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The Comedy Store

Comedy history · 11 facts, each from at least two of 11 independent sources · last reviewed 2026-10-17

The Comedy Store is a comedy club in Los Angeles that has been called iconic.1,2,3,4 It opened in 1972, and comic Sammy Shore was one of its co-founders.2,5,6,7,8 For many years, the club was owned by Mitzi Shore.2,6,7,9,10

Founding

Sources differ on who started the club.2,6,8 One account says Sammy Shore founded it in 1972 with Mitzi Shore, who was his wife at the time.2,6,8 Another says Sammy Shore launched it that year with comedy writer Rudy De Luca.6,8 Mitzi Shore is also credited with opening the club in 1972.2,5,6 That was the same year Johnny Carson relocated The Tonight Show to Los Angeles.2,5,6,8

Mitzi Shore

Mitzi and Sammy Shore ended their marriage in 1974.5,11 She had Parkinson's disease and died at the age of 87.2,6,7,9,10,12

Performers

Comedian Bob Saget developed his career in comedy at the club.2,13

Sources

  1. Jokers wild | New York Post (nypost.com)
  2. What Comedy Store Owner Mitzi Shore Meant to Yakov Smirnoff, Chris D'Elia, and Comedy in L.A. - LAmag (lamag.com)
  3. Breaking News - Showtime(R) Documentary Films Announces Docu-Series About the Legendary Comedy Store | TheFutonCritic.com (thefutoncritic.com)
  4. The Comedy Store, La Jolla | KPBS.org (kpbs.org) · archived copy
  5. History | The Comedy Store (thecomedystore.com)
  6. Mitzi Shore, owner of L.A.’s influential Comedy Store stand-up club, dies at 87 - The Washington Post (washingtonpost.com) · archived copy
  7. Mitzi Shore, Comedy Store owner, dead at 87 | CNN (cnn.com)
  8. The Comedy Store - The Comedy Store (thecomedystore.com) · archived copy
  9. Send in the Clowns : The Comedy Store keeps the laughs coming as it celebrates its 20th birthday with some of the comedians who got their start there - Baltimore Sun (baltimoresun.com) · archived copy
  10. Comedy Club Owner Mitzi Shore, A Gatekeeper Of Careers, Dies At 87 : NPR (npr.org)
  11. Living Above The Store: The Untold Story Of The Most Notorious House In Comedy History (buzzfeed.com)
  12. What Comedy Store Owner Mitzi Shore Meant to Yakov Smirnoff, Chris D'Elia, and Comedy in L.A. Los Angeles Magazine (lamag.com) · archived copy
  13. Farewell Concert Held For Comedian Bob Saget At The Comedy Store (deadline.com)

Updated November 12, 2026.

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