Throwback: Funniest Laugh-In Performer
As Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In approaches its 50th anniversary in 2017, which of the shows regular performers did you find to be the funniest/most amusing?
Discuss here: http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000088/flat/261707009
(Only series regulars with thirty or more appearances included)
Discuss here: http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000088/flat/261707009
(Only series regulars with thirty or more appearances included)
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Dan Rowan was a comedian most famous as the straight man to Dick Martin, with whom he co-hosted the watershed TV program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) from 1968-1973. The comedian debuted into small-town life as Daniel Hale David in Beggs, Oklahoma on July 22, 1922, the son of show people. As a child, Rowan toured the carnival circuit with his mother in father as part of a song and dance act. Orphaned in 1933, he eventually was adopted by a family in Denver, Colorado. He moved to Hollywood after high school, and obtained employment as a writer at Paramount Studios. Rowan joined the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II, where he distinguished himself as a P-40 fighter plane pilot in the Pacific Theater. Rowan was credited with downing two Japanese aircraft (it took five kills to be named an ace during World War II), but he was shot down and seriously wounded in New Guinea. During his military career, Rowan was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.
Demobilized, Dan Rowan returned to California and married Phyllis Mathis in 1946. He and Phyllis had three children, Thomas, Mary Ann (who was briefly married to actor and professional Presidential brother-in-law Peter Lawford, and Christie. (Rowan divorced his first wife and married again, to Adriana Van Ballegooyen in 1963). He eventually teamed up with Dick Martin in a comedy act that toured the night-club circuit and played Las Vegas. Rowan & Martin had made TV appearances before on such programs as "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "Merv Griffin" before being hired by NBC to host a comedy special in the summer of 1967. In an era of "Be-Ins" and "Love-Ins" (an outgrowth of the "Sit-Ins" of the Civil Rights Movement, itself a reflection of the autoworkers' sit-ins of the late 1930s staged to win labor union recognition), NBC wanted to host a "Laugh-In". The middle-aged Rowan & Martin were picked as the hosts. The success of the special lead to the scheduling of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) as part of NBC's regular line-up in 1968, programmed against the popular Lucille Ball on CBS.
A hybrid comedy-variety program that proved a counterpoint to the more satirical and political The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967) on rival network CBS, "Laugh-In" was rooted in traditional vaudeville like most musical/variety series of the time, but had an improvisational, anarchic style. This style, which downplayed appearances of guest stars like Jack Benny, Johnny Carson, John Wayne, Zsa Zsa Gabor and even Richard Nixon in favor of the cast of regulars, reflected the late '60s zeitgeist. As hosts, Dan Rowan and Dick Martin did not dominate their variety show as did a contemporary like Dean Martin. Part of the fun and the freshness of the series was that the two co-hosts were continually being undermined by the appearances of the regulars, during which a comedic "all-hell" would break loose. The sight-gags and appearance of the eccentric performers created a sense of the unexpected that proved intoxicating to TV audiences. (The regular cast included announcer Gary Owens, Emmy-winner Ruth Buzzi, Henry Gibson, Emmy-winner Arte Johnson, Alan Sues, Jo Anne Worley, and Judy Carne, while the regularly appearing guest stars included Tiny Tim, Peter Lawford and Henny Youngman).
The dynamic of the two co-hosts also was anarchic, as Dan Rowan's straight-man continually was undermined by the silliness and outright other-world imbecility of Dick Martin's comic persona. In this, Martin was an ally of the cast, who appeared willy-nilly during the broadcast, without discernible rhyme or reason other than making merry. Rowan, as the "mature" member of the hosting ensemble, was less a conductor of the comedy show than a ring-master who seemed to have found himself put down inside the center of the lion's den, with a hopelessly inept lion-tamer (Martin) as his partner.
"Laugh-In" was considered revolutionary at the time in terms of production, as it broke away from the old proscenium stage production that had dominated variety shows on TV since the beginning of broadcast television after World War II. The program was produced with a quick-cutting, fragmentary editing style that not only reflected current avant-garde movie production techniques but fully realized the power of video. It was an audacious melding of form and content, and "Laugh-In" proved to be a huge hit and was one of the highest-rated series of the late 1960s. It would prove to be the single most influential TV show in terms of its influence on comedy until the debut of the more conventionally produced Saturday Night Live (1975) in 1975.
"Laugh-In" won three Emmys at the 1968 Emmy Awards, for Outstanding Musical or Variety Program (for the 1967 Special), for Best Musical or Variety Series, and for Best Writing (shared by ten writers, including series creator Digby Wolfe). Due to its topicality and because it so closely caught the spirit of the '60s and reflected that era's aesthetic, "Laugh-In" quickly dated and never packed the punch in syndication that other retired TV shows did. Nothing becomes old-fashioned more quickly than the fashionable. However, "Laugh-In" also proved ground-breaking in its introduction and use of female and minority performers, bringing to a mainstream audience such diverse entertainers as the great, "Chitlin Circuit" African-American comedian Dewey 'Pigmeat' Markham and the young, Emmy-nominated Goldie Hawn, who would go on to a long movie-career as an Oscar-winning comedienne and top box-office star. Rowan & Martin attempted to launch a movie career, but their attempt to become the late '60s answer to Martin & Lewis with the ill-conceived The Maltese Bippy (1969) flopped. After "Laugh-In" was canceled in 1973, Rowan occasionally made some TV program and game show appearances, but eventually retired to Florida. A type II diabetic, he died of lymphatic cancer in Manasota Key, Florida on September 22, 1987. He was 65 years old.- Director
- Actor
- Producer
Dick Martin, the comedian and television director who achieved TV immortality as the co-host of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) as the comic foil to straight man Dan Rowan, was born on January 30, 1922 in Battle Creek, Michigan. The young Martin was a writer for the popular radio sit-com "Duffy's Tavern" before teaming up with Rowan in the 1950s. The duo achieved success playing the nightclub circuit and Las Vegas, leading to Martin's being cast in a recurring role on The Lucy Show (1962) as series start Lucille Ball's next door neighbor "Harry Conners" when Lucy's new series debuted in 1962, Martin remained as a regular on "Lucy" through the 1963-64 season.
As the success of their act increased, Rowan & Martin began making appearances on TV during the 1960s. In 1966, the duo were cast as the co-hosts for the The Dean Martin Summer Show (1966) on NBC. The following year, when NBC decided it wanted a new comic variety show that would have cross-generational appeal, producers Ed Friendly and George Schlatter hired Rowan & Martin to co-host a one-time special, "Laugh-In", that would serve as a pilot for the potential series. The special was a success, and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) debuted the following year. It was a smash hit, proving to be one of the top-rated shows of the late 1960s, and had a huge impact on American pop culture during the first years of its five-year run. The series was canceled in 1973.
In 1969, Rowan & Martin made an attempt to recapture the small-screen magic of "Laugh-In" on the big screen, but The Maltese Bippy (1969) was a flop. After the cancellation of their series, Rowan & Martin generally parted ways, professionally, as Dan Rowan was a diabetic and limited his work. Like Rowan, Martin became a frequent panelist on game shows such as Match Game (1973). He also hosted the Mindreaders (1979) game show in 1979, but the show was not a success. Martin eventually launched a new career as a TV director, serving as the chief director of the 1980s sitcom, Newhart (1982).
On the personal front, Martin was most known for his two marriages to Playboy Playmate of the Year Dolly Read (1971-75; 1978-present). Martin's first wife was the former Peggy Connelly, by whom he had two sons, Richard Martin, Jr. and Cary Martin.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ruth Buzzi was born July 24, 1936 in Westerly, Rhode Island to Rena and Angelo Buzzi. Her father was a nationally recognized stone sculptor. Raised in Wequetequock, Connecticut, she attended Stonington High School. She gained experience as a cheerleader, performing before crowds at athletic events.
At 17, she enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse for the Performing Arts. Her classmates included Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman. She graduated with honors. Buzzi went on to Act in a wide variety of revues throughout New England, and worked alongside other young and talented performers who were just beginning their careers at the time, including Barbra Streisand, Joan Rivers, Dom DeLuise, Bernadette Peters and Carol Burnett.
She came to national recognition when she teamed up with Dom DeLuise in an act in which he played an incompetent magician and she was his sidekick, "Shakuntala", who never spoke but sported a wide grin. Audiences demanded more and they eventually played several major nighttime television variety shows including The Garry Moore Show (1958) "The Entertainers" with Carol Burnett, and Your Show of Shows (1950) with Imogene Coca.
She was hired by Bob Fosse to perform in his wife (Gwen Verdon)'s hit Broadway musical "Sweet Charity". During that time she auditioned for and received a permanent place in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), playing everything from deadpan housewives to hard-bitten drunks to Southern belles to hookers. Memorable characters include Busy-Buzzi, a Hollywood gossip columnist; dipsomaniac Doris Swizzler, who frequently got wasted with her husband Leonard (played by Dick Martin); and as one of the Burbank Airlines Stewardesses, who were infamous for their rude behavior.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Gary Owens was an American voice actor, radio announcer and narrator who was known for being the original voice actor of Hanna-Barbera's Space Ghost, Powdered Toast Man from The Ren & Stimpy Show and Blue Falcon from Dynomutt, Dog Wonder. George Lowe became Owens' successor as the voice of Space Ghost since 1994. He passed away from diabetes complications in February 2015.- Actor
- Writer
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Alan Sues was born on 7 March 1926 in Ross, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), The Americanization of Emily (1964) and The Twilight Zone (1959). He was married to Phyllis Gehrig. He died on 1 December 2011 in West Hollywood, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Arte Johnson was born on 20 January 1929 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), Love at First Bite (1979) and Baggy Pants & the Nitwits (1977). He was married to Gisela Johnson and Texie Waterman. He died on 3 July 2019 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Henry Gibson was born on 21 September 1935 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Before appearing in films and television series, he was a child star on the stage during the 1940s and during the late 1950s he was an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force. His screen debut came in 1963 when he was cast in the Jerry Lewis film The Nutty Professor (1963). He made two other small film appearances in the early 1960s in Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) and The Outlaws Is Coming (1964), in which he played a rather hip Indian named Charlie Horse. His breakthrough came in 1968 when he was cast as a member of the regular cast of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967). He stayed with the show until 1971, when he left and continued his career as a character actor. His best known film role was probably his performance in Nashville (1975). He played Haven Hamilton, a smarmy Country and Western singer. For this role he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and was awarded the National Film Critics Award for best supporting actor. Gibson's career carried on through the 1980s and 1990s when he appeared in many films, such as The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) and The 'Burbs (1989). He also provided voice-overs for many children's animated series like The Smurfs (1981), The Wuzzles (1985) and Galaxy High School (1986). His most recent appearance have been in the Paul Thomas Anderson drama Magnolia (1999) and the independent film The Year That Trembled (2002).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Lily Tomlin was born September 1, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, to Lillie Mae (Ford) and Guy Tomlin, who moved to Michigan from Paducah, Kentucky, during the Great Depression. Her mother was a nurse's aide and her father was a factory worker. She graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1957, and later enrolled at Wayne State University. She began career by doing stand-up comedy in nightclubs in Detroit and New York City. Her first television appearance was on "The Merv Griffin Show". She went on to have astronomical success with several characters, notably Ernestine, a nosy, condescending telephone operator who generally treated customers with little sympathy and regard, on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967). Other notable characters are in film include Linnea Reese, a gospel-singing mother of two deaf children who has an affair with a womanizing country singer (played by (Keith Carradine) in Robert Altman's Nashville (1975), a performance for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. Violet Newstead who joins her on-screen coworkers (played by Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton) in seeking revenge on their monstrous and sexist boss, Franklin M. Hart Jr., (played by Dabney Coleman) in the comedy 9 to 5 (1980), The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), Doreen Piggot in Robert Altman's Short Cuts (1993), Cher's best-friend and American compatriot Georgie Rockwell in Tea with Mussolini (1999), deadpan private investigator, and existentialist Vivian Jaffe in I Heart Huckabees (2004), and Country-Western singer Rhonda Johnson in Robert Altman's final film A Prairie Home Companion (2006).- Actor
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Richard Dawson was born Colin Lionel Emm on November 20, 1932 in Gosport, Hampshire, England. When he was 14, he joined the Merchant Navy and served for three years. During that time, he made money boxing. He had to lie about his age and remain tough so the older guys would not hassle him. In the late 1950s, Richard met a British actress named Diana Dors. On April 12, 1959, while in New York for an appearance on The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1956), they were married. Richard and Diana's first child, a son named Mark Dawson, was born in 1960, and a second son, Gary Dawson, was born in 1962. Richard and Diana separated in 1964 and eventually divorced in 1967. When Richard moved to the United States, he began acting on the well-known series, Hogan's Heroes (1965), in 1965. Richard played the lovable British Corporal Peter Newkirk. The show ended in 1971. Not long after that, in 1973, he became a panelist on Match Game (1973) and remained there until 1978.
While still on "Match Game", he hosted his own show called Family Feud (1976). , which he is most remembered for by his trademark of kissing all the female contestants. Those kisses made the show a warm and friendly program, along with his quick wit, subtle jokes, and ability to make people feel at ease with being on camera. In 1987, Richard co-starred withArnold Schwarzenegger in the science fiction action movie The Running Man (1987). Richard portrayed an egotistical game show host, Damon Killian, whom many say was a mirror image of himself at one time or another, during his real-life career.
When Richard was 61, he hosted the third incarnation of "Family Feud" in 1994, but had only a short run. On April 6, 1981, the Johnson family appeared on "Family Feud" and Richard was introduced to 27-year-old Gretchen Johnson. They had a daughter, Shannon Dawson (Shannon Nicole Dawson), in 1990, and were married in 1991. They were still married and reside in Beverly Hills, California. Richard narrated TV's Funniest Game Show Moments (1984) on Fox in early 2000. On Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd, 2000, he hosted a "Family Feud" marathon, which was filmed in 1995. Some people hear the name Richard Dawson and may not recognize the name. But say his name, followed by his famous quote "Survey says...!" or mention "Newkirk on Hogan's Heroes (1965)", and they're sure to know who you mean. Richard Dawson died at age 79 of complications from esophageal cancer on June 2, 2012.- Actress
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This tall, attractive, rubber-faced, tunnel-mouthed comedienne with the trademark bouffant black hair is a one-of-a-kind commodity and certainly no shrinking violet when it comes to entertaining. Unapologetically, she adores the center stage...and vice versa -- the stage loves her. Like several of her Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) cohorts, Jo Anne Worley zoomed to overnight cult stardom in the late 1960s but, in her case, was able to extend her wild and woolly popularity to several other levels once her "fifteen minutes" of fame was over. Over the years, she has situated herself nicely into night clubs, musical theater productions, game shows, talk shows, commercials, and even cartoons. Four decades plus later, Jo Anne continues to delight and is instantly recognized with a mere raucous laugh or pointy digit embedded in her cheek.
The brassy, indefatigable Jo Anne was born in Lowell, Indiana, on September 6, 1937, the third of five children and has always separated herself from the crowd with her distinctively loud voice, whether singing or not. The writing was on the wall when she was crowned "school comedienne" in high school.
Following graduation (1955), she traveled east to pursue her dreams and initially apprenticed with the Pickwick Players. After a two-year dramatic scholarship to Midwestern State University, she transferred to Los Angeles City College and also trained at the Pasadena Playhouse. It did not take long before she made her professional debut in a production of "Wonderful Town." In 1961, she garnered some attention in the popular L.A. musical revue "Billy Barnes People," a show that took her all the way, if very briefly, to Broadway.
Performing in assorted musicals and revues over the next few years including "Carnival" (1962), "Second City Review" (1964), and "Hotel Passionato" (1965), Jo Anne's career was given a boost when she co-starred with fellow up-and-comers Linda Lavin and Paul Sand in the Mad Magazine-inspired off-Broadway revue "The Mad Show" in 1966. That same year, she received the break she was looking for when she was discovered by talk-show host Merv Griffin while showcasing her nightclub act in Greenwich Village. Griffin took a strong liking to her and gave her a viable comedy platform to play on with approximately 200 appearances in all. Producer George Schlatter caught Jo Anne's zany antics on Griffin's show and invited her to swinging TV stardom in 1968. The rest is history.
It's not always easy to stand out in a large ensemble but Jo Anne did, complete with unabashed manic energy and faux operatic tones on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) as part of the "let it all hang out" generation. In this psychedelic, irreverently political pastiche of comedy slapstick and music, Jo Anne found a perfect forum for her talents. Her bold, infectious comic flair proved a real crowd pleaser, and the big boned brunette became a certifiable TV star. While the show also made stars out of Ruth Buzzi, Henry Gibson and Arte Johnson and superstars out of Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin, it also managed to rebuff the somewhat fading stars of co-hosts Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, and singer/actress Judy Carne.
In 1970, Jo Anne left the celebrated madness at the peak of the show's popularity to pursue a variety of other creative outlets. She made onscreen guest appearances on several TV shows, notably Love, American Style (1969), and was a steadfast presence on the talk show, variety show and game show circuits. Strangly enough, however, she never found a sitcom or another TV vehicle to adequately test-drive her comedy revvings.
With such a high-wattage personality that invites comparisons to Carol Burnett, Carol Channing and Ethel Merman, Jo Anne may have out-sized herself for films but her larger-than-life presence perfectly fit the musical theater bill. For decades she found a vast number of showcases to logically suit her. Her many musical tours have included, notably, "Gypsy" as Mama Rose, "The Wizard of Oz" as the Wicked Witch, and "Mame" as the title socialite. In addition, Jo Anne has found marvelous vehicles in "The Pirates of Penzance," "Annie Get Your Gun," "Anything Goes," "Nunsense," "Grease!," "Call Me Madam," and "Annie". Her non-singing theater resume includes "Luv," "Same Time, Next Year," "Lovers and Other Strangers," "Moon Over Buffalo," "Steel Magnolias," and the female version of "The Odd Couple." Many of these shows co-starred then-husband Roger Perry, whom she married in 1975. The couple had no children and divorced in 2000.
In 1989, Jo Anne returned to Broadway to appear in the original performance of "The Prince of Central Park." Her work over the years has been plentiful, especially for the Disney people, including the movie The Shaggy D.A. (1976) and animated features Beauty and the Beast (1991) (as the voice of the Wardrobe) and A Goofy Movie (1995).
Nearing the millennium, Jo Anne has made sporadic guest appearances on such TV shows as "Mad About You," "Caroline in the City," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Boy Meets World," "Wizards of Waverly Place," "Bones," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Jessie" and "The Middle."
In other pursuits, Jo Anne has been active on the lecture circuit and has also served on the Board of Directors for Actors and Others for Animals. She also performs in concert, typically offering parodies of well-known songs to suit her man-chasing personality. A culinary enthusiast, she has also been seen whipping up specialties on the Food Network ("Ready Set Cook" and "Chef du jour").- Actress
- Producer
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Goldie Jeanne Hawn was born November 21, 1945 in Washington, D.C. to Laura Hawn, who owned a dance school, and Rut Hawn, a band musician. She has one sister, entertainment publicist Patti Hawn; a brother, Edward, died in infancy before her birth. She was raised in the Jewish religion. Her mother was Jewish and the daughter of Hungarian immigrants. Her father was Presbyterian. At the age of three, Goldie began taking ballet and tap dance lessons, and at the age of ten she danced in the chorus of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo production of "The Nutcracker". At the age of 19 she ran and instructed a ballet school, having dropped out of college where she was majoring in drama. Before going into the film business she worked as a professional dancer.
Hawn made her feature film debut in The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), with a small role as a giggling dancer. Her first big role came in 1969, where she played opposite Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman in Cactus Flower (1969), a role which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. After the Oscar win her career took off and she followed with roles in successful comedies such as There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) and Shampoo (1975), and more dramatic roles in The Girl from Petrovka (1974) and The Sugarland Express (1974). In 1978, she starred alongside Chevy Chase in the box office hit, Foul Play (1978). In 1980 she starred in another box office hit, Private Benjamin (1980), where she also served as producer. During the 1980s she starred in hit movies such as Best Friends (1982), Protocol (1984) and Wildcats (1986). In 1987, she appeared with her boyfriend Kurt Russell in Overboard (1987), which became both a critical and box office disappointment. Her career slowed down after that until 1990 when she starred alongside Mel Gibson in Bird on a Wire (1990). In 1992 she starred in the successful film, Death Becomes Her (1992), with Meryl Streep and Bruce Willis, which was followed by another successful film HouseSitter (1992), which co-starred Steve Martin. In 1996 she played the role of an aging alcoholic actress in the comedy, The First Wives Club (1996), with Diane Keaton and Bette Midler; it became a critical and financial success. She also starred in the Woody Allen film Everyone Says I Love You (1996) and The Out-of-Towners (1999), which reunited her with Martin. In 2001 and 2002 she starred in Town & Country (2001) with Warren Beatty, and The Banger Sisters (2002) with Susan Sarandon.
Goldie has been married twice. First to dancer/director Gus Trikonis from 1969 to 1973. In 1976 she married musician Bill Hudson and became a mother for the first time that year, when she gave birth to their son Oliver Hudson. In 1979, she had her second child with Hudson, daughter Kate Hudson. The marriage ended in divorce in 1980. Since 1983, she has been having a relationship with actor Kurt Russell. Their son Wyatt Russell was born in 1986. Goldie is also a de-facto stepmother to Kurt's son Boston Russell. She has eight grandchildren.- Actor
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Johnny Brown was born on 11 June 1937 in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. He was an actor, known for Good Times (1974), Man in the Mirror (2008) and Life (1999). He was married to June Russell. He died on 2 March 2022 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
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Ann Elder was born on 21 September 1942 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Get Smart (1965), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) and The Wild Wild West (1965).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Trained in music and dance, tiny-framed, pixie-like Judy Carne was born Joyce Botterill in Northampton, England on April 27, 1939, the daughter of a grocer. Trained in dance, she appeared in music revues as a teenager and changed her name at the advice of a dance teacher.
Slowly building up a career on British TV, she arrived in America in 1962, the eve of the mid-60s "British invasion," and appeared to good advantage on the TV series Fair Exchange (1962). Beginning unobtrusively in film, she developed enough as a light comedienne to score well on the smaller screen and won a regular role on the sitcom The Baileys of Balboa (1964). Stardom came with her own romantic comedy series Love on a Rooftop (1966) opposite the late Pete Duel. The latter series, though short-lived, was quite popular and showcased Carne's appeal to maximum advantage. She found herself embraced by America as a cute, pert-nosed Cockney lass with a Peter Pan-like effervescence.
It was no surprise when a couple of years later she soared to "flower power" stardom on the hip and highly irreverent TV cult variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), where she introduced the phrase "Sock it to me!" to the American vernacular. As the plucky brunette, she always seemed to be on the receiving end of a slapstick prank, but the audiences loved her for it. The show also made instant household names out of fellow Laugh-In comrades Arte Johnson, Ruth Buzzi, Henry Gibson, Jo Anne Worley, Lily Tomlin, and, notably, Goldie Hawn, who managed to out-perk even Judy and grab the lion's share of attention. Judy proved herself a game sport for a while, but made the decision to leave the series after only two seasons-- tired of the grind, the typecast, and the disappointment of having her singing/dancing skills undermined.
In the long run it probably was a major career mistake. With the exception of her role as Polly (the Julie Andrews roles) in a Broadway revival of "The Boy Friend" that also featured Sandy Duncan, Judy's post "Laugh-In" professional life was unexceptional with a surprising quick descent. There were a couple of mini-movies, a failed TV idea for a sitcom called "Poor Judy", a failed Las Vegas music act, and the TV talk show circuit. Nothing panned out. Despite an innocent, bubbly, cheery exterior, her private life was anything but. Her 1963 marriage to rising star Burt Reynolds was over within a couple of years. The divorce was acrimonious, to say the least, with nasty, below-the-belt accusations being flung from both sides and feeding the tabloid sheets. A second marriage to TV producer Robert Bergman in 1970 lasted even less than that. More problematic, however, was Judy's escalating financial problems and a drug problem which started with marijuana and hallucinogens and developed into a full-fledged heroin addiction.
In the late 60s and 70s she tried to maintain somewhat with scattered appearances on the musical and comedy stage with roles in "Cabaret" (as Sally Bowles), "Absurd Person Singular," "There's a Girl in My Soup", "The Owl and the Pussycat" and "Blithe Spirit". Her career pretty much in shambles, she fell quickly into the lifestyle of a junkie and began living in squalor. For the next decade, she literally dropped out of sight. The only time she was heard from was when she was busted for a drug arrest or when she made unhappy headlines for a near-fatal 1978 car crash (her ex-husband Robert was driving) that left her with a broken neck.
Judy's tell-all 1985 autobiography, "Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside", was a harrowing and heart-wrenching read with explicit detailing of her descent into degradation. Despite the book, the adorable English girl who captured America's heart in the late 1960s failed to win back a now-disinterested audience. She remains a prime example of what the flip side of a glamorous Hollywood can turn out to be.
In later years, Judy lived and was not heard of much since the publishing of the book. She has allegedly been married twice more since then. She was also in attendance for the televised 25th anniversary of "Laugh-In" and a televised "Laugh-In" Christmas show both in 1993. Out of the picture since the early 1980's, she was a 1990 guest for talk show hosts Geraldo Rivera and Howard Stern and made an isolated appearance as a homeless person in the downbeat urban movie drama What About Me (1993), written and directed by the film's star Rachel Amodeo.
Living quietly in the village of Pitsford for two decades, she died from pneumonia on September 3, 2015, at a hospital in Northampton.- Actor
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Larry Hovis was born February 20, 1936, in Wapato, Washington. He grew up in Houston, Texas. He started out as a vocalist, singing with his sister Joan Hovis, then joined a quartet called "The Mascots", and they appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (1948). While Larry was earning his degree in philosophy at the University of Houston, he was signed to Capitol Records, where he recorded the album "My Heart Belongs to Only You". In the late 1950s, he moved to New York and appeared in the Broadway shows "The Billy Barnes Revue" (1959) and "From A to Z" (1960). In 1963, Larry relocated his family to California, where he performed stand-up comedy routines in local clubs. His first notable appearance on a major TV show was in 1964 on Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964), appearing in ten episodes. He also appeared in two episodes of The Andy Griffith Show (1960). Larry eventually landed a minor role on the pilot episode of Hogan's Heroes (1965). When two other actors backed out of the series, he was given the permanent role of demolition man "Sgt. Carter". While a regular on the popular TV series, Hovis continued to write scripts for television specials and also wrote and performed on the breakthrough comedy series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967). In 1966, he wrote the screenplay for the film Out of Sight (1966). After the unexpected cancellation of Hogan's Heroes (1965), Hovis appeared in such TV programs as The Doris Day Show (1968), Adam-12 (1968), Chico and the Man (1974), Holmes and Yoyo (1976), Alice (1976) and others. Behind the scenes Larry produced several game shows, including Liar's Club (1976), in which he was a panelist from 1976 to 1978. In 1993, he appeared in the theatrical film Shadow Force (1992).- Dennis Allen was born on 10 July 1940 in Raytown, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Me, Natalie (1969), Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) and Love, American Style (1969). He died on 1 December 1995 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
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- Soundtrack
This lively, petite redhead has one of those distinctively kewpie-doll voices that can instantly make you laugh the moment she opens her mouth, and in her TV heyday that's exactly what Barbara Sharma did. At her peak during the 70s she was juggling musical stage assignments in between regular TV comedy appearances, while pitching household items in commercials on the side.
Barbara was born on September 14, 1943 (reference books often erroneously list her birth year as 1942) in Dallas, Texas. As a child she lived everywhere with her parents -- in Florida, New Orleans and even a pre-Castro Havana. A highly energetic youngster, her parents had her take dance classes at age 4 to find a creative use for all that get-up-and-go. She showed a natural ability and, at one point, was studying under famed Cuban prima ballerina Alicia Alonso. The talented youngster even found ways to work underage in hotels and, by her teens, had her own singing, dancing and comedy club act. With the rising Castro movement, the family quickly left Cuba when Barbara was 13 and settled in the Miami area where she continued to hone her craft on stage. Too short to become a ballerina, she refocused and began excelling in jazz and tap. She worked in niteries with (or for) such luminaries as Martha Raye and Joe E. Brown. She also worked with orchestra leader Paul Whiteman during the early years of TV.
New York was the teenager's next destination, moving there in the mid-50s where she gathered valuable experience performing with the Camp Tamiment group which was run by the producers of TV's "Your Show of Shows" and featured such up-and-coming talents as Larry Kert, with whom she worked alongside. She made her Broadway debut as a replacement for the young Dulcy character in the Julie Andrews musical hit "The Boyfriend" (Julie had already left the show by this time) and later went on tour with it. The early 60s also brought a close professional association with Bob Fosse. Barbara first worked with the famed choreographer on Broadway dancing in "Little Me" (1962), and continued with him as a lead dancer in his company for nearly five years in which Fosse created dances designed specifically with her in mind. Other such Fosse shows: "Pleasure Palaces" and, more notably, "Sweet Charity" in 1966. During that time Barbara appeared in the original production of "Hello Dolly!" (1964) starring Carol Channing as understudy to the Minnie Fay character and as an ensemble player. For the rest of the decade Barbara found plentiful work in Broadway musicals including "Hallelujah, Baby!" (1968) starring Leslie Uggams, and the short-lived shows "Her First Roman" (1968) and "Come Summer" (1969). It was off-Broadway, however, that finally connected Barbara's rising name to TV.
Producer George Schlatter, who had hit ratings gold with his popular, irreverent satire Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), caught Barbara starring as Ruby in the tuneful tapper "Dames at Sea" (1970) in which she appeared in both the New York and Los Angeles productions. Looking for replacements at the time for his show, Schlatter took an instant fancy to Barbara's innate talent for comedy, singing and dancing, and immediately signed her up in 1970 for two seasons. A memorable appearance clashing hilariously with Mary Tyler Moore on her classic show led to a recurring role as Myrna Morgenstein on Valerie Harper's sitcom vehicle Rhoda (1974), the spinoff of Ms. Moore's show. Throughout the rest of the 70s and 80s, Barbara continued guesting on various sitcoms including "Tabitha", "Alice", "One Day at a Time", "The Facts of Life" and "Perfect Strangers". She also did scores of commercials, most notably playing the "Glass Plus" girl during the late 70s and early 80s.
The stage was never far away, however, and Barbara returned to her musical roots time and time again in summer stock and regional plays. She amassed a number of singing credits including "Carousel" (as Carrie), "Guys and Dolls" (Adelaide), "Oklahoma!" (Ado Annie), "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Irma La Douce". In 1971, Barbara received great reviews for her work in the comedy "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" opposite James Coco on Broadway and in the late 70s was a replacement in the musical "I Love My Wife". Later L.A. stage shows included "Blame It on the Movies", "Taking a Chance on Love" (Dramalogue Award), the female version of "The Odd Couple" (with both Lee Meriwether and Marcia Wallace) and a promising two-person musical revue entitled "Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride" with musical performer Kay Cole, a show that played both L.A. and New York. Her occasional film work included light comedy parts in Norman... Is That You? (1976), Con Air (1997) and Time Share (2000).
With her chatty comedy voice ideally suited to cartoons and voiceover work, Barbara continues to perform "second banana" guest spots, her more recent sitcoms being "Frasier" and "Becker" (the latter a recurring role). Barbara maintains residence in the Los Angeles area and has a daughter, Amy, who is a school teacher.