My father-in-law, Don Adams, died last night. I was with him.
Following is the obituary I wrote last night for the trade papers.
Jim Beaver
DON ADAMS
OBITUARY
September 25, 2005
Don Adams, who gained worldwide fame and three Emmy Awards starring as Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, in the classic television comedy GET SMART, died at 8:02 p.m PDT, Sunday, September 25, 2005, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills. He was 82. Although he had been in failing health for more than two years due to bone lymphoma, his death resulted from a sudden lung infection for which he was hospitalized the previous day.
Born Donald James Yarmy on April 13, 1923 [correct, despite frequently reported erroneous dates] in New York City to Irish-Hungarian parents, Adams hoped for an engineering career. He joined the U.S. Marines in the early days of World War II and served as a drill instructor. He saw combat in the invasion of Guadalcanal and was the only survivor of his platoon. He contracted blackwater fever and nearly died, remaining hospitalized for more than a year.
Following the war, he embarked on a career as an impressionist and stand-up comedian, appearing in small clubs in Florida and Washington D.C. He married singer Adelaide Adams and took her professional last name as his own stage name. In 1954, his stand-up act, written with his boyhood friend Bill Dana, landed him a contestant spot on ARTHUR GODFREY'S TALENT SCOUTS, which he won. This led to scores of appearances on comedy and variety series such as THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW and Ed Sullivan's THE TOAST OF THE TOWN, and ultimately to a regular job on THE PERRY COMO SHOW. He also played in stock and in 1962 starred with Anthony Perkins in the Broadway play HAROLD.
Divorced and remarried (to dancer Dorothy Bracken), Adams in 1963 reunited with Bill Dana on THE BILL DANA SHOW, playing inept hotel detective Byron Glick, a forerunner to his most famous characterization. NBC placed Adams under contract and gave him the starring role in Mel Brooks's and Buck Henry's spy spoof GET SMART. As the bumbling yet intrepid secret agent Maxwell Smart, Adams was an instant success. With his alluring straight-woman partner Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon), Adams became a comic icon of the 1960s, popularizing dozens of catch-phrases that still resound today: "Would you believe?", "Missed it by THAT much!", "...and LOVING it!" and "Sorry about that, Chief."
Adams reveled in the show and its popularity, and particularly enjoyed writing and directing several episodes. GET SMART ran for five seasons and brought Adams wealth, awards, and worldwide fame. At the same time, he continued to achieve recognition as one of the funniest and most popular stand-up comedians of his generation.
Adams returned in a new series in 1971, THE PARTNERS, which, though slightly more serious than GET SMART, still had him playing a bumbling law-enforcement officer. This time he starred with Rupert Crosse, the two playing a pair of none-too-bright detectives. The show lasted one season. Except for the intriguing but unsuccessful DON ADAMS'S SCREEN TEST (a contest show in which Adams directed famous stars and amateurs in scenes from classic movies), he did not return to series television for fourteen years.
Instead he guest-starred on sitcoms, variety shows, and occasional TV movies. He played Las Vegas showrooms and nightclubs, though he grew increasingly reluctant to perform before live audiences. With the distinctive voice of his on-screen persona, he had long been active in voice-over work. Even during the GET SMART period he had been popular among children as the voice of the animated TENNESSE TUXEDO, and later was even more popular in his title role as INSPECTOR GADGET.
Divorced again, he married a third time in 1977 (to Judy Luciano). During this period, Adams starred in and directed a number of commercials, winning a CLIO Award for directing. In 1980, he reluctantly returned to the Maxwell Smart character in a feature film, THE NUDE BOMB, which he hated. He also brought the character briefly back to television in the 1989 TV movie GET SMART, AGAIN!
In 1985, he returned to series television in a Canadian sitcom, CHECK IT OUT, in which he played the manager of a supermarket. The show was popular enough to run for three seasons on American TV, but it mainly provided a paycheck for Adams and a co-starring role for a pre-NYPD BLUE Gordon Clapp.
In later years, he hoped for a chance at serious roles, of which he had done many in his early years in summer stock. But the opportunity never arrived. A role was actually written for him by his son-in-law for the revived ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS in 1986, but the producers feared he could not subsume his comedic persona, and the role went to Martin Landau.
Instead, he returned to the role that had made him world famous, in a third revival of Maxwell Smart. The 1995 series version of GET SMART featured Adams as Smart, now promoted to Chief of the secret agency CONTROL. Barbara Feldon also returned as his wife and colleague, but instead of the couple who had made television history, the show focused on the bumbling spy efforts of their son Zach Smart. Only seven episodes aired before the new show was cancelled.
Adams spent the remainder of his career doing commercials and voice work, mostly in new INSPECTOR GADGET productions. In 1999, he made a cameo voice appearance in the live-action INSPECTOR GADGET feature film starring Matthew Broderick as Gadget.
Like his brother, the late comedian Dick Yarmy, Adams was an inveterate horse-player. His leisure time was largely spent either at racetracks or in card games at the Playboy Mansion, and with pals such as Hugh Hefner, James Caan, and Don Rickles. Divorced for the third time, he lived alone in a luxury apartment in Century City. He was a devoted history buff, and was an amateur expert on the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler. He was a talented poet and painter and had at one time considered a career as an artist.
His health declined in recent years with the onset of lymphoma, but took a precipitous turn for the worse following the death last year of his daughter, actress-casting director Cecily Adams. In recent weeks he had declined to continue medications or treatment for his ailments. Following his emergency hospitalization on September 24, he was unable to breathe on his own. As per his instructions, life-support systems were turned off Sunday night. Two of his former wives and three of his children, as well as other family members, were with him when he died.
Adams is survived by six of his seven children: Daughters Carolyn Steele (of Pahoa, Hawaii), Christine Adams (of Elkridge, Maryland), Cathy Metchik (of Henderson, Nevada), [Paramount TV executive] Stacey Adams, and Beige Adams, and son Sean Adams (all of Los Angeles); by five of his seven grandchildren (another is expected in November); and by three great-grandchildren.
There will be a private memorial service. Burial will be with Marine Corps honors at an undetermined location.
Memorial donations may be made to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, MPTF Foundation, 22212 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 300, Woodland Hills CA 91364.
...Jim, my thoughts and condolences are with you. Rest assured, as I hope he realised, that the laughter he generated will continue to warm the human spirit for decades to come...
-- -- King Daevid MacKenzie, WLSU-FM 88.9 La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA heard again soon at http://whiterosesociety.org "Rarely can we applaud the majority." JAMES NEIBAUR
In <64bgj11jbfh212v7spfph0raea6mad7...@4ax.com> J. Eric Durbin <zyz...@plenipotentiary.com.invalid> writes:
>Damn! >"I told you not to tell me that." >Don Adams not only brought a lot of fun to my generation and many that >followed, he affected our day-to-day lexicon with phrases like the one >above.
Wasn't he also one of the voices in Mathnet?
>He'll be remembered as long as they continue to show reruns of his TV >series and performances.
Indeed he shall. And he shall also be missed. -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dan...@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
My deepest condolences. You've suffered yet another devastating loss, and you remain in my thoughts and prayers. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know.
Jack
"Jim Beaver" <jumble...@prodigy.spam> wrote in message
> My father-in-law, Don Adams, died last night. I was with him.
> Following is the obituary I wrote last night for the trade papers.
> Jim Beaver
> DON ADAMS
> OBITUARY
> September 25, 2005
> Don Adams, who gained worldwide fame and three Emmy Awards starring as > Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, in the classic television comedy GET SMART, died > at 8:02 p.m PDT, Sunday, September 25, 2005, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in > Beverly Hills. He was 82. Although he had been in failing health for more > than two years due to bone lymphoma, his death resulted from a sudden lung > infection for which he was hospitalized the previous day.
> Born Donald James Yarmy on April 13, 1923 [correct, despite frequently > reported erroneous dates] in New York City to Irish-Hungarian parents, > Adams hoped for an engineering career. He joined the U.S. Marines in the > early days of World War II and served as a drill instructor. He saw combat > in the invasion of Guadalcanal and was the only survivor of his platoon. > He contracted blackwater fever and nearly died, remaining hospitalized for > more than a year.
> Following the war, he embarked on a career as an impressionist and > stand-up comedian, appearing in small clubs in Florida and Washington D.C. > He married singer Adelaide Adams and took her professional last name as > his own stage name. In 1954, his stand-up act, written with his boyhood > friend Bill Dana, landed him a contestant spot on ARTHUR GODFREY'S TALENT > SCOUTS, which he won. This led to scores of appearances on comedy and > variety series such as THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW and Ed Sullivan's THE TOAST OF > THE TOWN, and ultimately to a regular job on THE PERRY COMO SHOW. He also > played in stock and in 1962 starred with Anthony Perkins in the Broadway > play HAROLD.
> Divorced and remarried (to dancer Dorothy Bracken), Adams in 1963 reunited > with Bill Dana on THE BILL DANA SHOW, playing inept hotel detective Byron > Glick, a forerunner to his most famous characterization. NBC placed Adams > under contract and gave him the starring role in Mel Brooks's and Buck > Henry's spy spoof GET SMART. As the bumbling yet intrepid secret agent > Maxwell Smart, Adams was an instant success. With his alluring > straight-woman partner Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon), Adams became a comic > icon of the 1960s, popularizing dozens of catch-phrases that still resound > today: "Would you believe?", "Missed it by THAT much!", "...and LOVING > it!" and "Sorry about that, Chief."
> Adams reveled in the show and its popularity, and particularly enjoyed > writing and directing several episodes. GET SMART ran for five seasons and > brought Adams wealth, awards, and worldwide fame. At the same time, he > continued to achieve recognition as one of the funniest and most popular > stand-up comedians of his generation.
> Adams returned in a new series in 1971, THE PARTNERS, which, though > slightly more serious than GET SMART, still had him playing a bumbling > law-enforcement officer. This time he starred with Rupert Crosse, the two > playing a pair of none-too-bright detectives. The show lasted one season. > Except for the intriguing but unsuccessful DON ADAMS'S SCREEN TEST (a > contest show in which Adams directed famous stars and amateurs in scenes > from classic movies), he did not return to series television for fourteen > years.
> Instead he guest-starred on sitcoms, variety shows, and occasional TV > movies. He played Las Vegas showrooms and nightclubs, though he grew > increasingly reluctant to perform before live audiences. With the > distinctive voice of his on-screen persona, he had long been active in > voice-over work. Even during the GET SMART period he had been popular > among children as the voice of the animated TENNESSE TUXEDO, and later was > even more popular in his title role as INSPECTOR GADGET.
> Divorced again, he married a third time in 1977 (to Judy Luciano). During > this period, Adams starred in and directed a number of commercials, > winning a CLIO Award for directing. In 1980, he reluctantly returned to > the Maxwell Smart character in a feature film, THE NUDE BOMB, which he > hated. He also brought the character briefly back to television in the > 1989 TV movie GET SMART, AGAIN!
> In 1985, he returned to series television in a Canadian sitcom, CHECK IT > OUT, in which he played the manager of a supermarket. The show was popular > enough to run for three seasons on American TV, but it mainly provided a > paycheck for Adams and a co-starring role for a pre-NYPD BLUE Gordon > Clapp.
> In later years, he hoped for a chance at serious roles, of which he had > done many in his early years in summer stock. But the opportunity never > arrived. A role was actually written for him by his son-in-law for the > revived ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS in 1986, but the producers feared he > could not subsume his comedic persona, and the role went to Martin Landau.
> Instead, he returned to the role that had made him world famous, in a > third revival of Maxwell Smart. The 1995 series version of GET SMART > featured Adams as Smart, now promoted to Chief of the secret agency > CONTROL. Barbara Feldon also returned as his wife and colleague, but > instead of the couple who had made television history, the show focused on > the bumbling spy efforts of their son Zach Smart. Only seven episodes > aired before the new show was cancelled.
> Adams spent the remainder of his career doing commercials and voice work, > mostly in new INSPECTOR GADGET productions. In 1999, he made a cameo voice > appearance in the live-action INSPECTOR GADGET feature film starring > Matthew Broderick as Gadget.
> Like his brother, the late comedian Dick Yarmy, Adams was an inveterate > horse-player. His leisure time was largely spent either at racetracks or > in card games at the Playboy Mansion, and with pals such as Hugh Hefner, > James Caan, and Don Rickles. Divorced for the third time, he lived alone > in a luxury apartment in Century City. He was a devoted history buff, and > was an amateur expert on the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler. He > was a talented poet and painter and had at one time considered a career as > an artist.
> His health declined in recent years with the onset of lymphoma, but took a > precipitous turn for the worse following the death last year of his > daughter, actress-casting director Cecily Adams. In recent weeks he had > declined to continue medications or treatment for his ailments. Following > his emergency hospitalization on September 24, he was unable to breathe on > his own. As per his instructions, life-support systems were turned off > Sunday night. Two of his former wives and three of his children, as well > as other family members, were with him when he died.
> Adams is survived by six of his seven children: Daughters Carolyn Steele > (of Pahoa, Hawaii), Christine Adams (of Elkridge, Maryland), Cathy Metchik > (of Henderson, Nevada), [Paramount TV executive] Stacey Adams, and Beige > Adams, and son Sean Adams (all of Los Angeles); by five of his seven > grandchildren (another is expected in November); and by three > great-grandchildren.
> There will be a private memorial service. Burial will be with Marine Corps > honors at an undetermined location.
> Memorial donations may be made to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, > MPTF Foundation, > 22212 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 300, Woodland Hills CA 91364.
> My father-in-law, Don Adams, died last night. I was with him.
My father,deceased, thought he was the funniest man. He was a very big fan of Get Smart. I am so sorry. Really.
-- Sanford M. Manley "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." - H.L. Mencken I am The Ansaman! http://www.ansaman.com
> My father-in-law, Don Adams, died last night. I was with him.
> Following is the obituary I wrote last night for the trade papers.
> Jim Beaver
> DON ADAMS
> OBITUARY
> September 25, 2005
> Don Adams, who gained worldwide fame and three Emmy Awards starring as > Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, in the classic television comedy GET SMART, died > at 8:02 p.m PDT, Sunday, September 25, 2005, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in > Beverly Hills. He was 82. Although he had been in failing health for more > than two years due to bone lymphoma, his death resulted from a sudden lung > infection for which he was hospitalized the previous day.
> Born Donald James Yarmy on April 13, 1923 [correct, despite frequently > reported erroneous dates] in New York City to Irish-Hungarian parents, > Adams hoped for an engineering career. He joined the U.S. Marines in the > early days of World War II and served as a drill instructor. He saw combat > in the invasion of Guadalcanal and was the only survivor of his platoon. > He contracted blackwater fever and nearly died, remaining hospitalized for > more than a year.
> Following the war, he embarked on a career as an impressionist and > stand-up comedian, appearing in small clubs in Florida and Washington D.C. > He married singer Adelaide Adams and took her professional last name as > his own stage name. In 1954, his stand-up act, written with his boyhood > friend Bill Dana, landed him a contestant spot on ARTHUR GODFREY'S TALENT > SCOUTS, which he won. This led to scores of appearances on comedy and > variety series such as THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW and Ed Sullivan's THE TOAST OF > THE TOWN, and ultimately to a regular job on THE PERRY COMO SHOW. He also > played in stock and in 1962 starred with Anthony Perkins in the Broadway > play HAROLD.
> Divorced and remarried (to dancer Dorothy Bracken), Adams in 1963 reunited > with Bill Dana on THE BILL DANA SHOW, playing inept hotel detective Byron > Glick, a forerunner to his most famous characterization. NBC placed Adams > under contract and gave him the starring role in Mel Brooks's and Buck > Henry's spy spoof GET SMART. As the bumbling yet intrepid secret agent > Maxwell Smart, Adams was an instant success. With his alluring > straight-woman partner Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon), Adams became a comic > icon of the 1960s, popularizing dozens of catch-phrases that still resound > today: "Would you believe?", "Missed it by THAT much!", "...and LOVING > it!" and "Sorry about that, Chief."
> Adams reveled in the show and its popularity, and particularly enjoyed > writing and directing several episodes. GET SMART ran for five seasons and > brought Adams wealth, awards, and worldwide fame. At the same time, he > continued to achieve recognition as one of the funniest and most popular > stand-up comedians of his generation.
> Adams returned in a new series in 1971, THE PARTNERS, which, though > slightly more serious than GET SMART, still had him playing a bumbling > law-enforcement officer. This time he starred with Rupert Crosse, the two > playing a pair of none-too-bright detectives. The show lasted one season. > Except for the intriguing but unsuccessful DON ADAMS'S SCREEN TEST (a > contest show in which Adams directed famous stars and amateurs in scenes > from classic movies), he did not return to series television for fourteen > years.
> Instead he guest-starred on sitcoms, variety shows, and occasional TV > movies. He played Las Vegas showrooms and nightclubs, though he grew > increasingly reluctant to perform before live audiences. With the > distinctive voice of his on-screen persona, he had long been active in > voice-over work. Even during the GET SMART period he had been popular > among children as the voice of the animated TENNESSE TUXEDO, and later was > even more popular in his title role as INSPECTOR GADGET.
> Divorced again, he married a third time in 1977 (to Judy Luciano). During > this period, Adams starred in and directed a number of commercials, > winning a CLIO Award for directing. In 1980, he reluctantly returned to > the Maxwell Smart character in a feature film, THE NUDE BOMB, which he > hated. He also brought the character briefly back to television in the > 1989 TV movie GET SMART, AGAIN!
> In 1985, he returned to series television in a Canadian sitcom, CHECK IT > OUT, in which he played the manager of a supermarket. The show was popular > enough to run for three seasons on American TV, but it mainly provided a > paycheck for Adams and a co-starring role for a pre-NYPD BLUE Gordon > Clapp.
> In later years, he hoped for a chance at serious roles, of which he had > done many in his early years in summer stock. But the opportunity never > arrived. A role was actually written for him by his son-in-law for the > revived ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS in 1986, but the producers feared he > could not subsume his comedic persona, and the role went to Martin Landau.
> Instead, he returned to the role that had made him world famous, in a > third revival of Maxwell Smart. The 1995 series version of GET SMART > featured Adams as Smart, now promoted to Chief of the secret agency > CONTROL. Barbara Feldon also returned as his wife and colleague, but > instead of the couple who had made television history, the show focused on > the bumbling spy efforts of their son Zach Smart. Only seven episodes > aired before the new show was cancelled.
> Adams spent the remainder of his career doing commercials and voice work, > mostly in new INSPECTOR GADGET productions. In 1999, he made a cameo voice > appearance in the live-action INSPECTOR GADGET feature film starring > Matthew Broderick as Gadget.
> Like his brother, the late comedian Dick Yarmy, Adams was an inveterate > horse-player. His leisure time was largely spent either at racetracks or > in card games at the Playboy Mansion, and with pals such as Hugh Hefner, > James Caan, and Don Rickles. Divorced for the third time, he lived alone > in a luxury apartment in Century City. He was a devoted history buff, and > was an amateur expert on the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler. He > was a talented poet and painter and had at one time considered a career as > an artist.
> His health declined in recent years with the onset of lymphoma, but took a > precipitous turn for the worse following the death last year of his > daughter, actress-casting director Cecily Adams. In recent weeks he had > declined to continue medications or treatment for his ailments. Following > his emergency hospitalization on September 24, he was unable to breathe on > his own. As per his instructions, life-support systems were turned off > Sunday night. Two of his former wives and three of his children, as well > as other family members, were with him when he died.
> Adams is survived by six of his seven children: Daughters Carolyn Steele > (of Pahoa, Hawaii), Christine Adams (of Elkridge, Maryland), Cathy Metchik > (of Henderson, Nevada), [Paramount TV executive] Stacey Adams, and Beige > Adams, and son Sean Adams (all of Los Angeles); by five of his seven > grandchildren (another is expected in November); and by three > great-grandchildren.
> There will be a private memorial service. Burial will be with Marine Corps > honors at an undetermined location.
> Memorial donations may be made to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, > MPTF Foundation, > 22212 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 300, Woodland Hills CA 91364.
> My father-in-law, Don Adams, died last night. I was with him.
> Following is the obituary I wrote last night for the trade papers.
> Jim Beaver
> DON ADAMS
> OBITUARY
> September 25, 2005
> Don Adams, who gained worldwide fame and three Emmy Awards starring as > Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, in the classic television comedy GET SMART, died > at 8:02 p.m PDT, Sunday, September 25, 2005, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in > Beverly Hills.
Jim, my deepest sympathies go to you and Maddie, and the rest of Mr. Adams family. It's never easy losing a parent, even an in-law.
My deepest condolences. The past few years haven't been easy for your family; please let them know, and please know yourself, how many of us are thinking of and praying for you.
My condolances to you and the Adams' family. I enjoyed Don in Get Smart. My oldest daughter at the age of three loved Inspector Gadget. Very well written obituary Jim.
<jumble...@prodigy.spam> wrote: >My father-in-law, Don Adams, died last night. I was with him.
Jim, I'm so very sorry to learn of Don's passing. Please accept my deepest sympathy, and regards from my entire family to yours.
Kathi
----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups ---= East/West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---
Jeez, I knew Adams was a veteran of combat in the Pacific Theater, but I always (for some reason) thought he was Army. I really hate getting that kind of detail wrong, especially about Marines.
Anyway, RIP. -- _+_ From the catapult of |If anyone disagrees with any statement I make, I _|70|___:)=}- J.D. Baldwin |am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also \ / bald...@panix.com|to deny under oath that I ever made it. -T. Lehrer ***~~~~-------------------------------------------------------------------- ---
Your father-in-law brought so much joy to the world through laughter. My family continues to offer prayers for you and your daughter. Thank you for sharing your wonderful obituary with you alt.obit family.
|
