- Appeared in dozens of TV shows but is best known for four recurring roles:" Cpl. Henshaw in The Phil Silvers Show (1955), Sgt. Charlie Hacker on Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964), Alice's boyfriend Sam on The Brady Bunch (1969) and Archie Bunker's best friend Barney Hefner on All in the Family (1971).
- Often played bullies in his TV work, but after that dried up he found work playing just the opposite, doing voices for gentle, simple-minded cartoon characters.
- He was born in Kansas City, MO, but his family moved to New York City when he was a young boy. His father was a film salesman for Fox Film Corp.
- Appeared in only one movie in his five-decade career--With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) starring Doris Day--in which he had a minor part as a desk sergeant.
- A prolific voice artist, he was a great mimic of voices.
- Retired from acting in the late 1990s.
- Got a job in radio sound effects with NBC Radio at the onset of his career. He also did a nightclub act using his talent with voices and appeared on Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts" radio show and won.
- Attended Columbia University and earned his degree in journalism before serving a hitch in the Navy during WW II.
- Archie Bunker's Place (1979) was the last live action acting (distinct from voice acting in animation) that Melvin did.
- His surviving daughter, Jennifer, is the mother of his grandson, Jon Hanson Jr.
- Often guest-starred on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) and featured as a bully, to Barney Fife (Don Knotts) or Howard Sprague (Jack Dodson, who had to be taught a lesson.
- Blond, block-faced and brawny support actor with the trademark sagging jowls best known for his blue-collar buddies and military cohorts on TV comedy--could play bruising or dim-witted.
- In addition to other cast members of The Phil Silvers Show (1955) show, his name was used as that of a character in both Richard Condon's novel "The Manchurian Candidate" and the movie made from it, The Manchurian Candidate (1962).
- His daughter Mya died in 1970.
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