What Was Mitzi Shore’s Net Worth?
Mitzi Shore, the founder and owner of the Los Angeles comedy club The Comedy Store, has died at the age of 87. With a net worth of $20 million, she was known for her influence on up-and-coming comedians, including Robin Williams, David Letterman, Jim Carrey, and more, who got their big breaks at The Comedy Store. Mitzi acquired sole ownership of the club in 1974 and founded Comedy Channel Inc. in 1982. Her son, actor/comedian Pauly Shore, also worked in the industry. A movie based on her life is in pre-production, and Melissa Leo’s character on the Showtime series “I’m Dying Up Here” is based on Mitzi. She died on April 11, 2018.
Mitzi Shore’s Background
Mitzi Shore, born Lillian Saidel, was raised in a Jewish household in Marinette, Wisconsin. She attended Green Bay East High School before enrolling at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study art. However, she left school to marry comedian Sammy Shore, with whom she had four children.
Mitzi Shore and The Comedy Store
In 1972, Sammy Shore co-founded The Comedy Store with Rudy De Luca, and Mitzi came up with the name of the club. Two years later, Mitzi and Sammy divorced, and Mitzi got The Comedy Store in the divorce settlement. After Mitzi took over ownership of The Comedy Store, she managed the club and was involved in recruiting and developing talent. Shore wouldn’t pay the comics who performed at The Comedy Store because she felt that the club was a “college of comedy” that enabled comedians to learn and hone their craft. However, in 1979, comedians began asking to get paid, and when Shore refused, they decided to picket, resulting in a six-week strike. David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Tom Dreesen led the strike. After Budd Friedman, the owner of the Improv, started paying comedians, Mitzi agreed to pay $15 per set. This resulted in comedy clubs in New York City beginning to pay comedians, then clubs all over the country followed suit.
In the late ’70s, Shore created the 50-seat Belly Room, which only booked female comedians. Mitzi later created specialty nights for Latino and gay performers as well as Phat Tuesdays, which spotlighted Black comedians. In 1982, Shore launched Comedy Channel Inc., a company dedicated to selling videotapes of Comedy Store performances, and she operated it until her death. HBO launched a premium cable service called The Comedy Channel in 1989, and Mitzi sued them for copyright infringement, alleging “indirect unauthorized use” of the Comedy Channel name and trademark. In 1991, the Comedy Channel merged with the Viacom channel Ha! to form CTV: The Comedy Network, which later became known as Comedy Central. Since the first Comedy Store opened on the Sunset Strip in 1972, locations have also opened on Westwood Blvd. in Los Angeles, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, California, and at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas.
The legacy of Mitzi Shore and The Comedy Store lives on, with the club still operating and launching the careers of many successful comedians.
Mitzi Shore’s Personal Life
Mitzi married Sammy Shore in 1950 and had four children together. They divorced in 1974. Her daughter Sandi passed away in September 2018, a few months after Mitzi’s death. In her final years, Shore suffered from Parkinson’s disease and her financial affairs were managed by her son Peter.
Mitzi Shore’s Son Pays Tribute to His Mother
Mitzi Shore, the owner of The Comedy Store, passed away at the age of 87 in April 2018. Her son, Pauly Shore, paid tribute to her on Twitter, calling her a “giver” who gave her heart, soul, and stages to comedians. He thanked her for letting them develop their craft at the club and called her their “comedy Godmother.” Joe Rogan, who performed at The Comedy Store for 13 years and bought a sound system for the club, dedicated his comedy special “Strange Times” to Mitzi a few months after her death.
Mitzi Shore’s Home on Cresthill Road
Mitzi Shore owned a 5,000 square foot home on Cresthill Road near The Comedy Store. In the late ’70s, she began letting the club’s comedians stay there, and the house became known for all-night parties, drinking, and cocaine use. In 1988, she decided to kick everyone out and turn the home into a recovery house.
Within the next few years, Pauly Shore moved into the home, and according to real estate records, it was sold for $750,000 in 1999.
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