Allan Melvin of 'Brady Bunch' has died
aad...@gmail.com
Allan Melvin, a character actor best known for playing Sam the Butcher
on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.
Melvin died of cancer Thursday at his home in the Brentwood section of
Los Angeles, said Amalia Melvin, his wife of 64 years.
The jowly, jovial Melvin spent decades playing a series of sidekicks,
second bananas and lovable lugs, including Archie Bunker's friend
Barney Hefner on "All in the Family," and Sgt. Bilko's right-hand man
Cpl. Henshaw on the "Phil Silvers Show."
But his place in pop culture will be fixed as butcher and bowler Sam
Franklin, the love interest of Brady family maid Alice Nelson, who was
played by Ann B. Davis. Melvin played the role from 1970 to 1973.
Born in Kansas City, Mo., in 1923, Melvin grew up in New York and
attended Columbia University.
He was appearing on Broadway in "Stalag 17" when he began his decades-
long television career with "The Phil Silvers Show," playing a role
his wife said was always his favorite.
"He was proudest of that show," Amalia Melvin said. "I think the
camaraderie of all those guys made it such a pleasant way to work.
They were so relaxed."
He saw steady employment as a voice actor from the early 1960s to the
early 1990s, most famously providing the voice of "Magilla Gorilla"
for the Hanna Barbera cartoon of the same name.
His other credits include several guest appearances on "The Andy
Griffith Show," "Gomer Pyle: USMC," and "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
In addition to Amalia, Melvin is survived by daughter Jennifer Hanson
and grandson Jon Hanson Jr. A daughter, Mya, died in 1970.
lidsvillenine
> http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2008/01/18/2008-01-18_allan_...
>
> Allan Melvin, a character actor best known for playing Sam the Butcher
> on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.
>
This is stretching way into obscurity. Wasn't he in some weird 60s
movie where he sat up in bed and went deaf, mute, blind and everything
else they could think of?
MDB1...@hotmail.com
He also starred in a series of commercials as a plumber for 'Liquid
Plumber'. To demonstrate how well the detergent worked, he'd pluck a
hair from a female customer to toss into the sink. She'd seem
satisfied with the product's results, but added, "next time, use your
own hair".
I'd say Melvin spent almost as many years tending kitchen sinks as
Jane 'Josephine' Withers did.
Funny how, no matter how prolific some character actors are at prime
time, they make (or made) quite an impact selling consumer products.
Like Charlotte Rae ("There's GOT to be an easier way to clean an
oven") or Doris Roberts ("Herb, I bought an air conditioner") or Teri
Keane (Johnson's Baby Powder mother of the bride: "You know the first
time I ever used this?
When you were just a baby") I bet the last time that one ran, I was
just a teenager.
R H Draney
>
>Allan Melvin, a character actor best known for playing Sam the Butcher
>on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.
And with that, the Banana Splits are reunited....
>His other credits include several guest appearances on "The Andy
>Griffith Show," "Gomer Pyle: USMC," and "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
Unless I've miscounted, he appeared on nine episodes of "Andy Griffith", as a
different character each time....r
--
What good is being an executive if you never get to execute anyone?
Brad Ferguson
<0d8c4126-c194-43a7...@h11g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
<aad...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2008/01/18/2008-01-18_allan_melvin_of
> _brady_bunch_has_died.html
>
> Allan Melvin, a character actor best known for playing Sam the Butcher
> on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.
>
> Melvin died of cancer Thursday at his home in the Brentwood section of
> Los Angeles, said Amalia Melvin, his wife of 64 years.
>
> The jowly, jovial Melvin spent decades playing a series of sidekicks,
> second bananas and lovable lugs, including Archie Bunker's friend
> Barney Hefner on "All in the Family," and Sgt. Bilko's right-hand man
> Cpl. Henshaw on the "Phil Silvers Show."
>
> But his place in pop culture will be fixed as butcher and bowler Sam
> Franklin, the love interest of Brady family maid Alice Nelson, who was
> played by Ann B. Davis.
The hell it is. You had me at Henshaw.
Brad Ferguson
> Allan Melvin, a character actor best known for playing Sam the Butcher
> on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.
BTW, IMDb gives his date of birth as 18 February 1922, which would make
him 85.
Michael O'Connor
> aada...@gmail.com filted:
>
>
>
> >Allan Melvin, a character actor best known for playing Sam the Butcher
> >on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.
>
> And with that, the Banana Splits are reunited....
>
> >His other credits include several guest appearances on "The Andy
> >Griffith Show," "Gomer Pyle: USMC," and "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
>
> Unless I've miscounted, he appeared on nine episodes of "Andy Griffith", as a
> different character each time....r
I think the most memorable of his Andy Griffith appearance may have
been as the guy (I think he was selling produce on the side of the
road) who verbally humiliated Barney and Barney had to grow some male
organs and go back and verbally face him down.
Jed
>http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2008/01/18/2008-01-18_allan_melvin_of_brady_bunch_has_died.html
>
>Allan Melvin, a character actor best known for playing Sam the Butcher
>on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.
Photo at:
http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/GCA_page_1.php
This is a great site for those who grew up watching TV during the 50s,
60s, and 70s as well as the old movies of the 30s - 50s. Many faces of
those ubiquitous character actors you recognize but hadn't thought of
for years.
homes...@netburner.net
> On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:31:20 -0800 (PST), aada...@gmail.com wrote:
> >http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2008/01/18/2008-01-18_allan_...
>
> >Allan Melvin, a character actor best known for playing Sam the Butcher
> >on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.
>
> Photo at:
>
> http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/GCA_page_1.php
>
> This is a great site for those who grew up watching TV during the 50s,
> 60s, and 70s as well as the old movies of the 30s - 50s. Many faces of
> those ubiquitous character actors you recognize but hadn't thought of
> for years.
>
> http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/GCA_page_1.php
This death ages me so. While Melvin was no TV superstar he was
ubiquitous in much 1960's and early 70's TV. The first thing I
remembered seeing him in was the AGS where he menaced Barney for
enforcing the law. Everytime I saw him on TV after that I still held
a grudge aginst him for that episode.
MWB
"Michael O'Connor" <mpoco...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:5ef4d449-4356-472a...@v46g2000hsv.googlegroups.com...
I agree.
GO PATRIOTS
Mark
AndrewJ
> and grandson Jon Hanson Jr. A daughter, Mya, died in 1970.
Meaning he lost his daughter while he was a semi-regular on The Brady
Bunch. Sad.
lidsvillenine
Good call. I was just thinking about that one.