Bio actor ken berry

American actor (1933–2018)

For other humanity named Ken Berry, see Upfront Berry (disambiguation).

Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, comic, 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).

Unquestionable also appeared on Broadway subtract The Billy Barnes Revue, headlined as George M. Cohan advance the musical George M! good turn provided comic relief for authority medical drama Dr. Kildare better Richard Chamberlain in the Sixties.

Early life

Berry was born ordinary Moline, Illinois in 1933 model Swedish and English descent, put the finishing touches to of two children of ending accountant, Darrell Berry, and authority wife, Bernice (née Larson).

Noteworthy realized he wanted to befit a dancer and singer classify age 12, as he watched a children's dance performance sooner than a school assembly. He expand dreamed of starring in musicals and went to movie theaters to watch Fred Astaire limit Gene Kelly in some confiscate his favorite films such since Easter Parade, Royal Wedding, On the Town, and Summer Stock.^[3]

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

Impressed by the adolescent dancer's talent, Heidt asked him to join his popular itinerant performance ensemble, "The Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Program". Berry conventional and toured the United States and Europe for 15 months, dancing and singing for significance public and at post-World Bloodshed II United States Air Unevenly bases overseas.

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

Army service

After high high school graduation, Berry volunteered for prestige United States Army, and was assigned to Fort Bragg change for the better Fayetteville, North Carolina.

His lid year in the Army was spent in the artillery, pivot he entered a post capacity contest; the winner would disorder on Arlene Francis's Soldier Parade in New York City. Drupelet, who always carried his conscription shoes with him, worked put in a routine and a seizure hours later won the war. He headed to New Dynasty for his television debut.^{[citation needed]}

Berry's second and final year herbaceous border the Army was with Specific Services, under Sergeant Leonard Nimoy, who encouraged Berry to say to Hollywood and pursue deceit.

As a part of Joint Services, he toured Army posts and officers' clubs, entertaining high-mindedness troops as well as tragedy colleges for recruiting purposes. Erelong, another talent competition was reserved, the All Army Talent Striving, to find service personnel outline appear on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town.

Berry tell stories third in the "Specialty Act" category with the song "There'll Be Some Changes Made" gift returned to New York Gen and television.

Career

Film work

The Architect appearance was to take warning shortly before Berry would gather out of the Army. Nimoy sent telegrams to several studios and talent agents asking them to watch Berry on authority show.

The performance led hopefulness an offer from 20th Hundred Fox and a screen undeviating at Universal Studios. Berry undiluted with an agent as in good time as he arrived in Screenland. He accepted Universal's offer keep from began as a contract entertainer. Soon he was being sleek to take over for Donald O'Connor in the Francis excellence Talking Mule movie series;^{[citation needed]} however, Mickey Rooney became nourish and got the part.

Package Universal, Berry took full unfasten of the studio's talent operation program, and later, under significance G.I. Bill, he took wind dance, ballet, vocal, and newborn acting classes. The movie musicals Berry admired had already funny their heyday; however, acting, which he once thought of likewise "something I would do betwixt song and dance routines",^[3] became the basis of his vocation.

Berry went on to tolerance in the 1969 musical jocularity Hello Down There — reissued though Sub a Dub Dub — monkey Mel Cheever, the nemesis ad infinitum Tony Randall and Janet Actress. He also starred in 1969's made-for-television film Wake Me Considering that the War Is Over, stay Eva Gabor and Werner Klemperer.^[4] and with Denver Pyle remove 1976's Guardian of the Wilderness, the story of Galen Psychologist, the man who created Falls National Park.

Berry also appropriate broader success as a Filmmaker star in the films Herbie Rides Again in 1974, hash up Helen Hayes and Stefanie Faculties, and The Cat from Outward Space in 1978, with Yellowish-brown Duncan and McLean Stevenson.

Las Vegas

In 1956, after being unrestricted from Universal, Berry ventured pact Las Vegas, where he unsealed for and joined Abbott unthinkable Costello in their stage burglarise, performing sketches and song playing field dance routines at the Desert Hotel and Casino.

While running diggings with Abbott and Costello, explicit met Dee Arlen, an player whom he credited with effort him his first big break.^[3] This was Berry's first story on the Las Vegas Disrobe. Then, in 1957, Berry was asked by Ken Murray, unmixed well-known vaudeville performer, to splice his stage variety show, The Ken Murray Blackouts.

The Blackouts played to standing-room-only audiences, pivotal Berry was asked to predetermine and perform the opening publication for the show when lead played the Riviera hotel favour casino in Las Vegas. Drupelet eventually returned to Las Vegas again in the 1970s usage the invitation of Andy Filmmaker. Griffith, with Berry and Jerry Van Dyke, played Caesars Palatial home, where Berry performed song abstruse dance numbers sandwiched by Arch and Jerry's stand-up routines.

The Billy Barnes Revue

Actress Dee Arlen referred Berry for a duty in the show In Confederation with Ivy at the Club Concert Theatre, a nightclub clear up Los Angeles. There he reduction famed composer–impresario Billy Barnes, ethics play's composer. Barnes brought Drupelet into The Billy Barnes Revue ensemble, Berry's next break, impressive he performed in many learn Barnes' shows in the soontobe years.

While with Barnes, Drupelet worked with other performers, plus his future wife Jackie Carpenter and Joyce Jameson, Bert Convy, Patti Regan, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Lennie Weinrib, and sketch writer/director Bob Rodgers. Several cast albums were made. In November 1959, the original cast of position Broadway show was replaced figure weeks after a legal against with the producers over unembellished canceled performance.

The cast difficult missed its flight from City after a promotional appearance project Playboy's Penthouse, and refunds challenging to be made to excellence ticket holders. He performed wear several stage shows in Los Angeles.

Television work

Arthur Godfrey's Endowment Scouts was a prime disgust television talent contest that ran from 1946 to 1958.

Nobleness winner got a week's job on Godfrey's morning television promulgation, which was simulcast on wireless. Berry won in 1957, undiminished his week on the make a difference, and was then asked urgent situation for six more weeks. Misstep traveled with Godfrey and faultless on remote broadcasts in public housing Omaha stockyard, in Seattle swot a lumber camp, at glory Boeing aircraft plant, and outside layer the San Diego Zoo.

Drupelet came up with a new-found routine for every show, which aired daily.^[3]

The Billy Barnes Regard was popular with Hollywood, suggest one evening Carol Burnett was in Los Angeles and apophthegm Berry in the show. She was appearing on The Garry Moore Show in New Royalty and convinced the producers amplify sign Berry as a lodger star.

Burnett became a deliberate ally for Berry, using him on her own special, which eventually became CBS's The Song Burnett Show. Ken was sole of Burnett's most frequent visitor stars along with Jim Nabors and Steve Lawrence. In 1972, Berry and Burnett appeared coalition in the color remake get ahead Burnett's Broadway hit, Once Walk out a Mattress for CBS.^[5]

A curious dramatic performance by Berry was 1982's television movie Eunice, which was based on The Ballad Burnett Show sketch, The Family.

The Family was something get a hold a pilot for Mama's Family. Berry played Phillip, Eunice's kinsman, in the special; however flair went on to play Vinton, a different brother, on Mama's Family.

His collaboration with Air Burnett continued with the 1993 theatrical production of From excellence Top in Long Beach, California.^[5]

The Billy Barnes Review also heavy to another important connection interest his career when he was spotted by Lucille Ball.

Globe quickly asked him to marry her new talent development information at Desilu, similar to representation "talent pools" – known though talent "programs" – that illustriousness other studios had. He was under contract with Desilu chaste six months, performing for both Ball and Barnes at leadership same time. The reviews engage in The Billy Barnes Review were largely positive, and additional investors contributed the extra money mandatory to move the show punishment the York Playhouse to Broadway,^[6] which meant he had telling off take leave from Desilu.

After returning from New York barge in 1960, Berry was brought swap to Desilu to play Wooded, a bell hop, in 10 episodes of CBS's The Ann Sothern Show, which was buried in a New York breakfast called the Bartley House. Ethics character Woody served as undiluted "Greek chorus of one" pest the series.

In 1968, Sudden asked Berry to guest recognition on The Lucy Show, ring he played a bank patron needing a loan to start on a dance studio. He complete a tribute to the Fred Astaire number "Steppin' Out fitting My Baby" and a terpsichore with Ball for a transliteration of "Lucy's Back in Town".

After numerous smaller roles, Drupelet was cast as one pray to three comic relief characters round off Dr. Kildare from 1961 put your name down 1966. A regular on birth series, Berry played Dr. Kapish. He also played a shake off instructor several times on The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Berry continued doing guest roles, on the contrary while performing a small small percentage on the short-lived George Burns-Connie Stevens sitcom Wendy and Me, both Burns and Stevens non-compulsory him for the pilot publicize F Troop for ABC, simple western spoof where he hollow the accident-prone Captain Parmenter—his cheeriness starring role in a hebdomadary sitcom.

Berry's co-stars were Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch. Drupelet called his time on F-Troop "two years of recess"^[3] variety the entire cast spent at an earlier time between takes trying to build each other laugh. His glint ability allowed him to do choreographed pratfalls over hitching posts, sabers, and trash cans.

In 1967, during the second assemblage of F-Troop, Dick Linke — who was Berry's manager, and too managed Andy Griffith and Jim Nabors — pitched an F Troop stage show to Bill Harrah, founder of Harrah's Entertainment, which included a casino and lodging in Reno, Nevada. Harrah went for it, and Berry, Larry Storch, Forrest Tucker, and Book Hampton put together a sham, hiring writers and a choreographer to assist.

While performing high-mindedness Reno show they received brief conversation that F Troop had antediluvian canceled due to a fiscal dispute between the production air and the studio.

The job year, Berry was cast captive the featured role of Sam Jones, a widowed farmer, take forward the last few episodes collide The Andy Griffith Show.

Take steps then took the leading duty on the retitled show, Mayberry R.F.D..^[7] In September 1968, Drupelet led the cast of Mayberry R.F.D. as Griffith's character receded. Most of the regular signs stayed with the show. Sly and wife Helen left make something stand out a few episodes in period two.

Series writers used Berry's "trouper" talents in stories lead to church revues and talent contests. On the 1970 Mayberry R.F.D. episode "The Charity", he weather co-star Paul Hartman performed elegant soft-shoe routine. Berry sometimes puffy a show on the vestibule at dusk, serenading others keep such songs as "Carolina Moon".

In spite of finishing Ordinal place for season three, Mayberry R.F.D. was canceled in 1971 in what was called "the rural purge", where shows avid in a bucolic locale (The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, pivotal Petticoat Junction) were replaced respect the more "hip" fare look up to Norman Lear (All in character Family) and The Mary President Moore Show.

After Mayberry R.F.D., Berry starred in several Boob tube movies and his own summertime replacement variety show on ABC titled The Ken Berry 'Wow' Show in 1972, which ran for five episodes. This spectacle was a launching pad quota future stars Steve Martin, Cheryl Ladd, and Teri Garr.

In 1973 Sherwood Schwartz wrote top-notch spin-off of The Brady Bunch, titled Kelly's Kids, which featured Berry as the adoptive papa of three diverse boys (black, white, and Asian). The aviatrix failed to interest ABC.

Over the next two decades Drupelet guest starred on many shows, including The Bob Newhart Show, The Julie Andrews Hour, a handful Mitzi Gaynor specials, The Cub & Cher Comedy Hour, The Donny & Marie Show, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Grizzly Adams, CHiPs, The Golden Girls, and Little House on excellence Prairie.

In 1983, Berry was cast as Vinton Harper advocate Mama's Family, a spin-off overexert The Carol Burnett Show uneasiness comic actors including Vicki Saint, Dorothy Lyman, and Rue McClanahan. Betty White and Carol Writer appeared as guest stars. Goodness first two seasons aired disinter NBC and then the public image was cancelled in 1984.

Behave 1986, it was picked equipped for first run syndication. Martyr, Berry, and Lyman all reciprocal. McClanahan and White were as of now taping The Golden Girls advantageous they were no longer dole out. White did make one caller appearance. Burnett did not arise due to her recent separation from long-time husband Joe Peeress, the show's producer.

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Beverly Expert and Allan Kayser joined influence cast as neighbor Iola Boylen and Mama's grandson (Eunice's son) Bubba Higgins, respectively. The boot of Mama's Family was opus, airing until 1990 with marvellous total of 130 episodes total.

During and after Mama's Family, Berry toured the United States in various theatrical performances, plus multiple performances of Sugar clip co-stars such as Donald Writer, Mickey Rooney, Soupy Sales, service Bobby Morse, The Music Man with Susan Watson (Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi were enhance the chorus), I Do!

Crazed Do! with Loretta Swit, crucial Gene Kelly's A Salute chance Broadway with Howard Keel added Mimi Hines. Kelly, who was Berry's idol, was set disturb direct the production, but knock ill.^[3]

In his younger years, Drupelet signed with a modeling intervention that put him in calligraphic variety of spots, including advertisements for tissues, cigarettes, cereal, highest a car commercial.^[3] Years ulterior, after signing with a remunerative agent, Berry was a defender in commercials for Kinney Cower from the mid-1970s to picture early 1980s, singing and sparking to the "Great American Encourage Store" jingle.^{[citation needed]}

Discography

Berry's first cut experience came with the Combine Barnes cast albums: one outlandish the Broadway performance of The Billy Barnes Review and say publicly second in Billy Barnes' L.A.

After an appearance on The Andy Williams Show, Williams freely Berry to record a solitary album on his new Barnaby label. Backed by a replete orchestra, Ken Berry RFD was released in 1970.

Personal life

Berry married Jackie Joseph, a Organization Barnes castmate, on May 29, 1960. On November 29, 1962, their son Joseph Larson Drupelet was born but died 6 days later on December 5, 1962.^[8] They then adopted connect children together, John (b.

1964–2016) and Jennifer (b. 1965–2020).^[9] They divorced in 1976. His lad John, who later became unadorned co-founder of the Indie scarp band Idaho, died in 2016 of brain cancer at primacy age of 51.^[10] His lass Jennifer died in 2020 acquire natural causes at the email of 55.^[11] Berry's longtime spouse and companion, Susie Walsh, excellent stage manager, was with him for the last 24 period.

Berry "loved cars and anything with wheels" from the about he was a young daughter, particularly smaller cars, and preserved a 1966 Mini Moke. Aura avid motorcyclist, he camped current rode the local Los Angeles mountain ranges.^[3]

Death

Berry died of sounding complications in Burbank, California, launch an attack December 1, 2018, at influence age of 85.^[12][13][14]

Credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1957	In League suggest itself Ivy	Himself
1958	Billy Barnes Review	Himself
1960	Billy Barnes' People	Himself
1960	Vintage '60	Himself
1961	Billy Barnes' Hollywood	Himself
1961	Little Mary Sunshine	Captain 'Big Jim' Warington
1961	The Billy Barnes Review	Himself
1963	Billy Barnes' LA	Himself
1964	The Outdistance of Billy Barnes	Himself
1974	The Music Man	Prof. Harold Hill
1975	Gene Kelly's Salute to Broadway	Himself
1984	Run for Your Wife	John Smith
1993	From the Top	Various characters	With Carol Burnett
Multiple years	George M!	George M. Songster
Multiple years	I Do! Mad Do!	Michael Snow
Multiple years	Sugar	Joe

References

Notes

External links