Alex Gottlieb, a talented screenwriter and producer, began his career in the entertainment industry by crafting gags and scripts for renowned radio stars Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor. He eventually landed a job at Universal Pictures, where he primarily focused on writing "B" westerns and action films. Gottlieb's ambition, however, lay in producing, and in 1941, Universal executives granted him the opportunity to produce the debut film of a new comedy duo the studio was nurturing for stardom - the iconic Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.
Gottlieb accepted the challenge and went on to produce the duo's film debut, Buck Privates (1941),which proved to be one of the studio's biggest hits of the year, earning over $4 million on a budget of $180,000. Throughout his career, he produced a total of nine films featuring the comedic duo, with the last being Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952).
In addition to his work on the Abbott and Costello films, Gottlieb also produced several episodes of their television series, The Abbott and Costello Show (1952). As the television landscape evolved, Gottlieb transitioned seamlessly, writing and producing a range of popular television series, including The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna (1956),Dear Phoebe (1954),and Sugarfoot (1957),among others.
Gottlieb's impressive career in the entertainment industry spanned over five decades, and he ultimately passed away at the age of 81 on October 9, 1988, in Los Angeles.
