of his act. The fact that the patrons loved what he was doing was obvious, as his career spiraled to stardom.

Jack was born in New York, but as he moved to Chicago when he was still a youth, he considers it his home. It was in the windy city that he broke into show business as the best amateur Charleston dancer in town. He then turned professional by joining a vaudeville act in which he danced, did skits, imitations and humorous banter for three years. At that point he felt he was ready to go out on his own as a single, and started appearing in the theaters and clubs with all the big name bands such as Gene Krupa, Eddie Duchin and Tommy Dorsey.

After crisscrossing the Country for five years, the star had risen to a point where he was much in demand for television appearances. He has done more TV shows than any other comic in the business starting with Broadway Open House; This is Show Business: 50 Ed Sullivan Shows; Jack Paar; Perry Como; Dean Martin; Gary Moore; Dinah Shore; Panama Hattie with Ethel Merman and Art Carney; Frank Sinatra TV Special; Johnny Carson; Merv Griffin; David Frost; Dick Cavett; Laugh-In; Red Skelton; Jackie Gleason, and Steve Allen.

Jack E. Leonard has conquered audiences in every major nightclub in the country, such as the Copacabana, N.Y.; Frontier, Flamingo, Desert Inn and Landmark, Las Vegas; Harrah's, Reno; Holiday House, Pittsburgh; Michigan Palace, Detroit; Mister Kelly's Mill, Run Theater and the Drake Hotel, Chicago; Monticello Inn, Boston; Rainbow Grill, New York; and Playboy Club, Lake Geneva.

Leonard's engagement at T. J's runs through March 6th.

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