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55-653: Buddy Hackett (born Leonard Hacker ; August 31, 1924 – June 30, 2003) was an American comedian and comic actor. Known for his raunchy material, heavy appearance, and thick New York accent, his best remembered roles include Marcellus Washburn in The Music Man (1962), Benjy Benjamin in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Tennessee Steinmetz in The Love Bug (1968), and the voice of Scuttle in The Little Mermaid (1989). He

110-430: A barbershop quartet . Thereafter, Hill tricks them into breaking into four-part harmony whenever they ask for his credentials. Hill's wooing of Marian, who mistrusts him, has little effect, though he succeeds in winning the admiration of her mother and befriends her unhappy younger brother, Winthrop. When Marian discovers that Hill's claim to being a graduate of Gary Conservatory is a lie, she attempts to expose him, but

165-434: A bonfire. Deducing the ruse, Smokey, Smitty and McGinty jump in the fire-engine and chase the hoodlums' car, followed closely by Emma and her bewildered new owner. When the hoodlums pull into a garage, Smokey flies off the fire hose and through the garage window, and subdues the men by spraying them with his extinguisher. By the time Spencer arrives, the fire truck has combusted, but Smokey extinguishes it with ease, impressing

220-457: A bumbling inventor and scion of a renowned firefighting family, buys retired firehouse horse Emma to pull his buggy, but when Emma hears an alarm, she follows the fire trucks at top speed. Smokey arrives at the fire at the same time as his pal, fireman Smitty ( Hugh O'Brian ), who points out that the blaze is in Smokey's own house. Smokey uses his new invention, an ingenious fire extinguisher, to put out

275-427: A party, for which McGinty's band practices night and day. When Harry later becomes trapped in his Murphy bed and his wife sounds an alarm, Firehouse 12 shows up wearing their silly band outfits, causing Spencer to suspend them all. Bill resigns in defeat, after which Smokey barges into Spencer's office to defend the men. Realizing Smokey is related to renowned firefighters Hose, Hook and Ladder Hinkle, Spencer reinstates

330-409: A rubber band around his head to slant his eyes , Hackett's "The Chinese Waiter" lampooned the heavy dialect, frustration, and communication problems encountered by a busy waiter in a Chinese restaurant: "No, we no have sprit-pea soup ... We gotta wonton, we got eh-roll ... No orda for her, juss orda for you!" The routine was such a hit that Hackett made a recording of it, and was hired to reprise it in

385-568: A security guard and chauffeur named Lonnie Dragon. In 2021, Hackett was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame . On June 12, 1955, Hackett married Sherry Cohen. They lived in Leonia, New Jersey , in the late 1950s. In August 1958, they bought the house previously owned by deceased crime boss Albert Anastasia in Fort Lee, New Jersey . After renovations, they moved in and lived there through most of

440-439: A stroke nearly a week before his death, which also may have contributed to his demise. The Music Man (1962 film) Released by Warner Bros. on June 19, 1962, the film was one of the biggest hits of the year and was widely acclaimed by critics. It was nominated for six Academy Awards , including Best Picture , with composer Ray Heindorf winning Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment . The film also won

495-460: A talking duck aboard a Navy ship. Children became familiar with him as lovable hippie auto mechanic Tennessee Steinmetz in Disney 's The Love Bug (1968). In 1964, he had a stint on Broadway , appearing with Richard Kiley in I Had a Ball . He appeared many times on the game show Hollywood Squares in the late 1960s and 1970s. In one episode, Hackett (who was Jewish) was asked which country had

550-509: A triumph, perhaps a classic, of corn, smalltown nostalgia and American love of a parade...DaCosta’s use of several of the original Broadway cast players is thoroughly vindicated...But the only choice for the title role, Robert Preston, is the big proof of showmanship in the casting. Warners might have secured bigger screen names but it is impossible to imagine any of them matching Preston’s authority, backed by 883 stage performances." Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic wrote 'Robert Preston

605-411: Is a likable man whose likableness let him give one of the best phony performances of the postwar era, in that phony musical The Music Man'. Leo Charney reviewing for AllMovie wrote that the film "is among the best movie musicals, transforming Meredith Willson's Broadway hit into an energetic slice of Americana. Robert Preston's virtuoso portrayal of con man Harold Hill transfers from the stage (despite

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660-460: Is awful, the parents are enthralled. As the boys march out of the town hall, they are suddenly transformed in the townspeople's imagination into a band, playing and marching with perfection, led by Hill. The members of the original Broadway cast who appear in the film are Robert Preston (Harold Hill), Pert Kelton (Mrs. Paroo), The Buffalo Bills (The School Board), Peggy Mondo (Ethel Toffelmier), and Adina Rice (Alma Hix). Paul Ford (Mayor Shinn)

715-477: Is in love with Marian and does not want to leave. Hill is captured by the mob and brought before a town meeting to be tarred and feathered. Marian defends Hill; the townspeople, reminded of how he has brought so many of them together, relent. Mayor Shinn reminds the townspeople how much money Hill has taken with no apparent result. When he demands to know "Where's the band?" Hill is saved by the town's boys, who play Beethoven 's Minuet in G . Although their technique

770-543: Is interrupted by the arrival of the Wells Fargo wagon. When Winthrop, after years of moody withdrawal, joins in the townspeople's singing and speaks effusively about his new cornet , Marian changes her mind about Hill. Hill tells the boys to learn to play via the Think System, in which they simply have to think of a tune over and over and will know how to play it without ever practicing on their instruments. Meeting Marian at

825-588: Is the way of the future. Rorty agrees to let him motorize one firehouse, but frustrates Bill by assigning him to Firehouse 12. The squad immediately set to work on the new equipment, and although Smokey proves to be an inept fireman, he excels at Bill's tests because of his dedication to memorizing the manual. To slow Smokey's progress, the other firemen steal his pants, forcing him to repeatedly attend drills in his underwear. Meanwhile, Smokey sells Emma, and her new owner (Ned Davenport) grows frustrated as she continues to chase fire trucks, and sells her for pennies. During

880-482: The 35th Academy Awards and was nominated for five more. Fireman Save My Child (1954 film) Fireman Save My Child is a 1954 American comedy film starring Hugh O'Brian and Buddy Hackett . The movie was originally intended for Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. It was directed by Leslie Goodwins . In San Francisco in the 1910s, the clownish musical band that runs Firehouse 12 often drowns out alarms with their loud music. Smokey Hinkle ( Buddy Hackett ),

935-621: The Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy , and Preston and Jones were both nominated in their respective acting categories. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 1912, con man Professor Harold Hill arrives in fictional River City, Iowa, to swindle

990-499: The Universal-International musical Walking My Baby Back Home (1953), in which he was third-billed under Donald O'Connor and Janet Leigh . Hackett was an emergency replacement for the similarly built Lou Costello in 1954. Abbott and Costello were set to make a feature-length comedy Fireman, Save My Child , featuring Spike Jones and His City Slickers. Several scenes had been shot with stunt doubles when Costello

1045-544: The 1960s. In 2003, Hackett and his wife established the Singita Animal Sanctuary in California's San Fernando Valley . Hackett's son, Sandy , followed his father into the comedy world, and for years opened for his father before his performances. Sandy created a one-man stage show about his father after his death. He was an avid firearms collector and owned a large collection that he sold off in his later years. In

1100-746: The 1970s, Hackett published a book of poetry entitled The Naked Mind of Buddy Hackett , made frequent appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show until Carson's retirement in 1992, delivered a dramatic performance as Lou Costello in the television movie Bud and Lou opposite Harvey Korman as Bud Abbott, and narrated the Rankin/Bass Christmas special Jack Frost (1979). Hackett appeared regularly in TV ads for Tuscan Dairy popsicles and yogurt throughout this decade, with his most famous television campaign being for Lay's potato chips ("Nobody can eat just one!"), running from 1968 to 1971. In 1980, he starred in

1155-550: The Pins . The film demonstrated championship bowling techniques, with expert Joe Wilman demonstrating the right way and Hackett (in pantomime) exemplifying the wrong way. There was an anecdote that, because of this appearance, Hackett received an offer to join the Three Stooges from Jules White , the head of Columbia short subject department, in 1952. Curly Howard had suffered a debilitating stroke in 1946; his older brother Shemp Howard

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1210-638: The RMC. Each instrument made for the movie carries this engraving, "Made by RMC for the filming of Meredith Willson's 'The Music Man' by Warner Bros." The film had its premiere in Mason City, Iowa , the home town of Meredith Willson, during the North Iowa Band Festival on June 19, 1962. The film received positive reviews and grossed $ 14,953,846 at the box office, earning $ 8.1 million in US theatrical rentals . It

1265-408: The adventures of the titular character (Hackett) as the operator of a newsstand in a posh New York City hotel. Hackett appeared opposite Robert Preston in the film adaptation of The Music Man (1962). In It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Hackett was paired with Mickey Rooney , with whom he had also recently made Everything's Ducky (1961), in which they played two sailors who smuggle

1320-530: The camera. Hackett was a frequent guest on both the Jack Paar and the Johnny Carson versions of The Tonight Show . According to the board game Trivial Pursuit , Hackett has the distinction of making the most guest appearances in the history of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . During this time, he also appeared as a panelist and mystery guest on CBS-TV's What's My Line? and filled in as emcee for

1375-453: The citizens. A few traveling salesmen in the area have heard about Hill, who is known for a ploy in which he gets townspeople to pay to create boys' marching bands, with Hill faking his musical expertise and skipping town once he has their money. Hill discovers that River City is the home of his former associate Marcellus Washburn; with Marcellus's help, Hill incites concern among River City's parents that their boys are being seduced into sin by

1430-653: The crowd. Smitty is thrilled until Smokey admits that he has forgotten the formula for the extinguisher. Soon after, Smokey, Smitty and McGinty are called to rescue Harry's wife, who thanks them all with kisses, causing Harry to knock out all three. He tosses their unconscious bodies onto Emma, whose owner watches gratefully as she walks away. The Hugh O'Brian and Buddy Hackett roles were originally meant for Bud Abbott and Lou Costello , but last-minute substitutions were required when Costello fell ill. Comical musical band " Spike Jones and His City Slickers" also appear at great length, with Jones garnering top billing. The movie

1485-462: The early 1990s, Hackett was diagnosed with severe heart disease , but steadfastly refused to consider bypass surgery . His heart disease was the primary cause of his death on June 30, 2003, at his beach house in Malibu, California , at the age of 78, just two months before his 79th birthday. His son, comedian Sandy Hackett , said his father had been suffering from diabetes for several years and suffered

1540-437: The explanation that Wicks' death was accidental. Hackett starred as the title character on NBC's Stanley , a 1956–57 situation comedy which ran for 19 weeks on Monday evenings at 8:30 pm ET. The half-hour series also featured a young Carol Burnett and the voice of Paul Lynde . The Max Liebman produced program aired live before a studio audience and was one of the last sitcoms from New York to do so. Stanley revolved around

1595-454: The film Hey Babe! and hosted a syndicated revival of the 1950–61 Groucho Marx quiz show You Bet Your Life until its cancellation one year later. Hackett also appeared on The Love Boat , Murder, She Wrote , L.A. Law , and guest-starred in the Space Rangers episode "To Be Or Not To Be" as has-been comedian Lenny Hacker, a parody of his stage persona. For his contribution to

1650-494: The film was faithful to the show. In addition to Preston, the actress Pert Kelton and the Buffalo Bills also reprised their stage roles. All of the show's songs were retained in their full versions with three exceptions: The opening "Rock Island" was slightly altered and edited; the middle verse of "My White Knight" was retained but the remainder of the song was replaced with a new song by Willson, "Being In Love"; "It's You"

1705-500: The final parade scene, Jack L. Warner selected the University of Southern California 's marching band, the Spirit of Troy . Many junior high school students from Southern California were also included, forming the majority of the band. It took approximately eight hours of shooting over two days to film the scene. All the musical instruments for the production were specially made for the film by

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1760-409: The firehouse, and then urges Smokey to demonstrate his fire extinguisher. The invention is a hit, but Smokey infuriates Smitty by donating it to the city for free. At Spencer's party, McGinty's band plays a number that includes a midget climbing out of the tuba and a grenade explosion. Just before Smokey displays his extinguisher to the crowd, jealous rivals replace the fluid with gasoline, which triggers

1815-519: The flames, prompting Smitty to hire Smokey as a fireman in exchange for half of the profits from the sale of the extinguisher. Back at the firehouse, Smokey immediately starts a fire and struggles to convince Lt. McGinty ( Spike Jones ), who is busy leading band rehearsal that they must stop playing and put out the flames. Soon after, Capt. Bill Peters ( Tom Brown ) demonstrates his new mechanized fire-engine, and although it continually breaks down, he insists to Chief Rorty ( George Cleveland ) that his truck

1870-612: The game show Treasure Hunt . He made fifteen guest appearances on NBC-TV's The Perry Como Show between 1955 and 1961. He appeared with his roommate Lenny Bruce on the Patrice Munsel Show (1957-1958), calling their comedy duo the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players," twenty years before the cast of Saturday Night Live used the same name. Hackett appeared twice on ABC's The Rifleman , starring Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford . In both episodes, "Bloodlines" (1959) and "The Clarence Bibs Story" (1961), his fellow guest star

1925-449: The highest ratio of doctors to populace; he answered Israel , or in his words, "The country with the most Jews." Despite the audience roaring with laughter (and Hackett's own belief that the actual answer was Sweden), the answer turned out to be correct. Hackett's regular guest appearances on Jack Paar's Tonight Show in the early 1960s were rewarded with a coveted appearance on Paar's final Tonight program on March 29, 1962. Throughout

1980-523: The motion picture industry, Hackett was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . In 2000, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California , Walk of Stars was dedicated to him. In April 1998, Hackett guest starred in an episode of LateLine called "Buddy Hackett". The episode focused on a news broadcast paying tribute to Hackett following his death, only to discover that the report of his death

2035-480: The next weeks, everyone in the firehouse except for Smokey gains skills with the mechanized hoses and ladders. During one drill Smokey falls from the speeding truck into the apartment of Harry ( Henry Kulky ), a large and jealous husband who assumes Smokey is having an affair with his wife ( Adele Jergens ). When Smitty gets thrown from the truck into the same apartment days later, Harry promptly decides to move to New York. Commissioner Spencer ( Harry Cheshire ) then plans

2090-438: The recording of the soundtrack musical numbers in late 1961 and early 1962 to which the cast would later lip-sync on the soundstage, some sessions included work on the song " Chicken Fat ", a.k.a. President Kennedy's "Youth Fitness Song", performed by Preston. Unusual for a musical film at the time, Morton DaCosta , who had directed the stage version of the musical, not only directed the film but produced it as well, ensuring that

2145-636: The resort nightclubs as "Butch Hacker". He appeared first at the Golden Hotel in Hurleyville, New York , claiming later he did not get one single laugh. Following his graduation from high school in 1942, Hackett enlisted in the United States Army and served during World War II for three years in an anti-aircraft battery. Hackett's first job after the war was at the Pink Elephant, a Brooklyn club. It

2200-443: The studio's nervousness about casting no-name Preston), and the result is one of the most explosively vital performances in any movie musical." In 2005, The Music Man was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: The film won one award at

2255-472: The town's new pool table. He suggests that a marching band will keep young boys out of trouble. Anticipating that Marian Paroo, the town's librarian and piano teacher, is suspicious of his motives, Hill sets out to seduce her. Also suspicious is Mayor Shinn, owner of the billiard parlor , who orders the school board to obtain Hill's credentials. When they attempt to do so, Hill distracts them by teaching them to sing as

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2310-463: The traditional footbridge—the first time she has ever been there with a man—Hill learns that she knows of his deception but did not tell because she is in love with him. He is about to leave town when Charlie Cowell, a disgruntled anvil salesman who was run out of Brighton, Illinois , because Hill had conned the townspeople there, comes to River City and exposes Hill. Sought by an angry mob and pressed to leave town by Marcellus and Marian, Hill realizes he

2365-411: Was Denver Pyle . He was cast as Daniel Malakie in "Bloodlines", the father of three boisterous brothers headed to trouble, and then as Clarence Bibs in the episode of that same name. Bibs is a handyman who after cleaning a gun accidentally kills a notorious outlaw, Longden ( X Brands ). Then, Longden's former partner, George Tanner (Denver Pyle), comes to town but avoids confrontation with Bibs and accepts

2420-467: Was a mistake. Robert Reich and Dick Gephardt also appeared in the episode, paying tribute to Hackett, by singing along to Hackett's rendition of Shipoopi from The Music Man . In his final years, Hackett had a recurring spot called "Tuesdays with Buddy" on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn in which he shared stories of his career and delivered some of his comedic routines. In 1999, he appeared in 13 episodes of Fox's Action TV series as

2475-420: Was a replacement during the original run. Susan Luckey (Zaneeta Shinn) and Harry Hickox (Charlie Cowell) both reprise their roles from the first national tour while Monique Vermont (Amaryllis) was a replacement. Although Preston scored a great success in the original stage version of the show, he was not the first choice for the film version, mostly because he was not a major box office star. Jack L. Warner

2530-489: Was active in varsity football and drama club at New Utrecht High School . Hackett suffered from Bell's palsy as a child, the lingering effects of which contributed to his distinctive slurred speech and facial expression. While still a student, Hackett worked as a "tummler" ( Yiddish for "tumult maker") entertaining guests in the Catskills Borscht Belt resorts. While there, he began performing stand-up comedy in

2585-512: Was also a frequent guest on TV game shows and variety shows . Hackett was one of two children born into a Jewish family living in Brooklyn , New York. His mother Anna (née Geller) worked in the garment trades while his father Philip Hacker was a furniture upholsterer and part-time inventor. Hackett grew up across from Public School 103 on 54th Street and 14th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn , and

2640-565: Was concocted by Willson for the original Broadway show, was left unchanged. When Amaryllis plays "Goodnight My Someone", she is playing the keys C, G, and E on the piano, but the notes actually heard are B, F#, and D#. Marian sings the song in B major. Shirley Jones was pregnant while the film was in production. When she and Preston embraced during the footbridge scene, the baby—who would be born on January 4 and would be named Patrick Cassidy —kicked Preston. The costume designers had to adjust her dresses several times to conceal her pregnancy. For

2695-500: Was forced to withdraw due to illness. Universal-International salvaged the project by hiring Hugh O'Brian and Hackett to take over the Abbott and Costello roles with Jones and his band becoming the main attraction. Hackett became known to a wider audience when he appeared on television in the 1950s and 60s as a frequent guest on variety talk shows hosted by Jack Paar and Arthur Godfrey , telling brash, often off-color jokes, and mugging at

2750-559: Was here that he changed his name from Leonard Hacker to Buddy Hackett. He made appearances in Los Angeles and Las Vegas , and continued to perform in the Catskills. He acted on Broadway , in Lunatics and Lovers , where Max Liebman saw him and put him in two television specials. Hackett's movie career began in 1950 with a 10-minute "World of Sports" reel for Columbia Pictures called King of

2805-479: Was in it. Warner then intended Frank Sinatra for the Harold Hill role, but was finally foiled by Meredith Willson. Willson reminded Warner that the author-composer had cast approval written into his contract, and threatened to cancel the entire project unless Preston played the lead. Warner Bros. Records issued the soundtrack album in both stereophonic and monaural versions. Source: AllMusic During

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2860-420: Was initially heard as incidental music and later sung by the school board in abbreviated form in the fairground scene. Several phrases were altered for the film, as the writers felt they were too obscurely Midwestern to appeal to a broader audience; the minced oath "Jeely kly!" is Tommy Djilas's catchphrase in the play, while in the film he exclaims, "Great honk!" The word " shipoopi ," which has no meaning and

2915-557: Was intended to replace him only on a temporary basis until he fully recovered, but Curly died in January 1952. It was said Hackett even joined Moe Howard and Larry Fine for a rehearsal, but turned down the offer eventually when he felt he did not fit with the act's comedy style and wanted to develop his own style as a solo act. This rumor was later dismissed as either untrue or unfounded. Hackett would not return to movies until 1953, after one of his nightclub routines attracted attention. With

2970-408: Was notorious for wanting to film stage musicals with bigger stars than the ones who played the roles onstage. James Cagney and Bing Crosby were offered the role of Harold Hill, but both turned it down. Warner also offered the part to Cary Grant , but he declined, saying "Nobody could do that role as well as Bob Preston." Grant also told Warner that he would not bother to see the film unless Preston

3025-469: Was the 3rd highest-grossing film of 1962 . Bosley Crowther in The New York Times wrote "It's here, and the rich, ripe roundness of it, the lush amalgam of the many elements of successful American show business that Mr. Willson brought together on the stage, has been preserved and appropriately made rounder and richer through the magnitude of film." Robert Landry of Variety wrote: "Call this

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