Charlie Brill
Encyclopedia
Charlie Brill is an American
actor.
His first motion picture was in The Beast of Budapest. He also appeared in Blackbeard's Ghost
, The Amazing Dobermans and Off the Wall.
He played Arne Darvin in the 1967 Star Trek
episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
episode "Trials and Tribble-ations"in 1996. He also played Capt. Harry Lipschitz on the long running series Silk Stalkings
.
He and his wife Mitzi McCall
performed sketch comedy on The Ed Sullivan Show
on the same episode as the Beatles first appearance, February 9, 1964 (see illustration). McCall played Mrs. Lipschitz on Silk Stalkings. Brill was a frequent panelist on the 1970s revival of Match Game
and, along with wife Mitzi, the celebrity-couples gameshow Tattletales
.
Brill and his wife are actress Melissa Gilbert
's godparents.
The couple has a daughter, L.A.-based yoga teacher Jenny Brill. They were interviewed in 2005 for the "Big Break" episode of PRI
radio program This American Life
, regarding their Beatles-Sullivan experience, including a dressing room encounter with John Lennon
.
Brill and McCall were spotted in 1963 while working in Honolulu by the Australian Television Producer John Collins, who produced The Tonight Show for the Nine Network in Sydney. Collins was seeking a replacement for the then unknown Irish Comedian Dave Allen who had compered the program for the previous two seasons and wanted to return to Ireland. Collins approached them and they agreed but could not start an Australian engagement until their Hawaiian engagement was complete. They recommended an American Comedian their friend Don Lane (Donald Mortimer Isaacsen) who was also working in Hawaii, to fill in in the meantime. Collins agreed to this.
Lane started his Australian engagement and was an immediate success. Ratings were sensational and the network was delighted. It was going to be difficult if not impossible to replace him once the Brills became available. When they did, the preference was obvious and their engagement was cancelled after six weeks. Lane resumed their spot and remained successful in Australian television for the ensuing thirty five years.
(which also starred Mitz McCall) as well as in film, he did several voices in the two Flintstones
feature films Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby
and I Yabba-Dabba Do!
.
He also voiced King Poppin' Lockin' and a tired artist in an episode of the hit Cartoon Network
series Grim & Evil
.
He has also voiced several other characters in three other shows by Hanna-Barbera
including The Tom & Jerry Kids Show, Droopy, Master Detective
and Yo Yogi!
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor.
His first motion picture was in The Beast of Budapest. He also appeared in Blackbeard's Ghost
Blackbeard's Ghost
Blackbeard's Ghost is a 1968 live-action fantasy comedy Disney film starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette, directed by Robert Stevenson. It is based upon the novel of the same name by Ben Stahl and was shot in Walt Disney Studios. The Disney Channel aired this film until the...
, The Amazing Dobermans and Off the Wall.
He played Arne Darvin in the 1967 Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
episode "Trials and Tribble-ations"in 1996. He also played Capt. Harry Lipschitz on the long running series Silk Stalkings
Silk Stalkings
Silk Stalkings is a TV crime drama originally shown on CBS in 1991 as part of the network's late-night Crimetime After Primetime programming package, and rebroadcast on the USA Network. After CBS ended the Crimetime experiment in 1993, the series ran exclusively on USA until its finale in the...
.
He and his wife Mitzi McCall
Mitzi McCall
Mitzi McCall is an American actress married to actor Charlie Brill. She performed on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Other credits include guest appearances on Life Goes On, The Twilight Zone, Silk Stalkings , and voice work on many cartoons...
performed sketch comedy on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
on the same episode as the Beatles first appearance, February 9, 1964 (see illustration). McCall played Mrs. Lipschitz on Silk Stalkings. Brill was a frequent panelist on the 1970s revival of Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
and, along with wife Mitzi, the celebrity-couples gameshow Tattletales
Tattletales
Tattletales is a game show which first aired on the CBS daytime schedule on February 18, 1974. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with several announcers, including Jack Clark, Gene Wood, Johnny Olson and John Harlan, providing the voiceover at various times...
.
Brill and his wife are actress Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, writer, and producer, primarily in movies and television. Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls's second daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the dramatic television series Little House on the Prairie...
's godparents.
The couple has a daughter, L.A.-based yoga teacher Jenny Brill. They were interviewed in 2005 for the "Big Break" episode of PRI
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
radio program This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, regarding their Beatles-Sullivan experience, including a dressing room encounter with John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
.
Brill and McCall were spotted in 1963 while working in Honolulu by the Australian Television Producer John Collins, who produced The Tonight Show for the Nine Network in Sydney. Collins was seeking a replacement for the then unknown Irish Comedian Dave Allen who had compered the program for the previous two seasons and wanted to return to Ireland. Collins approached them and they agreed but could not start an Australian engagement until their Hawaiian engagement was complete. They recommended an American Comedian their friend Don Lane (Donald Mortimer Isaacsen) who was also working in Hawaii, to fill in in the meantime. Collins agreed to this.
Lane started his Australian engagement and was an immediate success. Ratings were sensational and the network was delighted. It was going to be difficult if not impossible to replace him once the Brills became available. When they did, the preference was obvious and their engagement was cancelled after six weeks. Lane resumed their spot and remained successful in Australian television for the ensuing thirty five years.
Voice Acting
Brill has also been working as a voice actor in animation. On television, he supplied the voice of the main character Grimmy in the animated series of Mother Goose and GrimmMother Goose and Grimm
Mother Goose and Grimm is an internationally syndicated comic strip by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Mike Peters. It was first syndicated in 1984 and is distributed by King Features Syndicate to more than 800 newspapers...
(which also starred Mitz McCall) as well as in film, he did several voices in the two Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
feature films Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby
Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby
Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby is an animated television movie based on the 1960s series classic, The Flintstones. It first aired on ABC on December 5, 1993. It is the sequel to I Yabba-Dabba Do! and is followed by A Flintstone Family Christmas, which aired less than two weeks later on the same channel...
and I Yabba-Dabba Do!
I Yabba-Dabba Do!
I Yabba-Dabba Do! is a made-for-TV animated film based on the original series, The Flintstones and its spinoff, The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show. It premiered on ABC on February 7, 1993. Many attribute this movie's inspiration to the success of the remake of Father of the Bride...
.
He also voiced King Poppin' Lockin' and a tired artist in an episode of the hit Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
series Grim & Evil
Grim & Evil
Grim & Evil is an American animated television series created by Maxwell Atoms. The series, which premiered on Cartoon Network, consisted of two segments which were eventually spun off into their own series, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Evil Con Carne.-History:The series' existence is...
.
He has also voiced several other characters in three other shows by Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
including The Tom & Jerry Kids Show, Droopy, Master Detective
Droopy, Master Detective
Droopy, Master Detective was an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera in association with Turner Entertainment. The show is a spin-off from Tom & Jerry Kids....
and Yo Yogi!
Yo Yogi!
Yo Yogi! is an animated series first aired on NBC on Saturday mornings during the 1991-92 season. It is, to date, the last television series to feature or star Yogi Bear. It is also the last Hanna-Barbera show to premiere on NBC to this date...
.
External links
- Charlie Brill and Mitzi McCall on This American LifeThis American LifeThis American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...