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R.I.P.: Michael Vale, Dunkin' Donuts' "Fred the baker"
AP ^ | Dec. 27, 2005 | AP

Posted on 12/27/2005 5:36:52 PM PST by JellyJam

Michael Vale, the actor best known for his portrayal of a sleepy-eyed Dunkin' Donuts baker who said "Time to make the donuts," has died, his family said on Tuesday. He was 83 years old.

Vale's long-running character, "Fred the Baker," became a cultural icon. The ad campaign lasted 15 years, until Vale retired in 1997.

Vale died Saturday in New York City of complications from diabetes, according to son-in law Rick Reil.

(Excerpt) Read more at tuscaloosanews.com ...


TOPICS: Food; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: ads; donuts; dunkindonuts; michaelvale; obituary

1 posted on 12/27/2005 5:36:54 PM PST by JellyJam
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To: JellyJam
Let the jokes begin ...
2 posted on 12/27/2005 5:37:41 PM PST by JellyJam (Best headline ever: "The Painful Truth: All the World Terrorists Are Muslims!")
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To: JellyJam

Gotta make the doughnuts............


3 posted on 12/27/2005 5:39:07 PM PST by Rebelbase (Green bean casserole is a culinary curse upon mankind.)
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To: JellyJam


Time to meet the maker!

Rip.


4 posted on 12/27/2005 5:40:17 PM PST by Malsua
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To: JellyJam

This seems ironic for someone with my favorite doughnut filling as a screen name, to be posting the death of a doughnut maker. ;)



Rest in peace.


5 posted on 12/27/2005 5:44:09 PM PST by luv2ndamend
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To: JellyJam
St. Peter, at the pearly gates:

Michael, you've led a good life and served the Lord well, but............God really has a thing for Krispy Kreme donuts, sorry!

6 posted on 12/27/2005 5:45:11 PM PST by hole_n_one
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To: JellyJam

Skip the powdered ones...


7 posted on 12/27/2005 5:46:34 PM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: JellyJam

Am I dead?


8 posted on 12/27/2005 5:48:37 PM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: luv2ndamend

Ha! It didn't even occur to me.


9 posted on 12/27/2005 5:49:24 PM PST by JellyJam (Best headline ever: "The Painful Truth: All the World Terrorists Are Muslims!")
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To: JellyJam; xsmommy
Rest in Peace.


10 posted on 12/27/2005 5:49:36 PM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: JellyJam

Captain,
We're all dead as stoats!


11 posted on 12/27/2005 5:55:12 PM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: JellyJam
He's going to be disappointed to find heaven is a hot cup of coffee and a fresh cake donut!
12 posted on 12/27/2005 5:57:22 PM PST by Rebelbase (Green bean casserole is a culinary curse upon mankind.)
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: JellyJam
Even though there wasn't a lot of dough in doing the roll, as Fred the donut baker it was a long and full-filling career for Mr. Vale until the turnover in 1997.
14 posted on 12/27/2005 6:06:52 PM PST by mikrofon (RIP, "Fred")
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To: mikrofon

What kind of turnover was it? Apple or cherry.


15 posted on 12/27/2005 6:22:35 PM PST by mountn man (Everyone brings joy into a room. Some when they enter. Others when they leave)
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To: martin_fierro

That's funny!


16 posted on 12/27/2005 6:27:24 PM PST by buckeyesrule (Go Bucks! Beat the Irish....again!!!!)
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To: JellyJam
...Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Donuts said in a statement that the corporation was "saddened." It said Vale's character "became a beloved American icon that permeated our culture and touched millions with his sense of humor and humble nature."

Brooklyn-born Vale studied acting at The Dramatic Workshop in New York City with classmates Tony Curtis, Ben Gazzara and Rod Steiger.

A veteran of the Broadway stage, film and television, Vale appeared in more than 1,300 TV commercials.

also from IMDb: Michael Vale

 

Actor - filmography

  1. Seasons in the Sun (1986) (TV) .... Bernie
  2. Looking Up (1977) .... Sweedler
  3. The Psychic Parrot (1977) .... Husband
  4. Marathon Man (1976) .... Jewelry Salesman
  5. A Hatful of Rain (1957) .... Cab Driver
  6. Guerrilla Girl (1953) .... Pavel Danov

Notable TV Guest Appearances

  1. "The Howard Stern Radio Show" playing "Himself" 21 August 1999
  2. "3-2-1 Contact" playing "Soapy Suds" in episode: "Your Body: Twins" (episode # 7.6) 17 October 1988
  3. "The Cosby Show" playing "Mr. Lee" in episode: "Calling Doctor Huxtable" (episode # 3.17) 12 February 1987
  4. "3-2-1 Contact" playing "Soapy Suds" in episode: "Near/Far: Space Travel" (episode # 1.44) 6 March 1980
  5. "3-2-1 Contact" playing "Soapy Suds" in episode: "Food/Fuel: Animal Food" (episode # 1.26) 4 February 1980
  6. "3-2-1 Contact" playing "Soapy Suds" in episode: "Noisy/Quiet: Production and Processing of Sound" (episode # 1.1) 14 January 1980
  7. "East Side/West Side" in episode: "The 5.98 Dress" (episode # 1.14) 13 January 1964
  8. "Car 54, Where Are You?" in episode: "The White Elephant" (episode # 2.16) 6 January 1963
  9. "Car 54, Where Are You?" in episode: "142 Tickets on the Aisle" (episode # 2.13) 9 December 1962
  10. "Car 54, Where Are You?" playing "Al Cooper" in episode: "Thirty Days Notice" (episode # 1.10) 19 November 1961

 


17 posted on 12/27/2005 7:30:27 PM PST by lunarbicep (There is something about a closet that makes a skeleton terribly restless.)
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To: lunarbicep

Anyone who was on "Car 54" is OK in my book. What a great, underrated sitcom. (Wish they would put it out on DVD already!)


18 posted on 12/27/2005 7:34:46 PM PST by JellyJam (Best headline ever: "The Painful Truth: All the World Terrorists Are Muslims!")
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To: martin_fierro

he has gone to the BIG DD in the sky.


19 posted on 12/27/2005 7:38:17 PM PST by xsmommy
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To: xsmommy

When Victor Kiam of Remington Razor fame ("I liked the way it shaved so much, I bought the company")--also one time
N.E. Patriots owner--passed on, the joke was "He bought the company...and now he's bought the farm."


20 posted on 12/28/2005 1:02:31 AM PST by raccoonradio
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