Guest Lethargic Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Buddy Hackett, the squat, round, rubbery-faced funnyman who appeared for more than 50 years as a top act in nightclubs, Broadway shows, on television and in such movies as "The Music Man," "The Love Bug" and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," has died, his son confirmed Monday night. He was 78. Hackett died at his Southern California beach house either late Sunday or early Monday, Sandy Hackett told The Associated Press. His body was found Monday. "He was one of the greatest ever. He was a terrific father. He was my best friend. He prepared me very well for this day, but no matter how much you prepare it still hurts," Sandy Hackett said as he arrived at his mother's house in Los Angeles. The younger Hackett, who is also a comedian, said he had driven to Los Angeles from his Las Vegas home as soon as he got word of his father's death. Hackett was invited to join the Three Stooges when "Curly" Howard, the bald-headed member of the comedy team, suffered a stroke in 1946. But Hackett declined, believing he could develop his own comedy style. Playing for small money on the Borscht Circuit for New York City vacationers in the Catskill Mountains, he learned to get laughs with his complaints about being short, fat and Jewish. His career grew with appearances on the variety TV shows of Jack Paar, Arthur Godfrey and others. Soon he was earning top money in Las Vegas, Florida and Las Vegas. In the beginning his material was suitable for family audiences, but in later years nightclubs advertised his show "For Mature Audiences Only." His performances in those days were noted for their prolific use of four-letters words at a time when that just wasn't done. "Compared to motion pictures," he remarked in 1996, "I'm very mild these days." He was born Leonard Hacker in a Jewish section of New York City's borough of Brooklyn on August 31, 1924. For a time he apprenticed in his father's upholstery shop, but at school he found he had a talent for making his fellow students laugh. That was a necessity to offset the taunts about his roly-poly shape. When he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame a few years ago, he quipped that he had left Brooklyn "to get away from the subway" only to discover that the star had been placed above the one in Los Angeles. "It's a damn circle," he complained. After graduating from New Utrecht High School, where he played on the football team, Hacker spent three years in the military during World War II, then reinvented himself as Buddy Hackett, standup comedian. Using other writers' jokes, he flopped in New York City. Realizing only he could write for Buddy Hackett, he moved on to Los Angeles and scored at a small showcase club. He began making big money across the country, and audiences called for his most noted routine, the Chinese waiter. In 1954, playwright Sidney Kingsley persuaded Hackett to appear on Broadway in "Lunatics and Lovers." Brooks Atkinson, writing in The New York Times, described Hackett as "a large, soft, messy comic with a glib tongue and a pair of inquiring eyes." He also appeared on the New York stage in "Viva Madison Avenue" (1960) and "I Had a Ball" (1964). Hackett made his film debut in 1953 with "Walking My Baby Back Home." Among his other movies: "Fireman Save My Child," "God's Little Acre," "All Hands on Deck," "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm," "Muscle Beach Party," "Loose Shoes," "Scrooged" and Disney's animated "The Little Mermaid," as the voice of Scuttle. The comedian appeared on television from the medium's beginnings, starring in two short-lived series: "Stanley" (1956-1957) and "The Jackie Gleason Show" (1968). He also made guest appearances on numerous sitcoms and played Lou Costello in the 1978 movie "Bud and Lou." He turned down numerous other offers from TV series, complaining that he could rarely get along with network executives. "That ends the meeting," he once said of network executives telling him how to structure a comedy show. Hackett was married to the former Sherry Dubois, whom he met at the Concord Hotel in the Catskills. They had three children: Ivy, Lisa and Sandy, who did a comedy opening act at his father's appearances. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bps "The Truth" 21 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Two Down Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Strom Thurmond could easily be considered the 3rd famous person to die. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Hackett was one of my favorites and it's sad to see him go. I just feel sad because I know my all time favorite (Dangerfield) will be meeting his maker sooner or later... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 I believe this is #3. Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, and now Buddy Hackett. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest WrestlingDeacon Report post Posted July 1, 2003 no, Peck was with Hume Cronyn and David Brinkley. I would consider this three to be Strom, Hacket and Hepburn. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a hilarious film and Hackett is one of the many brilliant comedy legends in it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Razor Roman Report post Posted July 1, 2003 All I have to say is God Bless Buddy Hakcett. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Retro Rob Report post Posted July 1, 2003 I last saw Hackett on the Kilborn show where he would get 2 minutes every Tuesday to tell a joke. The guy was hilarious up until the very end. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Downhome Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Wow, these past few weeks have been really rough in terms of famous people passing away in all walks of life. We have Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, Buddy Hackett, Strom Thurmond, and also Freddie Blassie. I sure hope the saying isn't that they "go in six's" now. In regards to Buddy Hackett, it's another true loss. He was yet another legend, who will always be missed. Thanks for the memories! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Eagan469 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 :: Craig Kilborn cries :: RIP Buddy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest goodhelmet Report post Posted July 1, 2003 silly rabbits, strom thurmond will never die. the old racist bastard will keep on ticking and ticking and ticking and ticking... edit... so he really did die? damn, the batteries ran out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PsychoDriver 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 That's very sad... RIP Buddy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Amazing Rando Report post Posted July 1, 2003 man... and I just watched Mad,Mad,Mad,Mad World again the other night... RIP Buddy *tear* That whole movie is almost wiped out... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest WrestlingDeacon Report post Posted July 2, 2003 Those still alive from it's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World include Mickey Rooney, Peter Falk, Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, Edie Adams and Dorothy Provine. Plus Don Knotts, Carl Reiner and Jerry Lewis had cameos. Lord, I love that movie. I started drinking old fashions due to Jim Backus' love for them as the airplane pilot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted July 9, 2003 I just watched It's a MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD World... Just Brilliant. Why doesn't hollywood try to re-make the GOOD ones? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Crucifixio Jones Report post Posted July 9, 2003 We have Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, Buddy Hackett, Strom Thurmond, and also Freddie Blassie. You guys are forgetting Buddy Ebsen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ripper Report post Posted July 9, 2003 I just watched It's a MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD World... Just Brilliant. Why doesn't hollywood try to re-make the GOOD ones? Didn't they do a remake like 2 years ago...and it didn't go well at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ripper Report post Posted July 9, 2003 And Barry White, without whom alot of you wouldn't be here. ... Think about it... ... Think About it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Steve J. Rogers Report post Posted July 9, 2003 I just watched It's a MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD World... Just Brilliant. Why doesn't hollywood try to re-make the GOOD ones? Didn't they do a remake like 2 years ago...and it didn't go well at all. You mean "Rat Race?" No that was not a remake, similarities yes (country wide race for money, huge cast of "names", ect) but not an outright remake Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest WrestlingDeacon Report post Posted July 9, 2003 Actually, they were going to do a sequel of sorts to It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World in the mid-'80's called "The Sheiks of Arabi" or something like that. Those still living of the original cast were going to be complimented by newer comedy stars (like Robin Williams and Tom Hanks). From what I could remember, Johnathan Winters was going to be the sheik of this small, but oil rich country and all of these ambassadors and business men were going to be racing to the country to get him to sign over the oil rights to them or something like that. I have it in a book around here somehwhere. And Barry White and Buddy Ebsen weren't mentioned above, because they hadn't died yet. Check the date the thread started, it's over a week old. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
