Jack Elinson, a veteran TV comedy writer and producer, died Thursday of natural causes at his Santa Monica home, the Writers Guild of America, West announced. He was 89.

Elinson, who cut his teeth writing jokes for Walter Winchell's newspaper column, rose to prominence in the 1950s working on such Golden Age fare as The Jimmy Durante Show, The Johnny Carson Show and The Colgate Comedy Hour. The following decade saw him writing for series including The Danny Thomas Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Hogan's Heroes, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and That Girl, the latter two of which he also produced.

Elinson's other credits include Good Times and One Day at a Time and The Facts of Life. Nominated for an Emmy in the Comedy Series category in 1961, he won a WGA award for co-writing the 1962 Manhunt episode of The Andy Griffith Show.

He is survived by his four children, his second wife Estelle and her three children, and 12 grandchildren.

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