Posted on 05/23/2005 9:13:43 AM PDT by Borges
Howard Morris, who died Saturday at 85, was an actor and voiceover artist who became a familiar figure to television viewers of the early 1950s as one of the regulars on "Your Show of Shows," the Sid Caesar variety series that launched some of the biggest names in American comedy.
While his face was less known to later generations, Morris's voice popped up all over the airwaves. He could be heard in cartoons, as Fred Flintstone's boss, Mr. Slate, and as Jughead Jones in various televised versions of the "Archie" comic strip, as well as the title character in the animated series "The Atom Ant Show." Morris could also be heard in hundreds of advertisements, as the voice of the Qantas Airways koala ("I hate Qantas"), and as the Hamburglar, burbling "Robble Robble" while making off with Mayor McCheese's lunch in spots for McDonald's. "I have a beach house at Malibu with arches on top of it," he once claimed.
Sporting a list of show-business credits even more varied than his list of marriages - there were six in all - Morris directed such film comedies as "With Six You Get Eggroll" (1968) and "Don't Drink the Water" (1969), as well as episodes of "Hogan's Heroes," "Bewitched," and the original pilot of "Get Smart."
As an actor, he made appearances on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Twilight Zone," and he attained continuing celebrity for a series of appearances as Ernest T. Bass, a rock-throwing, doggerel-spouting hillbilly on "The Andy Griffith Show." A sample of Bass's poetry, written by Morris: "If I knew you was coming, I know what I'd do, I'd a rose both arms, and I'd a wove at you!"
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
He was a talented guy, and most entertaining. While Ernest T. Bass was probably my favorite of Mr. Morris' characters, another thing I will particularly remember him for was his portrayal of Professor Lilolmann in Mel Brooks' "High Anxiety."
Rest in peace Ernest T. You were one of my favorites. Should have been a regular on the Andy Griffith show.
And, I almost forgot: Mr. Morris also provided the voice of Mr. Peebles on 'Magilla Gorilla'.
-Regards, T.
Who doesn't?
Indeed, how true.
When I was a kid in VA, before Lady Bird and her beautification projects & before liability laws cordoned them off, my buddies and I would walk to the [auto] junkyard and spend hours just hanging around banging and breaking stuff, mostly windows and windshields. It may sound silly, but I have fond memories of breaking glass.
It was Briscoe Darling. Charlene was his daughter. The Darlings were hillarious.
"I luv you, Ms. Crump.."
RIP, Ernest T.
R.I.P., but the Ernest T. Bass character wasn't a favorite of mine. I preferred Floyd the Barber and the Mayor (Parley Baer - spelling?). Baer was great as a small town, windbag mayor: "Sheriff Taylor, I want that mule out of here in five minutes - is that clear?" And I loved Floyd'd fluttery, effeminate mannerisms.
My favorite Ernest T. line, delivered to Sherrif Taylor:
"I didn't do nothin'! Gotta go!"
Remember him well. The "Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Howard Morris and Carl Reiner was one of the funniest shows ever to be on TV. Sad to see him go but nobody has beaten the rap yet.
The books are shut at Andy's house
where Ernest learned to read
And hangs the head of good Miss Crump
Whom Ernest loved indeed
A uniform of khaki cut
A suit of of Army brown
Lies tossed anside and empty now
For Ernest T. is gone.
And from the streets of Mayberry
Where children safely cross
To past the Moutain's lofty peaks
Where quiet speaks to loss
From high society affairs
To rudest cabin's lawn;
No more is heard "It's me! It's me!"
For Ernest T. is gone.
And lo, these many years gone by
Since first we heard his name
We never fail to find a smile
In thoughts of Ernest's game
Alas! No more! The credits roll
And episode is done;
No more the sound of breaking glass
For Ernest T. is gone.
Howard Morris 1920-2005
For those FReepers too young to remember him from "Your Show of Shows", here's a link to a few video clips:
http://www.sidcaesar.com/vidclips.html
Among the writers for 'Your Show of Shows' were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart and a teenage Woody Allen.
And that private was played by Bob Denver.
Lucille Kallen was one of the core writers, and went on to write mysteries.
Unfortunately, she's hardly ever mentioned as one of the writers.
From http://povonline.com/2001/News060701.htm :
"For what it's worth, when I worked with Sid in the eighties, he told me that, as far as he was concerned, Kallen and the two Mels [Brooks and Tolkin] had probably, between the three of them, accounted for around 75% of everything he did on TV...and Imogene Coca felt that Kallen had written most of her best material. So it was a little maddening that, when Lucille Kallen passed away, most of the obits made it sound like her great achievement was being one of the writers, along with Larry Gelbart and Woody Allen, on Your Show of Shows. (Larry spends a lot of time correcting people who think he worked on that series and also that he somehow "created" M*A*S*H, long after it was a book and a movie.)"
ping
~snif~
As was Mel Tolkin who went to write for 'All in the Family'. Quite a breeding ground.
RIP to one of the greatest all-time cartoon voice actors. -_-
no. That was Charlene,That song makes me cry Pa.
no. That was Charlene,That song makes me cry Pa.
"One and the same - Bass is the name."
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