he was 91 years old. the playwright and screenwriter will long be remembered for his popular comedies including the odd couple, barefoot in the park and the sunshine boys. cnn s sara sidner has more on simon s memorable contributions to the stage. reporter: it didn t really matter who the stars were. if neil simon wrote it, people wanted to see it. time magazine wants once called him the patron saint of laughter. a native new yorker, simon learned his craft in the early days of television, writing for comedian sid caesar. we didn t know how to write. we would just string old jokes together until we learned how to create them. reporter: simon later wrote a play about tv comedy writers, laughter on the 23rd floor. i want to be a writer. i want to write comedy. a comedy writer? oy vey. why? you really want to be like me, like val, like ira, like any of us? more than anything else in the world. helen, you know us. we re disgusting.
condition. at this point, it is unclear what started the blaze. public records show the building had two code violations. legendary playwright neil simon has died. he died of complications of pneumonia on sunday. neil simon was a master of comedy. his hits included the odd couple and barefoot in the park and brighton beach memoirs. he received 16 tony nominations and winning best play three times. he won for lost in yonkers. he was the only living person ever to have a broadway theater named for him. neil simon was 91. hawaii defeating south korea 3-0 to win the little league world series title. hawaii hitting the first pitch
the playwright and screenwriter will long be remembered for his popular comedies including the odd couple, barefoot in the park and the sunshine boys. simon wrote more than 30 plays over six decades. in 1967, he had four shows on broadway at once. he won best play three times and four oscar no, ma am namminatio. he won the mark twain prize for american humor. he was the only living person ever to have a broadway theater named for him. neil simon was 91. hawaii defeating south korea 3-0 to win the little league world series. the first pitch of the game gave honolulu a lead they would not relinquish. the starting pitcher tossed a
reporter: many of simon s plays were part autobiography. his 1961 broadway debut, come blow your horn, was based on simon s relationship with his older brother danny. simon later remembered how worried he was when that first play opened. if that play failed, then i go to hollywood and i write some sitcom for the rest of my life. reporter: come blow your horn did not fail. it ran 677 performances and later became a movie starring none other than frank sinatra. a few years later simon s barefoot in the park helped make robert redford a star. and in 1965 simon won his first tony, for the odd couple, the story of two mismatched roommates, oscar and felix. everything do you irritates me! and when you re not here the things i know you re going to do when you come in irritate me. reporter: the odd couple was a huge hit that inspired a successful movie and a long-running television series, and it firmly established simon as broadway s most popular
a comedy writer? why? you really want to be like me, like val, like ira, like any of us? more than anything else in the world! helen, you know us. we re disgusting. reporter: many of simon s plays were part autobiography. his 1961 broadway debut come blow your horn was based on simon s relationship with his older brother danny. simon later remembered how worried he was when that first play opened. if that play failed, then i go to hollywood and write some sitcom for the rest of my life. reporter: come blow your horn did not fail. it ran 677 performances and later became a movie starring none other than frank sinatra. a few years later, simon s barefoot in the park helped make robert redford a star. and in 1965, simon won his first tony for the odd couple, the story of two mismatched roommates, oscar and felix. everything you do irritates me! and when you re not here, the things i know you re going to do