Comedian Mort Sahl, A Mill Valley Resident, Dies At 94: AP

MILL VALLEY, CA — Comedian Mort Sahl, who lived in Marin, died Tuesday.

The comedic legend died at 94 of “old age” at his Mill Valley home, The Associated Press reports, citing his friend, Lucy Mercer.

The pioneering comedian rose to fame in the 1950s.

At a time when comedians dressed formally and told inconsequential jokes about family life, he dressed casually and took aim at public officials and used his platform to make political commentary.

“Every comedian who is not doing wife jokes has to thank him for that,” actor-comedian Albert Brooks told The Associated Press in 2007.

“He really was the first, even before Lenny Bruce, in terms of talking about stuff, not just doing punch lines.”

Read more in The Associated Press