Friars Club

The Friars Club is a New York City club, famous for its risqué celebrity roasts. Founded in 1904, its motto is Prae Omnia Fraternatis, which is Latin for "Before all, brotherhood."

The Friars Club of Beverly Hills is a private show business club started in 1947 by comedian/actor Milton Berle. The Friars Club of Beverly Hills is known for its celebrity members and "Roasts" where a member is embarrassed by his/her club friends, all in good fun.

Past members have included Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, the Marx Brothers, Sammy Davis, Jr., Billy Crystal, and Johnny Carson among many others.

The modern history of the club began in 1947 when Milton Berle got a group together at the old Savoy Hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, including actors Jimmy Durante, George Jessel, Robert Taylor, and Bing Crosby. In 1961, the club moved to Beverly Hills.

The Friars Club of Beverly Hills is not associated with the New York Friars' Club, nor to the Friar's Inn, a famous 1920s jazz cabaret in Chicago, which was sometimes casually referred to as "Friar's Club".

Roasts

Although both clubs' roasts are notorious for their risqué humor at the expense of the person being roasted, the club says "We only roast the ones we love."

Complete List of all New York Friars Club Roasts:

• 1950 - Sam Levenson

• 1951 - Phil Silvers

• 1951 - Harry Delf

• 1951 - Mel Allen

• 1952 - Leo Durocher

• 1952 - Rocky Marciano

• 1953 - Sophie Tucker

• 1953 - Milton Berle

• 1953 - Eddie Fisher

• 1954 - Red Buttons

• 1954 - Martha Raye

• 1955 - Humphrey Bogart, Roastmaster Red Buttons

• 1956 - Sammy Davis, Jr.

• 1957 - Joe E. Lewis

• 1958 - Red Buttons

• 1959 - Milton Berle

• 1959 - Jimmy Cannon

• 1959 - Jack E. Leonard

• 1960 - George Burns

• 1961 - Lucille Ball

• 1961 - Alan King

• 1962 - Jan Murray

• 1962 - Johnny Carson

• 1963 - Steve Lawrence

• 1963 - Jack Benny

• 1964 - Jack Carter

• 1964 - Nat "King" Cole

• 1964 - Sammy Davis, Jr.

• 1965 - Marty Allen & Steve Rossi

• 1965 - Soupy Sales

• 1966 - Al Kelly

• 1966 - John V. Lindsay

• 1967 - Milton Berle

• 1968 - Harry Belafonte

• 1968 - Don Rickles

• 1969 - Jack E. Leonard

• 1970 - David Frost

• 1971 - Phil Silvers

• 1971 - Pat Henry

• 1972 - Ed McMahon

• 1973 - Henny Youngman

• 1974 - George Raft

• 1974 - Milton Berle

• 1975 - Redd Foxx

• 1976 - Terry Savalas

• 1977 - Joey Adams

• 1977 - Totie Fields

• 1978 - Neil Simon

• 1979 - Robert Merrill

• 1979 - Norm Crosby

• 1980 - George Steinbrenner

• 1981 - Jim Dale

• 1982 - Dick Shawn

• 1983 - Sid Caesar

• 1983 - Roger Grimsby

• 1984 - Chuck Scarborough

• 1984 - Rolland Smith

• 1985 - Phyllis Diller

• 1986 - Jerry Lewis

• 1987 - Rich Little

• 1988 - Ernest Borgnine

• 1989 - Bruce Willis

• 1990 - Chevy Chase

• 1991 - Richard Pryor, Roastmaster Robin Williams

• 1992 - Billy Crystal

• 1993 - Whoopi Goldberg

• 1994 - Bob Newhart

• 1995 - Steven Segal

• 1996 - Kelsey Grammar

• 1997 - Danny Aiello, Roastmaster Joy Behar

• 1998 - Drew Carey, Roastmaster Ryan Stiles

• 1999 - Jerry Stiller, Roastmaster Jason Alexander

• 2000 - Rob Reiner, Roastmaster Michael McKean

• 2001 - Hugh Hefner, Roastmaster Jimmy Kimmel

• 2001 - Richard Belzer, Roastmaster Paul Shaffer

• 2002 - Chevy Chase, Roastmaster Paul Shaffer

• 2004 - Donald Trump

• 2005 - Don King, Roastmaster Donald Trump

Members

The club's members are composed mostly of comedians and other celebrities. Their monthly newsletter is known as the Epistle.

Staff

The Friars' leadership is made up of a series of positions similar to those in an Abbey, including positions such as "Abbot," "Dean," "Prior," and "Scribe."

History

Jerry Lewis is the current Abbot, named in 2006 during a roast in New York City. Previous Abbots have included Alan King, Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan and George M. Cohan (twice).

Friars Club Roasts were first televised in the late 1960's, first as part of the Kraft Music Hall serries, and later The Dean Martin Show. From 1998-2002, the roasts were broadcast on Comedy Central.