Editing Allan Sherman (section)

==Decline==
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2017}}
Sherman's career success was short-lived: after peaking in 1963, his popularity declined rather quickly. After the [[assassination of John F. Kennedy]], the public taste for Sherman's type of comedy lessened.<ref name="boy">{{cite web |author=Lieberman |first=Paul |date=August 16, 2003 |title=The Boy in Camp Granada |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-16-et-lieberman16-story.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229143328/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-16-et-lieberman16-story.html |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |access-date=July 16, 2024 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> Beginning in 1964, Sherman was among many American acts whose sales were affected badly by the [[British Invasion]] (which Sherman skewered in the song "Pop Hates the Beatles", a spoof of "[[Pop! Goes the Weasel]]").

By 1965, Sherman had released two albums that did not make the Top 50 and in 1966, Warner Bros. Records dropped him from the roster. His last album for WB, ''Togetherness'', was released in 1967 to poor reviews and poor sales. All of his previous releases had been recorded in front of a live studio audience&nbsp;– or in the case of ''Live, Hoping You Are the Same'', recorded during a Las Vegas performance&nbsp;– but ''Togetherness'' was  purely a studio recording, and the lack of an audience and their response affected the result, as did the nondescript backup singers and studio orchestra.

On November 13, 1965, Sherman made a rare primetime television acting appearance in "The Sheriff of Fetterman's Crossing," an episode of [[Rod Serling|Rod Serling's]] short-lived Western series ''[[The Loner (TV series)|The Loner]]'' (1965–1966).<ref>Witbeck, Charles (November 13, 1965). [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89806774/the-journal-news/ "Allan Sherman Stars in Western Comedy"]. ''The Journal News''. p.&nbsp;28. Retrieved November 30, 2021.</ref> Sherman played Walton Peterson Tetley, a local [[schnook]] who went off to war and rose to regiment cook before returning home a hero, thanks to tall tales and yarn-spinning. The town hails its conquering hero and Tetley is appointed sheriff. Series star [[Lloyd Bridges]] as William Colton, a wandering Union veteran, comes to town and signs on to be Tetley's deputy, discovering quickly his boss' utter incompetence in the office.<ref>Page, Don (August 26, 1965). [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89808903/the-los-angeles-times/ "Sherman's Talent Larger Than Life"]. ''The Los Angeles Times''. p.&nbsp;82. Retrieved November 30, 2021.</ref> Tetley receives a threatening note from a gunslinger challenging this purported hero to a gunfight when he arrives on the noon stage, at which point the story becomes a parody of iconic Western movie ''[[High Noon]]'' (1952). Colton sets to teaching the shivering-in-his-boots sheriff courage and gunmanship. Sherman's semi-serious and sympathetic performance was strong and his presence an affable one.<ref>Cohen, Mark (2013). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=jvWAf4jm0TQC&pg=PA217&dq=allan+sherman+%22but+in+the+course+of+the+episode%22 Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman]''. Boston, MA : Brandeis University Press. p.&nbsp;217. {{ISBN|978-1-61168-256-4}}.</ref>

In 1966, Sherman visited Australia. He did a television series in Melbourne, Victoria, for a live audience. During the performance, he sang a parody of "Molly Malone." It included a play on the word "but" (butt) which did not elicit a laugh. What Sherman did not know is that Australians use the word "bum" where Americans would say "butt" (although usage of the word "butt" has since become widespread in Australia). Otherwise, Sherman was well received by the audience. Afterward, he met with some of his fans and signed at least one autograph.

In 1969, Sherman wrote the book and lyrics&nbsp;– with music by [[Albert Hague]]&nbsp;– for ''[[The Fig Leaves Are Falling]]'', a flop [[Broadway theater|Broadway musical]] that ran only four performances, despite direction by [[George Abbott]] and a cast that included [[Barry Nelson (actor)|Barry Nelson]], [[Dorothy Loudon]], and [[David Cassidy]].<ref>{{cite web|author=The Broadway League |url=http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=3446 |title=The official source for Broadway Information |publisher=IBDB |access-date=November 9, 2012}}</ref>  Still creative, in 1973, Sherman published the controversial ''[[The Rape of the A*P*E*]]'', which detailed his point of view on American [[Religious fanaticism|Puritanism]] and the [[sexual revolution]].

In 1971, Sherman was the voice of [[Dr. Seuss]]'s ''[[The Cat in the Hat]]''  for the animated [[The Cat in the Hat (TV special)|television special]]. He reprised the role for ''[[Dr. Seuss on the Loose]]'', his last project before his death.