Arte Johnson
Encyclopedia
Arthur Stanton Eric "Arte" Johnson (born January 20, 1929) is an American
comic
actor
. Johnson was a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
. His best-remembered "character" was that of a German soldier with the catchphrase: "Verrrry interesting, but...['stupid', 'not very funny', and other variations]".
, the son of Edythe Mackenzie (née Golden) and Abraham Lincoln Johnson, an attorney. He attended the University of Illinois
, graduating in 1949 after working on the campus radio station and the U of I Theater Guild with his brother, Coslough "Cos" Johnson.
He initially sought employment in Chicago working for advertising agencies
but left for New York
to work for Viking Press
. His first "show business
" job came when he impulsively stepped into an audition line and was cast in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
. Johnson appeared in Ben Bagley
's "The Shoestring Revue", which opened off-Broadway at the President Theater in New York on February 28, 1955, along with Beatrice Arthur, Dody Goodman, Chita Rivera
, and Jane Connell. He appeared three times in the 1955-56 CBS
sitcom It's Always Jan
, starring Janis Paige
and Merry Anders
. In 1958, he joined the cast of the short-lived NBC
sitcom, Sally
, starring Joan Caulfield
. He played Bascomb Bleacher, Jr., the son of a co-owner of a department store
, portrayed by Gale Gordon
.
Before his big breakthrough in Laugh-In, Arte made a 1965 first-season guest appearance on ABC
's series Bewitched
as Samantha
(Elizabeth Montgomery
)'s Cousin Edgar. Edgar is a mute elf who is initially sent to observe and undermine Sam's marriage — all with the blessing of Endora (Agnes Moorehead
), of course. But once he sees how happily married Samantha and Darrin Stephens (Dick York
) are, he reverses his mischief and gives his (albeit quiet) blessing to their still-newlywed marriage. Johnson also appeared in the 1967 satirical James Coburn
film The President's Analyst
, putting in a comically chilling performance as a federal agent with a blindly obedient 'orders are orders' mentality.
, an American television series (1967–1973), on which he played various characters including "Wolfgang", a smoking World War II
German soldier scouting
the show from behind a bush (still fighting the war) invariably commenting on the preceding sketch with the catchphrase "Very interesting..." followed by either a comic observation or misinterpretation, or simply "but stupid!" Johnson indicated later that the phrase came from Desperate Journey
, a 1942 World War II
film with Errol Flynn
and Ronald Reagan
playing Royal Air Force pilots
shot down in Nazi Germany
; they managed to cross much of the country without speaking German or knowing the territory but, when captured, their Nazi interrogator doubts their story with the phrase. Johnson reprised the role while voicing the Nazi-inspired character Virman Vunderbarr on an episode of Justice League Unlimited
.
Johnson was somewhat incorrect in his recollection of the details of this movie, and his faulty recollection was subsequently misquoted and widely repeated on the Internet, further distorting the origin of the phrase. In the movie, after getting shot down and captured, an English-speaking German officer played by Raymond Massey interrogates the flyers. During the interrogation, they see through a window some nearly-assembled aircraft being transported on trucks, and the Raymond Massey character says “I see you find that view most interesting … too bad you saw that, now you can not be even considered for exchange…” but it was not spoken doubting any story told by the flyers. The flyers escape from the interrogation and begin their “journey” across Germany and The Netherlands, traveling towards the English Channel in stolen vehicles while wearing stolen German uniforms. Along the way, they have several violent engagements with German troops and commit sabotage; they are actively pursued by the Raymond Massey character and at the end commandeer a British bomber previously captured by the Germans and fly it back to England, without any German remarking, to either the flyers or to another German: “Very interesting ... ” and, the Errol Flynn character is fluent in German. It is possible that the actual source of the phrase is the movie “Berlin Correspondent” < (use of the phrase in the movie is reported but unverified) and that Johnson had confused elements of the two movies and/or misremembered aspects of them.
His other iconic Laugh-In character was "Tyrone F. Horneigh" (the last name pronounced "horn-eye" – a "clean" variant of the vulgar term "horny"), the white-haired, trenchcoat-wearing "dirty old man" who repeatedly sought to seduce "Gladys Ormphby" (Ruth Buzzi
's brown-clad 'spinster' character) on a park bench. Tyrone would enter the scene, muttering a song (usually "In the Merry, Merry Month of May",) and, spying Gladys on the bench, would sit next to her. He would ask two related 'leading questions,' each earning him a hard whack from a shocked Gladys using her purse. His third statement would be an appeal for medical assistance, at which time he would fall off the bench. Some examples:
Two 'non-medical' examples:
Referring to an only moderately popular candy made from caramel and walnuts, Tyrone would also frequently ask Gladys, "How about a Walnetto?"
The character of Tyrone is also thought to be part of the inspiration for the gravelly voice used in the song, "Gimme Dat Ding
" by the Pipkins
.
Years after Laugh-In ended its run, the two characters were made into an animated Saturday-morning children's show, Baggy Pants and the Nitwits
with Tyrone as a helpful, muttering 'superhero.'
Arte and his brother, Cos, earned their Emmy Awards while working on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.
-produced children's show Hot Fudge
.
In 1976, he voiced the animated cartoon character "Misterjaw
", a blue German-accented shark (with a bow tie and top hat) who liked to leap out of the water and shout "HEEGotcha!" or "Gotcha!" at unsuspecting folks on The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show. He also voiced the character Rhubarb on The Houndcats
.
Later in 1977, he hosted the NBC
game show
Knockout
. Instead of being introduced by the announcer (John Harlan), he would always start the show with a small monologue, then would introduce today's contestants.
In 1979 he played Renfield, the comic sidekick of George Hamilton's Dracula, in the surprise box office smash Love At First Bite
. In 1985, he played a disgruntled "Firm" employee denied severance pay in an episide of Airwolf
In 1990, he appeared in an episode of Night Court
.
He has performed some memorable audiobook readings, including Gary Shteyngart's Absurdistan (2006) and more than 80 other books. In 2005, he appeared in an episode of Justice League Unlimited
as the voice of Virman Vundabar
.
He lives in Southern California with his wife Gisela, and does voice tracks and recordings.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Johnson was a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
. His best-remembered "character" was that of a German soldier with the catchphrase: "Verrrry interesting, but...['stupid', 'not very funny', and other variations]".
Early life
Johnson was born in Benton Harbor, MichiganBenton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
, the son of Edythe Mackenzie (née Golden) and Abraham Lincoln Johnson, an attorney. He attended the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, graduating in 1949 after working on the campus radio station and the U of I Theater Guild with his brother, Coslough "Cos" Johnson.
He initially sought employment in Chicago working for advertising agencies
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
but left for New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to work for Viking Press
Viking Press
Viking Press is an American publishing company owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...
. His first "show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
" job came when he impulsively stepped into an audition line and was cast in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (musical)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a musical with a book by Joseph Fields and Anita Loos, lyrics by Leo Robin, and music by Jule Styne, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Loos...
. Johnson appeared in Ben Bagley
Ben Bagley
Ben Bagley was an American musical theatre and record producer.-Career:Born in Burlington, Vermont, Bagley moved to New York City during the early 1950s, and in 1955, at age 22, he produced his first hit, Shoestring Revue, starring Beatrice Arthur and Chita Rivera , and with songs by Charles...
's "The Shoestring Revue", which opened off-Broadway at the President Theater in New York on February 28, 1955, along with Beatrice Arthur, Dody Goodman, Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theater. She is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award...
, and Jane Connell. He appeared three times in the 1955-56 CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
sitcom It's Always Jan
It's Always Jan
It's Always Jan is an American situation comedy starring Janis Paige, which aired on CBS in the 1955-1956 season. It was the lead-in program at 9:30 p.m...
, starring Janis Paige
Janis Paige
Janis Paige is an American film, musical theatre and television actress. Born Donna Mae Tjaden in Tacoma, Washington, she began singing in public from the age of five in local amateur shows...
and Merry Anders
Merry Anders
Merry Anders is an American actress who has appeared in a number of television programs and films since the 1950s. In 1954, she succeeded Ann Todd as Stuart Erwin's daughter in the final season of his TV series, The Stu Erwin Show.In the 1955-1956 season, she joined Janis Paige in the 26-week CBS...
. In 1958, he joined the cast of the short-lived NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom, Sally
Sally (1957 TV series)
Sally is an American situation comedy which aired on NBC from September 15, 1957 to March 30, 1958. The series is the first filmed television series produced by Paramount Studios.-Synopsis:...
, starring Joan Caulfield
Joan Caulfield
Joan Caulfield was an American actress and former fashion model. After being discovered by Broadway producers, she began a stage career in 1943 that eventually led to signing as an actress with Paramount Pictures....
. He played Bascomb Bleacher, Jr., the son of a co-owner of a department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
, portrayed by Gale Gordon
Gale Gordon
Gale Gordon was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball's second television situation comedy, The Lucy Show...
.
Before his big breakthrough in Laugh-In, Arte made a 1965 first-season guest appearance on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's series Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
as Samantha
Samantha
Samantha is a feminine given name. It was first recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its origin is unknown.Speculation has suggested an origin from the masculine given name Samuel and anthos, the Greek word for "flower"...
(Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.-Early life:Born in Los...
)'s Cousin Edgar. Edgar is a mute elf who is initially sent to observe and undermine Sam's marriage — all with the blessing of Endora (Agnes Moorehead
Agnes Moorehead
Agnes Robertson Moorehead was an American actress. Although she began with the Mercury Theatre, appeared in more than seventy films beginning with Citizen Kane and on dozens of television shows during a career that spanned more than thirty years, Moorehead is most widely known to modern audiences...
), of course. But once he sees how happily married Samantha and Darrin Stephens (Dick York
Dick York
Richard Allen "Dick" York was an American actor. He is best remembered for his role as the first Darrin Stephens on the ABC television fantasy sitcom Bewitched...
) are, he reverses his mischief and gives his (albeit quiet) blessing to their still-newlywed marriage. Johnson also appeared in the 1967 satirical James Coburn
James Coburn
James Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
film The President's Analyst
The President's Analyst
The President's Analyst is a 1967 satirical comedy film written and directed by Theodore J. Flicker, starring James Coburn. The widescreen cinematography was by William A. Fraker, and Lalo Schifrin provided the film's musical score...
, putting in a comically chilling performance as a federal agent with a blindly obedient 'orders are orders' mentality.
Laugh-In
Johnson is best known for his work on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-InRowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
, an American television series (1967–1973), on which he played various characters including "Wolfgang", a smoking World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German soldier scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
the show from behind a bush (still fighting the war) invariably commenting on the preceding sketch with the catchphrase "Very interesting..." followed by either a comic observation or misinterpretation, or simply "but stupid!" Johnson indicated later that the phrase came from Desperate Journey
Desperate Journey
Desperate Journey is a 1942 American World War II aviation film starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Raymond Massey, Alan Hale and Arthur Kennedy, and the movie was directed by Raoul Walsh...
, a 1942 World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
film with Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
playing Royal Air Force pilots
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
shot down in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
; they managed to cross much of the country without speaking German or knowing the territory but, when captured, their Nazi interrogator doubts their story with the phrase. Johnson reprised the role while voicing the Nazi-inspired character Virman Vunderbarr on an episode of Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
.
Johnson was somewhat incorrect in his recollection of the details of this movie, and his faulty recollection was subsequently misquoted and widely repeated on the Internet, further distorting the origin of the phrase. In the movie, after getting shot down and captured, an English-speaking German officer played by Raymond Massey interrogates the flyers. During the interrogation, they see through a window some nearly-assembled aircraft being transported on trucks, and the Raymond Massey character says “I see you find that view most interesting … too bad you saw that, now you can not be even considered for exchange…” but it was not spoken doubting any story told by the flyers. The flyers escape from the interrogation and begin their “journey” across Germany and The Netherlands, traveling towards the English Channel in stolen vehicles while wearing stolen German uniforms. Along the way, they have several violent engagements with German troops and commit sabotage; they are actively pursued by the Raymond Massey character and at the end commandeer a British bomber previously captured by the Germans and fly it back to England, without any German remarking, to either the flyers or to another German: “Very interesting ... ” and, the Errol Flynn character is fluent in German. It is possible that the actual source of the phrase is the movie “Berlin Correspondent” < (use of the phrase in the movie is reported but unverified) and that Johnson had confused elements of the two movies and/or misremembered aspects of them.
His other iconic Laugh-In character was "Tyrone F. Horneigh" (the last name pronounced "horn-eye" – a "clean" variant of the vulgar term "horny"), the white-haired, trenchcoat-wearing "dirty old man" who repeatedly sought to seduce "Gladys Ormphby" (Ruth Buzzi
Ruth Buzzi
Ruth Ann Buzzi is an American comedienne and actress of theatre, film, and television. She is especially known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973.-Early life:...
's brown-clad 'spinster' character) on a park bench. Tyrone would enter the scene, muttering a song (usually "In the Merry, Merry Month of May",) and, spying Gladys on the bench, would sit next to her. He would ask two related 'leading questions,' each earning him a hard whack from a shocked Gladys using her purse. His third statement would be an appeal for medical assistance, at which time he would fall off the bench. Some examples:
- Tyrone: "You want to go to my place, and see where I sleep?" [WHACK!]
- Tyrone: "You want to go to your place, and see where you sleep?" [WHACK!]
- Tyrone: "You mind if I go to sleep right here?" [moans and falls off bench]
- Tyrone: "You want to play Post Office?" [WHACK!]
- Tyrone: "You want to play Spin the Bottle?" [WHACK!]
- Tyrone: "You want to play Doctor?" [moans and falls off bench]
Two 'non-medical' examples:
- Tyrone: "You want to play moongotcha?
- Gladys: "What's 'moongotcha'?"
- Tyrone: [Pointing upwards] "See the moon?" [While Gladys is looking up, he grabs her knee] "GOTCHA!" [WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!]
- Tyrone asks, "Do you believe in the hereafter?"
- Gladys says, "Of course I do!"
- Pleased, Tyrone exclaims, "Then you know what I'm here after!"
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Would you like to go to a play? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Would you like to go to a concert? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Would you like to go to a funeral? [falls off the park bench]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Do you believe in love at first sight? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Do you believe in two hearts intertwining to become one? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Do you believe in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? [He falls over]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Hey, are you doing anything right now? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Are you doing anything tonight? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Are you doing anything tomorrow night? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Well, I'll come back and see you sometime when you're not so busy.
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Would you like to call me Cutie? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Would you like to call me Sweetie? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Would you like to call me an ambulance? [falls off the park bench]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Would you call my face ruggedly handsome? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Would you call my body sensuously attractive? [WHACK!]
- Tyrone F. Horneigh: Would you call my next of kin? [falls off the park bench]
Referring to an only moderately popular candy made from caramel and walnuts, Tyrone would also frequently ask Gladys, "How about a Walnetto?"
The character of Tyrone is also thought to be part of the inspiration for the gravelly voice used in the song, "Gimme Dat Ding
Gimme Dat Ding (song)
"Gimme Dat Ding" is a 1970 popular song sung by "one-hit wonder" The Pipkins, written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood. Released as a single, it is the title track of an album by The Pipkins on EMI Columbia, the song also appeared on a compilation of the same name, which The Pipkins shared with...
" by the Pipkins
The Pipkins
The Pipkins were a short-lived novelty duo, best known for their hit single "Gimme Dat Ding" , which reached No. 6 in the UK Singles Charts and #9 on the U.S. charts in 1970...
.
Years after Laugh-In ended its run, the two characters were made into an animated Saturday-morning children's show, Baggy Pants and the Nitwits
Baggy Pants and the Nitwits
Baggy Pants and the Nitwits is a 1977 animated series, produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and broadcast on NBC.-Overview:Each half-hour episode contains two cartoon segments:...
with Tyrone as a helpful, muttering 'superhero.'
Arte and his brother, Cos, earned their Emmy Awards while working on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.
Later work
In 1974, Johnson appeared in the first season of the DetroitDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
-produced children's show Hot Fudge
Hot Fudge
Hot Fudge is an American children's television series that was produced in Detroit by WXYZ-TV and distributed by the Lexington Broadcast Services Company...
.
In 1976, he voiced the animated cartoon character "Misterjaw
Misterjaw
Misterjaw is a 34-episode made-for-television cartoon series, produced at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in 1976 for The Pink Panther and Friends television series on NBC.-Plot:...
", a blue German-accented shark (with a bow tie and top hat) who liked to leap out of the water and shout "HEEGotcha!" or "Gotcha!" at unsuspecting folks on The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show. He also voiced the character Rhubarb on The Houndcats
The Houndcats
The Houndcats was a 1970s animated television cartoon series shown on the NBC television network.-Plot:Loosely based on the CBS adventure series Mission: Impossible, it was headed by a combined team of dogs and cats, hence the name "Hound-Cats"-Members:* The "Houndcats" were led by the cat Stutz,...
.
Later in 1977, he hosted the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Knockout
Knockout (game show)
Knockout is an NBC game show that aired from October 3, 1977 to April 21, 1978. A Ralph Edwards production, it was hosted by Arte Johnson, with announcing duties handled first by Jay Stewart and later by John Harlan...
. Instead of being introduced by the announcer (John Harlan), he would always start the show with a small monologue, then would introduce today's contestants.
In 1979 he played Renfield, the comic sidekick of George Hamilton's Dracula, in the surprise box office smash Love At First Bite
Love At First Bite
Love at First Bite is a 1979 comedy horror film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, using characters originally created by Bram Stoker. It stars George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin and Arte Johnson. The original music score was composed by Charles Bernstein...
. In 1985, he played a disgruntled "Firm" employee denied severance pay in an episide of Airwolf
Airwolf
Airwolf is an American television series that ran from 1984 until 1987. The program centers on a high-tech military helicopter, code named Airwolf, and its crew as they undertake various missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War theme....
In 1990, he appeared in an episode of Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
.
He has performed some memorable audiobook readings, including Gary Shteyngart's Absurdistan (2006) and more than 80 other books. In 2005, he appeared in an episode of Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
as the voice of Virman Vundabar
Virman Vundabar
Virman Vundabar is a fictional extraterrestrial supervillain published by DC Comics. He was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in Mister Miracle vol. 1 #5 "drawn like Benito Mussolini."-Fictional character biography:...
.
He lives in Southern California with his wife Gisela, and does voice tracks and recordings.