Michael O'Donoghue (1940 - 1994, America) Archive of personal letters, articles and clippings. A personal draft copy of ‘The Liberal Book’, originally written by O’Donoghue for ‘The National Lampoon’. The following are selections from a letter and postcard sent to family members. Summer 1985…. "Excuse me if this letter is a little choppy but I’m watching the Live Aid concert. Sting is singing with Dire Straits. Nothing but nothing beats live TV…. Yes I won two EMMYs for SNL (Saturday Night Live). Yes I do a little acting. Hollywood treats actors a lot better than they treat writers. Pays them more. Take them out to dinner. Sends limos for them. So I’ll probably be doing some more acting. The movie I finished is called Head Office and will be out mid-October. Have to go. Madonna is coming on. Saw her live at the Garden last month and she is hot". Postcard dated August 2, 1981… Q: What’s the difference between an Irish wedding and an Irish Wake? A: One Less Drunk PROVENANCE: Consigned from the collection O’Donoghue family member. BIOGRAPHY: Michael O'Donoghue began his career as a writer, creative director and ‘National Lampoon Radio Hour’ editor. He contributed to The Evergeen Review (where he created the comic strip character Phoebe Zeit-Geist), and The National Lampoon. O’Donoghue was hired as the head writer for the original 1975 Saturday Night Live cast members and is credited with speaking the first words on-air. He is credited with developing ‘The Claudine Longet Downhill Invitational’ and other darkly humorous skits. As a writer and actor, O'Donoghue acted in a supporting role in the 1985 comedy Head Office, the 1979 movie Manhattan (which poked fun at SNL), the 1987 movie Wall Street, and the 1988 movie he co-wrote, Scrooged. He also wrote or co-wrote a number of unproduced screenplays of which Saturday Matinee (aka Planet of the Cheap Special Effects) remains legendary in Hollywood screenwriter circles. O'Donoghue is also credited with writing Dolly Parton's "Single Women" (1982). Refs: Mark's Very Large National Lampoon Site http://www.marksverylarge.com/people/drsnakeskin2.htm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_O%27Donoghue