Though the clown is often deadpan, he is a connoisseur of laughter.

in American literature. He attended South Side High School. He was hired by Newsweek where he became a movie and theater critic.

Melvyn (Mel) H. Gussow (pronounced GUSS-owe; December 19 1933 – April 29 2005) was an American theater critic movie critic and author who wrote for The New York Times for 35 years.