Mitzi Saidel was born on the 25th July 1930, is an American club owner who as Mitzi Shore, became known for being the owner of The Comedy Store, a comedy club located in Los Angeles, which became the starting point for many great comics in Hollywood, and is home to stars like Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jim Carrey.
So how much is Shore’s net worth? As of mid-2017, based on authoritative sources it is reported to be over $20 million acquired, from her years as the owner of The Comedy Store and the founder of Comedy Channel Inc., from the early 1970s and ‘80s respectively.
Mitzi Shore Net Worth $20 Million
Born in Marinette, Wisconsin, Shore entered the world of comedy through her husband Sammy Shore who is a comedian. Sammy and fellow comedian Rudy DeLuca bought the physical establishment that was the previous home to the nightclub Ciro. The two turned it into a 99-seater comedy club in 1972. In 1974, the Shores divorced and Mitzi got the club as part of the divorce settlement. In 1976, Shore was able to buy the whole building and renovated The Comedy Store so it can accommodate 450 people.
Shore became the ‘parent’ for all the comedians that came through The Comedy Store. Some who started in the club include Robin Williams, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Chevy Chase, Jim Carrey, Joey Diaz and so many more. The success of the club tremendously helped her wealth.
Unfortunately, Shore’s strict rules in running the club also affected her business. After other comedy club venues like The Improv and the Laugh Factory started to appear, her competition grew, but Shore refused to update the club. She refused to even serve food or even enter other ventures like television and media.
In 1979, Shore also suffered some backlash from her comedians because of her rule of refusing to pay them every time they performed at the club. She claims that the club was their “college of comedy”, where they were exposed to hundreds of people, and could learn and perfect their craft, but the comedians decided to picket the club and demand pay, and even stars like Leno and Letterman participated. After a few weeks, Shore caved in and started paying comics $15 per set.
Despite the challenges of The Comedy Store, Shore was also known to break boundaries in the comedy world. She became known for hosting a show in the Belly Room of the club, in which only female comics could perform. Her unconventional booking policy was unheard of during the ‘70s and ‘80s, because comedy back then was known to be dominated by men. Aside from hosting women-only shows, she later on also created themed-nights showcasing gay, lesbian, and Latino performers.
In 1982, Shore expanded The Comedy Store by founding Comedy Channel Inc., created to record and sell the videotaped performances of the comics in the club. Her earnings from her other endeavors also helped in her wealth.
Today, Shore is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, and her financial affairs are being managed by one of her sons, Peter. Talks of turning her life story into a movie are also ongoing.
In terms of her personal life, Shore was married to Sammy Shore but their marriage ended in divorce in 1975. They have four sons, of whom Peter now manages the club.
