The Algonquin Hotel

During the holidays we had a few neighbors in for Christmas cheer, one of whom was related to the former owners - for forty years - of the famous Algonquin Hotel on West 44th street. Aside from this being one of our favorite watering holes in Manhattan,  it was also the home of the Round Table frequented by writers, playwrights and genuine wits of the 1920s and where the New Yorker magazine was born. One such denizen was the playwright George S. Kaufman who also sat on panel shows of the 1950s TV. One contestant, a comedian who had written a book decided to challenge the master. It went like this:
CC - Did you enjoy my book?
GSK - Yes, I did.
CC - Who read it to you?
GSK - The same person who wrote it for you.
In Hollywood, Kaufman had worked with the Marx Brothers who drove him crazy. But he developed such affection for Groucho that he told him that he (Groucho) was the only one he would let ad lib with his script.
tjs