Dietrich: "Hey, where did the atomic bomb come from?"
Posted on 12/20/2010 5:15:13 PM PST by John W
Steve Landesberg, a comic actor known for playing wry, bookish types and most widely recognized as Barney Miller’s Arthur P. Dietrich, has died of cancer, according to TMZ. He was 65. Landesberg joined the cast of Barney Miller full time in its second season, playing the highly intellectual, unflappably deadpan detective, the breadth of whose impressive knowledge on a wide variety of obscure subjects both amazes and baffles his fellow officers. Dietrich was a mainstay of the show throughout its run, even making an appearance on Fish, the spinoff starring Abe Vigoda (who is still alive).
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That is a shame! RIP.
Hate to hear that. He was one funny guy. RIP Steve
***Barney Miller was the best of the best.***
A very good show, until they did the required anti-gun segment. Then I quit watcing.
R.I.P. - a great comedian.
he was also in a Rockford episode playing “Kenny Hollywood”
Wonderfully wry.
In regards to Dietrich knowing everything, I remember one episode where he was explaining a party he went to to another cop. At the party, they placed the name of a seventeenth century French philosopher on your back. Then throughout the course of the evening, by asking questions of others at the party, you had to guess which philosopher.
Detective Harris and Shepard Book disagree with you...
I think Hal Linden had a short lived series too. The shock is that out of all the good actors on that show, Abe Vigoda is the only one who is still a recognizable person these days.
RIP Detective Deitrich. I love that show. It’s been called by some the most realistic cop show ever.
He was in a “Rockford Files” episode with two other veteran character actors, John Dehner and Howard Duff.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0688090/
“There’s One in Every Port”
http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi3038380057/
May he rest in peace.
I probably watched every episode on reruns while growing up. I hope that Landesberg was, in real life, different from his character, at least when it came to his relationship with God. Sgt. Dietrich was an atheist, and there was an episode in which someone asked him what, if he turned out to have been wrong and God did exist, he would say to God when he died. Dietrich remained serious for a second and then said “oops.”
Like 20 years ago there was a rumor that Abe Vigoda had died, and Vigoda went on David Letterman to disprove it by means of the “mirror test” (and the mirror did show that he had breathed). : )
Sorta sad when you think about it that here was a minimalist show (with a few background props, desks, etc., they could’ve done it on a bare stage) with regular-looking people who had to rely on talent. It was racially-integrated without being in-your-face (Black guy, Hispanic guy, Asian guy, all just happen to be cops, without the “” nonsense). It’s been off the air now for over 25 years and still remembered. Contrast that with so many post-1980s shows that have become absurdly forgettable (and how doubtful it will be that the actors will be remembered, especially in the age of pretty-boy, male-model actors who are almost impossible to tell apart).
Not too well known, Abe Vigoda is a big health and fitness fanatic, which partly accounts for his longevity. He turns 90 in February.
Me too! Thanks for the link!
Excellent post.
Well said and I agree completely.
RIP, Steve.
The thing is, Vigoda already looked like he was pushing 90 when he played Fish 35 years ago, which makes his longevity all the more remarkable.
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