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CHICAGO, Jul 21, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Chicago comedy legend Del Close apparently did not, in fact, donate his skull to the Goodman Theatre, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.
The human skull that was thought to be Close's has become a legendary prop in Chicago theater and a symbol of his eccentric and offbeat humor.
"It's not his skull, but the idea behind it is there," said Jeff Griggs, Close's biographer. "The idea should be preserved, if not the actual cranium."
The woman who claims to have arranged for the donation, however, steadfastly says that it is Close's skull.
The Tribune recently took photos of the skull and showed it to paleopathologist Anne Grauer, who is also a professor in Loyola University's anthropology department.
The photos "made me laugh," she said. "One hundred percent of the models that I have here in my office look like this. It looks like a clinical skeleton that was purchased."
The Tribune said Close was a mentor to many comedians, including Bill Murray and John Belushi. He died in at 64 in 1999 of emphysema, but said in his will that his skull should go to the Goodman for "Hamlet" and other plays.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
