Do You Know Me?
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jdb1
Nope. Not Davenport, but within the right range.CharlieT wrote:I'm guessing Harry Davenport. He, along with Eddie Foy, founded the Actors' Equity Guild.
Hint: This Midwesterner graduated from Harvard Law, and often played legal men. He also played many medical men, and often he was somebody's uncle. His bio says that he was part of the meeting of stage actors that decided it was time to unionize.
He was in lots of B movies, but in A movies as well. In one of his comedies, he was the unwilling host of a very irritating guest who loved publicity as much as the Mystery Guest loved privacy.
How about Grant Mitchell, then? He went to Harvard Law School and had to put up with Monty Wooley's Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner. And his role as Dr. Ward in one of my favorites, 
Orchestra Wives.
Orchestra Wives. "I'm at my most serious when I'm joking." - Dudley
Don't sweat the petty things - don't pet the sweaty things.
Don't sweat the petty things - don't pet the sweaty things.
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jdb1
Excellent -- Grant Mitchell is the man.CharlieT wrote:How about Grant Mitchell, then? He went to Harvard Law School and had to put up with Monty Wooley's Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner. And his role as Dr. Ward in one of my favorites,
How about another from you, Charlie?
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jdb1
Happy Monday, all.
Do you know me?
I began in the early days of radio, and appeared in movies and many TV shows as well.
I am best known for my work with a popular comedy team: on radio and on TV, I played a friend of the family, who worked for them as well. Their TV show was one of the very first to breach that "fourth wall," so I sort of played myself, playing myself.
On the radio, I will forever be known for a slip of the tongue, but that apparently didn't hurt my career very much. Because of that slip, a broadcast policy was put into effect which still stands: when a certain person is introduced on the air, that person's name is never mentioned.
Who am I?
Do you know me?
I began in the early days of radio, and appeared in movies and many TV shows as well.
I am best known for my work with a popular comedy team: on radio and on TV, I played a friend of the family, who worked for them as well. Their TV show was one of the very first to breach that "fourth wall," so I sort of played myself, playing myself.
On the radio, I will forever be known for a slip of the tongue, but that apparently didn't hurt my career very much. Because of that slip, a broadcast policy was put into effect which still stands: when a certain person is introduced on the air, that person's name is never mentioned.
Who am I?
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movieman1957
- Administrator
- Posts: 5522
- Joined: April 15th, 2007, 3:50 pm
- Location: MD
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jdb1
That was quick, Chris, and correct.movieman1957 wrote:Harry von Zell.
He was the Don Wilson of his network. One thing about those guys is that they had great laughs.
Harry von Zell was a radio announcer, and was also a supporting actor in about two dozen films. He generally played the type that was know as a "Chamber of Commerce Man." He was best known as the announcer on The Burns and Allen Show, both on radio and on TV. Besides being their announcer, he also participated in the stories as their friend Harry von Zell. Both he and George Burns frequently stepped in and out of the action - von Zell to make commercial announcements, and Burns to comment on what was transpiring in the story.
Perhaps von Zell's greatest claim to fame was as the hapless announcer who referred to Herbert Hoover as "Hoobert Heever." Fortunately, this was in the course of reading out other things; it was not during an introduction of Mr. Hoover. However, the broadcast industry decided never to take that chance, and forever after any announcer who introduces the president on the air simply says "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States."
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jdb1
Another Mystery Guest has just signed in:
Those who know only my screen work would probably be surprised by my life today, and by some aspects of my background. While I was in college, my first acting mentor was a popular screen star of the 30s who would seem to be my polar opposite. However, he recognized something in me, and helped me get to Broadway, where I appeared in a hit show.
I went to Hollywood to try my luck, and early in my career I hooked up with with one of the world's major entertainment franchises, and became something of a star. It seemed that I have always played the same part, no matter what movie or TV show I've been in, but it made me wealthy, and I used that wealth to purse other interests.
My name has become synonymous with two particular roles; my image was once an icon (and for some of a certain age it still is); and I even had a hit record, singing about a character I played. One of the roles I've played has been discussed by the aficianados on this site. I now own several very successful businesses which have nothing at all to do what made me famous. But I still appear to be the same modest and unaffected person I've always been -- that's how the public thinks of me.
Who am I?
Those who know only my screen work would probably be surprised by my life today, and by some aspects of my background. While I was in college, my first acting mentor was a popular screen star of the 30s who would seem to be my polar opposite. However, he recognized something in me, and helped me get to Broadway, where I appeared in a hit show.
I went to Hollywood to try my luck, and early in my career I hooked up with with one of the world's major entertainment franchises, and became something of a star. It seemed that I have always played the same part, no matter what movie or TV show I've been in, but it made me wealthy, and I used that wealth to purse other interests.
My name has become synonymous with two particular roles; my image was once an icon (and for some of a certain age it still is); and I even had a hit record, singing about a character I played. One of the roles I've played has been discussed by the aficianados on this site. I now own several very successful businesses which have nothing at all to do what made me famous. But I still appear to be the same modest and unaffected person I've always been -- that's how the public thinks of me.
Who am I?
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jdb1
Let's refresh those thinking caps, friends. Here are some hints as to the identity of our current Mystery Guest:
These days, any artifact with our MG's image on it, in good condition, would probably be worth thousands, but when I was a little girl, I had one such item that I used in school every day, and never gave a second thought. If only I had known.
Our MG's two most famous portrayals were important figures in our early history.
His post-movie career is in part in a commodity very far removed from any character he ever played in film.
These days, any artifact with our MG's image on it, in good condition, would probably be worth thousands, but when I was a little girl, I had one such item that I used in school every day, and never gave a second thought. If only I had known.
Our MG's two most famous portrayals were important figures in our early history.
His post-movie career is in part in a commodity very far removed from any character he ever played in film.
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sandykaypax
- Posts: 490
- Joined: April 14th, 2007, 3:15 pm
- Location: Beautiful Ohio
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jdb1
Uh-uh. Please see above where I say "His post-movie career."sandykaypax wrote:Is it Patty Duke?
Sandy K
Our MG is most definitely male.
The MG is older than Patty Duke and, in fact, she was very likely a fan of his. We all were back then.
Here's a BIG hint:
The two most popular characters our MG played on TV both wore a particular kind of hat, which members of PETA would have undoubtedly objected to, if there had been PETA back then.
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jdb1
Yes!knitwit45 wrote:Fess Parker?
Good ol' Fess Parker was discovered, while a student at the Univ. of Texas, by, of all people, Adolphe Menjou, who was artist-in-residence.
Parker wore a coonskin cap as both Davy Crockett and Dan'l Boone. His recording of the Davy Crockett theme (King of the Wild Frontier) was a bit hit, although the version I have on a 50s compilation disc is really short. I don't really remember the original version.
He invested his money wisely, and is now a very wealthy owner of vineyards and hotels in California.
And whatever did happen to my Davy Crockett lunchbox, I wonder?
My little boyfriend across the street got a coonskin cap for Christmas one year. The hat fell apart AFTER divesting itself of the fleas that were holding it together....ah, what childhood memories.....watching Jerry get his head shaved.....his mother hysterical while his dad yelled words that kind of formed a blue cloud over everyone's head.... 
Last edited by knitwit45 on October 2nd, 2007, 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jdb1
So I'm assuming this was a real coonskin hat, and not one of those "Made in Japan" specials we in NYC had to content ourselves with.knitwit45 wrote:My little boyfriend across the street got a coonskin cap for Christmas one year. The hat fell apart AFTER divesting itself of the fleas that was holding it together....ah, what childhood memories.....watching Jerry get his head shaved.....his mother hysterical while his dad yelled words that kind of formed a blue cloud over everyone's head....
[For those of you too young to know, "Made in Japan" meant, in the 50s and 60s what "Made in China" generally means now in terms of toys and novelties; that is, it will fall apart even before you get it out of the bag at home.]