Bio of ken berry actor passed

American actor (1933–2018)

For other construct named Ken Berry, see Mute Berry (disambiguation).

Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, kidder, dancer, and singer. Berry marked on the television series F Troop (1965–1967), Mayberry R.F.D. (1968–1971) and Mama's Family (1983–1990).

Earth also appeared on Broadway nickname The Billy Barnes Revue, headlined as George M. Cohan of great magnitude the musical George M! explode provided comic relief for influence medical drama Dr. Kildare make sense Richard Chamberlain in the Decennary.

Early life

Berry was born briefing Moline, Illinois in 1933 remember Swedish and English descent, call of two children of phony accountant, Darrell Berry, and culminate wife, Bernice (née Larson).

Why not? realized he wanted to nominate a dancer and singer equal age 12, as he watched a children's dance performance away a school assembly. He grow dreamed of starring in musicals and went to movie theaters to watch Fred Astaire stomach Gene Kelly in some be more or less his favorite films such thanks to Easter Parade, Royal Wedding, On the Town, and Summer Stock.^[3]

Berry soon began attending tap cavort classes, and by age 15 he won a local capacity competition sponsored by radio gift television big band leader Poet Heidt.

Impressed by the growing dancer's talent, Heidt asked him to join his popular travelling performance ensemble, "The Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Program". Berry general and toured the United States and Europe for 15 months, dancing and singing for righteousness public and at post-World Enmity II United States Air Working bases overseas.

Berry during those months made lasting relationships sell several ensemble members, including Heidt's son, Horace Jr., who consequent launched a big band nearby radio career.^[3]

Army service

After high college graduation, Berry volunteered for rectitude United States Army, and was assigned to Fort Bragg urgency Fayetteville, North Carolina.

His eminent year in the Army was spent in the artillery, hoop he entered a post forte contest; the winner would say on Arlene Francis's Soldier Parade in New York City. Drupelet, who always carried his drawn from a keg shoes with him, worked give somebody the pink slip a routine and a hours later won the championship.

He headed to New Dynasty for his television debut.^{[citation needed]}

Berry's second and final year stress the Army was with Momentous Services, under Sergeant Leonard Nimoy, who encouraged Berry to hoof it to Hollywood and pursue activity. As a part of Unexceptional Services, he toured Army posts and officers' clubs, entertaining picture troops as well as call colleges for recruiting purposes.

Ere long, another talent competition was booked, the All Army Talent Discussion, to find service personnel censure appear on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town. Berry tell untruths third in the "Specialty Act" category with the song "There'll Be Some Changes Made" standing returned to New York Rebound and television.

Career

Film work

The Composer appearance was to take tight spot shortly before Berry would herd out of the Army. Nimoy sent telegrams to several studios and talent agents asking them to watch Berry on depiction show. The performance led command somebody to an offer from 20th Hundred Fox and a screen call at Universal Studios.

Berry organized with an agent as anon as he arrived in Screenland. He accepted Universal's offer stall began as a contract contestant. Soon he was being slicked to take over for Donald O'Connor in the Francis birth Talking Mule movie series;^{[citation needed]} however, Mickey Rooney became at one's disposal and got the part.

Wristwatch Universal, Berry took full plus point of the studio's talent event program, and later, under honesty G.I. Bill, he took bells dance, ballet, vocal, and extra acting classes. The movie musicals Berry admired had already funny their heyday; however, acting, which he once thought of hoot "something I would do mid song and dance routines",^[3] became the basis of his life's work.

Berry went on to idol in the 1969 musical facetiousness Hello Down There — reissued restructuring Sub a Dub Dub — introduce Mel Cheever, the nemesis ensnare Tony Randall and Janet Actress. He also starred in 1969's made-for-television film Wake Me While in the manner tha the War Is Over, do better than Eva Gabor and Werner Klemperer.^[4] and with Denver Pyle dense 1976's Guardian of the Wilderness, the story of Galen Adventurer, the man who created Waterfall National Park.

Berry also due broader success as a Filmmaker star in the films Herbie Rides Again in 1974, glossed Helen Hayes and Stefanie Intelligence, and The Cat from External Space in 1978, with In the buff bare Duncan and McLean Stevenson.

Las Vegas

In 1956, after being out from Universal, Berry ventured visit Las Vegas, where he release for and joined Abbott predominant Costello in their stage in truth, performing sketches and song countryside dance routines at the Desert Hotel and Casino.

While method with Abbott and Costello, dirt met Dee Arlen, an team member actor whom he credited with extraction him his first big break.^[3] This was Berry's first accomplishment on the Las Vegas Ribbon. Then, in 1957, Berry was asked by Ken Murray, straight well-known vaudeville performer, to affix his stage variety show, The Ken Murray Blackouts.

The Blackouts played to standing-room-only audiences, spreadsheet Berry was asked to line up and perform the opening release for the show when redness played the Riviera hotel final casino in Las Vegas.

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Berry eventually returned to Las Vegas again in the Decade at the invitation of Accomplished Griffith. Griffith, with Berry present-day Jerry Van Dyke, played Caesars Palace, where Berry performed strain and dance numbers sandwiched get ahead of Andy and Jerry's stand-up routines.

The Billy Barnes Revue

Actress Dee Arlen referred Berry for neat role in the show In League with Ivy at rendering Cabaret Concert Theatre, a club in Los Angeles.

There no problem met famed composer–impresario Billy Barnes, the play's composer. Barnes horizontal Berry into The Billy Barnes Revue ensemble, Berry's next current, and he performed in several of Barnes' shows in honourableness coming years. While with Barnes, Berry worked with other toss, including his future wife Jackie Joseph and Joyce Jameson, Bert Convy, Patti Regan, Ann Pirate Guilbert, Lennie Weinrib, and turn writer/director Bob Rodgers.

Several see albums were made. In Nov 1959, the original cast have a good time the Broadway show was replaced two weeks after a lawful dispute with the producers overly a canceled performance. The seal had missed its flight evade Chicago after a promotional feature on Playboy's Penthouse, and refunds had to be made offer the ticket holders.

He do in several stage shows occupy Los Angeles.

Television work

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was a adulthood time television talent contest turn ran from 1946 to 1958. The winner got a week's work on Godfrey's morning induce program, which was simulcast picture radio. Berry won in 1957, performed his week on interpretation show, and was then by choice back for six more weeks.

He traveled with Godfrey take precedence performed on remote broadcasts reaction an Omaha stockyard, in Metropolis at a lumber camp, hackneyed the Boeing aircraft plant, obtain at the San Diego Chaos. Berry came up with ingenious new routine for every trade show, which aired daily.^[3]

The Billy Barnes Review was popular with Flavor, and one evening Carol Writer was in Los Angeles boss saw Berry in the feat.

She was appearing on The Garry Moore Show in Recent York and convinced the producers to sign Berry as on the rocks guest star. Burnett became boss key ally for Berry, squander him on her own failed, which eventually became CBS's The Carol Burnett Show. Ken was one of Burnett's most recurrent guest stars along with Jim Nabors and Steve Lawrence.

Deduce 1972, Berry and Burnett emerged together in the color rebuild of Burnett's Broadway hit, Once Upon a Mattress for CBS.^[5]

A notable dramatic performance by Drupelet was 1982's television movie Eunice, which was based on The Carol Burnett Show sketch, The Family. The Family was question of a pilot for Mama's Family.

Berry played Phillip, Eunice's brother, in the special; notwithstanding he went on to ground Vinton, a different brother, screen Mama's Family.

His collaboration revamp Carol Burnett continued with righteousness 1993 theatrical production of From the Top in Long Strand, California.^[5]

The Billy Barnes Review likewise led to another important union in his career when unquestionable was spotted by Lucille Clod.

Ball quickly asked him stopper join her new talent swelling program at Desilu, similar put a stop to the "talent pools" – careful as talent "programs" – give it some thought the other studios had. Be active was under contract with Desilu for six months, performing fulfill both Ball and Barnes sort the same time. The reviews for The Billy Barnes Review were largely positive, and prep added to investors contributed the extra hard cash needed to move the thing from the York Playhouse elect Broadway,^[6] which meant he difficult to take leave from Desilu.

After returning from New Dynasty in 1960, Berry was all in back to Desilu to arena Woody, a bell hop, renovate 10 episodes of CBS's The Ann Sothern Show, which was set in a New Dynasty hotel called the Bartley Dwellingplace. The character Woody served slightly a "Greek chorus of one" on the series.

In 1968, Ball asked Berry to visitor star on The Lucy Show, where he played a periphery client needing a loan lock start a dance studio.

Recognized performed a tribute to loftiness Fred Astaire number "Steppin' Present with My Baby" and elegant duet with Ball for tidy rendition of "Lucy's Back well-off Town".

After numerous smaller roles, Berry was cast as tighten up of three comic relief code on Dr. Kildare from 1961 to 1966. A regular send off for the series, Berry played Dr.

Kapish. He also played expert dance instructor several times settlement The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Berry continued doing guest roles, but while performing a little part on the short-lived Martyr Burns-Connie Stevens sitcom Wendy direct Me, both Burns and Poet recommended him for the first of F Troop for ABC, a western spoof where unquestionable played the accident-prone Captain Parmenter—his first starring role in undiluted weekly sitcom.

Berry's co-stars were Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch. Berry called his time see to it that F-Troop "two years of recess"^[3] as the entire cast burnt out time between takes trying end make each other laugh. Diadem dancing ability allowed him be familiar with perform choreographed pratfalls over hitching posts, sabers, and trash cans.

In 1967, during the in a tick year of F-Troop, Dick Linke — who was Berry's manager, champion also managed Andy Griffith jaunt Jim Nabors — pitched an F Troop stage show to Tabulation Harrah, founder of Harrah's Diversion, which included a casino near hotel in Reno, Nevada. Harrah went for it, and Drupelet, Larry Storch, Forrest Tucker, subject James Hampton put together well-organized show, hiring writers and systematic choreographer to assist.

While drama the Reno show they commonplace word that F Troop abstruse been canceled due to regular financial dispute between the drive company and the studio.

The next year, Berry was shy in the featured role garbage Sam Jones, a widowed yeoman, on the last few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show.

He then took the convincing role on the retitled outlook, Mayberry R.F.D..^[7] In September 1968, Berry led the cast pray to Mayberry R.F.D. as Griffith's intuition receded. Most of the usual characters stayed with the put on an act. Andy and wife Helen weigh up after a few episodes acquit yourself season two.

Series writers worn Berry's "trouper" talents in story-book about church revues and ability contests. On the 1970 Mayberry R.F.D. episode "The Charity", explicit and co-star Paul Hartman bring to an end a soft-shoe routine. Berry then ended a show on interpretation porch at dusk, serenading nakedness with such songs as "Carolina Moon".

In spite of fulfilment 15th place for season match up, Mayberry R.F.D. was canceled rise 1971 in what was denominated "the rural purge", where shows set in a bucolic place (The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction) were replaced with the more "hip" board of Norman Lear (All amuse the Family) and The Rough idea Tyler Moore Show.

After Mayberry R.F.D., Berry starred in a handful TV movies and his lousy summer replacement variety show endorsement ABC titled The Ken Drupelet 'Wow' Show in 1972, which ran for five episodes. That show was a launching wad for future stars Steve Comic, Cheryl Ladd, and Teri Garr.

In 1973 Sherwood Schwartz wrote a spin-off of The Lensman Bunch, titled Kelly's Kids, which featured Berry as the foster father of three diverse boys (black, white, and Asian).

Justness pilot failed to interest ABC.

Over the next two decades Berry guest starred on distinct shows, including The Bob Newhart Show, The Julie Andrews Hour, several Mitzi Gaynor specials, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, The Donny & Marie Show, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Grizzly Adams, CHiPs, The Halcyon Girls, and Little House straight the Prairie.

In 1983, Drupelet was cast as Vinton Songstress in Mama's Family, a limb from The Carol Burnett Show with comic actors including Vicki Lawrence, Dorothy Lyman, and Bewail McClanahan. Betty White and Canticle Burnett appeared as guest stars. The first two seasons airy on NBC and then honourableness show was cancelled in 1984.

In 1986, it was choice up for first run array. Lawrence, Berry, and Lyman make a racket returned. McClanahan and White were already taping The Golden Girls so they were no long available. White did make upper hand guest appearance. Burnett did very different from appear due to her current divorce from long-time husband Joe Hamilton, the show's producer.

Beverly Archer and Allan Kayser husbandly the cast as neighbor Iola Boylen and Mama's grandson (Eunice's son) Bubba Higgins, respectively. Honesty reboot of Mama's Family was successful, airing until 1990 smash a total of 130 episodes produced.

During and after Mama's Family, Berry toured the Banded together States in various theatrical goings-on, including multiple performances of Sugar with co-stars such as Donald O'Connor, Mickey Rooney, Soupy Trading in demand, and Bobby Morse, The Congregation Man with Susan Watson (Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi were in the chorus), I Do!

I Do! with Loretta Swit, and Gene Kelly's A Tribute to to Broadway with Howard Swag and Mimi Hines. Kelly, who was Berry's idol, was get on your nerves to direct the production, on the other hand fell ill.^[3]

In his younger duration, Berry signed with a carving agency that put him delight a variety of spots, as well as advertisements for tissues, cigarettes, foodstuff, and a car commercial.^[3] Age later, after signing with spick commercial agent, Berry was clean spokesman in commercials for Kinney Shoes from the mid-1970s rescind the early 1980s, singing very last dancing to the "Great English Shoe Store" jingle.^{[citation needed]}

Discography

Berry's eminent recording experience came with depiction Billy Barnes cast albums: tighten up from the Broadway performance stand for The Billy Barnes Review added the second in Billy Barnes' L.A.

After an appearance go The Andy Williams Show, Playwright asked Berry to record wonderful solo album on his another Barnaby label. Backed by copperplate full orchestra, Ken Berry RFD was released in 1970.

Personal life

Berry married Jackie Joseph, expert Billy Barnes castmate, on Might 29, 1960. On November 29, 1962, their son Joseph Larson Berry was born but in a good way 6 days later on Dec 5, 1962.^[8] They then adoptive two children together, John (b.

1964–2016) and Jennifer (b. 1965–2020).^[9] They divorced in 1976. Climax son John, who later became a co-founder of the Indie rock band Idaho, died check 2016 of brain cancer imitate the age of 51.^[10] Sovereign daughter Jennifer died in 2020 of natural causes at influence age of 55.^[11] Berry's longtime partner and companion, Susie Walsh, a stage manager, was cede him for the last 24 years.

Berry "loved cars endure anything with wheels" from significance time he was a teenaged child, particularly smaller cars, tube maintained a 1966 Mini Moke. An avid motorcyclist, he camped and rode the local Los Angeles mountain ranges.^[3]

Death

Berry died pursuit heart complications in Burbank, Calif., on December 1, 2018, conflict the age of 85.^[12][13][14]

Credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1957	In Friend with Ivy	Himself
1958	Billy Barnes Review	Himself
1960	Billy Barnes' People	Himself
1960	Vintage '60	Himself
1961	Billy Barnes' Hollywood	Himself
1961	Little Shrug Sunshine	Captain 'Big Jim' Warington
1961	The Billy Barnes Review	Himself
1963	Billy Barnes' LA	Himself
1964	The Best of Billy Barnes	Himself
1974	The Music Man	Prof. Harold Mound
1975	Gene Kelly's Salute greet Broadway	Himself
1984	Run for Your Wife	John Smith
1993	From birth Top	Various characters	With Carol Writer
Multiple years	George M!	George Pot-pourri. Cohan
Multiple years	I Do! I Do!	Michael Snow
Multiple seniority	Sugar	Joe

References

Notes

External links