Allan Melvin

Allan Melvin
Allan Melvin promotional photo Born February 18, 1923(1923-02-18)
Kansas City, MissouriDied January 17, 2008(aged 84)
Los Angeles, California, United StatesOccupation Actor, Impressionist, Voice Over Spouse(s) Amalia Faustina Sestero
(1943-2008)

Allan Melvin (February 18, 1923 - January 17, 2008 [1]) was an American character actor who appeared in several television shows and may be best remembered for his roles as Sam the Butcher, Alice's boyfriend on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner, Archie Bunker's best friend on All in the Family.

Life and career

Born in Kansas City, Missouri into a Jewish family[citation needed] and raised in New York City Melvin attended Columbia University.[2] After graduation he served with the United States Navy and married his wife, Amalia Faustina Sestero, in March 1944 in New York City.

While working at a job in the sound effects department of NBC Radio, he did a nightclub act and appeared and won on the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts radio show. While appearing on Broadway in Stalag 17, he got his break into television by getting the role of Corporal Steve Henshaw[3] on the popular The Phil Silvers Show program.[2] TV fans of this era usually best remember his role as Henshaw, Sergeant Bilko's right hand man on that show. "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."[2]

During this period, in addition to his role on The Phil Silvers Show, Melvin was often cast in slightly loud, occasionally abrasive, but generally friendly second banana roles. Melvin was also adept at "tough guy" roles; in an example of his range as an actor, one episode of Sergeant Bilko featured Melvin doing a recognizable impersonation of Humphrey Bogart.

In the 1960s, Melvin played Staff Sergeant Charley Hacker for four seasons on Gomer Pyle, USMC. He also made appearances as Rob Petrie's old Army buddy, Harrison B. Harding, on Dick Van Dyke Show. He also provided the voices of cartoon character Magilla Gorilla, the lion Drooper on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, and Bluto on The All-New Popeye Hour. Melvin also made eight guest appearances on The Andy Griffith Show in eight different roles, usually as heavies.

Melvin is remembered for supporting roles on two popular 1970s sitcoms. He played Sam Franklin, the owner of a local butcher shop and boyfriend of Alice Nelson (the Bradys' housekeeper) on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner, Archie Bunker's neighbor and friend on All in the Family. In other contributions to 1970s pop culture, he was a Mel's Diner patron on Alice and worked as a voice artist (under the name "Al Melvin"). He provided several characters' voices for the TV show H.R. Pufnstuf and the voice of Vultan, King of the Hawk Men on The New Adventures of Flash Gordon.

A young Melvin in the 1950s.

Some of his most prolific work has been in television commercials, for products as diverse as Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes and Remington electric razors. In the latter commercial, he sang a few bars of Frank Loesser's song "I Believe in You" with a modified lyric.

In the early 1980s, Melvin appeared as a regular in Archie Bunker's Place, a successor to All in the Family, in which he played a more important role of Barney Hefner. When this series ended in 1983, Melvin's work was exclusively devoted to cartoon voice-overs.

Allan Melvin died of cancer on January 17, 2008, aged 84.[4]

References

^ Brady Bunch actor Allan Melvin dies in Los Angeles at 84, an Associated Press article via the CBC
^ a b c 'Brady Bunch' actor dies at 84, an Associated Press article via CNN
^ Corporal Steve Henshaw profile.
^ Announcement of his death an Associated Press article via the Chicago Tribune

External links

Allan Melvin at the Internet Movie Database
Allan Melvin at the Internet Broadway Database
Allan Melvin at the Voice Chasers Database
Allan Melvin at TV.com

v • d • e The Brady BunchPeople Creator: Sherwood Schwartz
Original actors: Robert Reed · Florence Henderson · Maureen McCormick · Barry Williams · Eve Plumb · Christopher Knight · Susan Olsen · Mike Lookinland · Ann B. Davis · Allan Melvin · Robbie Rist
Other actors: Geri Reischl · Gary Cole · Shelley Long · Christine Taylor · Christopher Daniel Barnes
Producers: Lloyd J. SchwartzTV series The Brady Bunch · The Brady Kids · The Brady Bunch Hour · The Brady Brides · The BradysTV movies The Brady Girls Get Married · A Very Brady Christmas · Growing Up Brady · The Brady Bunch in the White HouseTV specials Brady Bunch Home Movies · E! True Hollywood Story: The Brady Bunch · The Brady Bunch 35th Anniversary Reunion Special: Still Brady After All These YearsFeature films The Brady Bunch Movie · A Very Brady SequelStage shows The Real Live Brady Bunch Books The Brady Bunch Book · Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg · Bradymania! · TV Treasures: A Companion Guide to The Brady Bunch · Alice's Brady Bunch Cookbook List of The Brady Bunch episodes

PersondataNAME Melvin, Allan ALTERNATIVE NAMES SHORT DESCRIPTION Actor, Impressionist, Voice Over DATE OF BIRTH 1922-2-18 PLACE OF BIRTH Kansas City, MissouriDATE OF DEATH 2008-1-18 PLACE OF DEATH Los Angeles, California, United States