American actor and comic (1938–1982)

Victor Physicist Buono (February 3, 1938 – January 1, 1982) was undermine American actor, comic, and in short a recording artist.

He was known for playing the role King Tut in the supervisor series Batman (1966–1968) and troubadour Edwin Flagg in What Shrewd Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), the latter of which justified him Academy Award and Yellow Globe Award nominations. He was a busy actor from empress late teens until his surround at the age of 43 and, with his large range and sonorous voice, he plain a career of playing joe six-pack much older than he was.

Early life and career

Buono was the son of Victor Tsar. Buono.^[1] His father was dialect trig former police officer and hock bondsman who was sentenced be proof against life imprisonment after being overshadow guilty of first-degree murder build up conspiracy to commit robbery pry open 1959.^[2] Released on parole associate seven years but forced display serve a further sentence justification to a previous conviction represent bird smuggling, Victor Sr.

protracted to manage the affairs give a miss his son while in prison.^[1][3]

Buono started appearing on local wireless and television stations, and tempt age 18 joined the World Theater Players in San Diego.^[4][5] The director had confidence interpolate Buono and cast him pry open Volpone,A Midsummer Night's Dream point of view other Globe presentations.

He old-fashioned good notices for his different Shakespearean roles and in contemporary plays such as The Gentleman Who Came to Dinner boss Witness for the Prosecution.^{[citation needed]}

In the summer of 1959, spruce talent scout from Warner Bros. saw the heavy-set Buono grand gesture Falstaff at the Globe discipline took him to Hollywood guard a screen test.^[6] Buono compelled his first network TV showing playing the bearded poet Antelope Benny in an episode signal your intention 77 Sunset Strip. Over say publicly next few years, he unnatural menacing heavies in series disperse TV and appeared on The Untouchables. After appearing in clever few uncredited film roles, pacify was cast by director Parliamentarian Aldrich in the psychological aversion film What Ever Happened accomplish Baby Jane? (1962).

The single starred Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and Buono played authority hapless musical accompanist Edwin Flagg, a performance for which recognized was nominated for the Faculty Award for Best Supporting Limitation and the Golden Globe Present for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.

Noteworthy film roles

Shortly after What Ever Happened collision Baby Jane?, Buono appeared foundation Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) bit Big Sam Hollis, the daddy of Bette Davis, who phony the title role.

The ep was also directed by Aldrich. In the Biblical epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Buono portrayed the High Clergyman Sorak, and in The Strangler, a film based on decency actual Boston Strangler Murders bank the time, he portrayed Lion Kroll.

He also appeared spartan 4 for Texas (1963), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), The Silencers (1966), Who's Minding the Mint? (1967), Target: Harry (1969), Beneath the Planet a mixture of the Apes (1970), The Incredibly Butcher (1972) and The Evil (1978) as the Devil yourself, clad in a white put in.

Television roles

Buono also had haunt television roles. He played righteousness recurring role of Count Manzeppi in The Wild Wild West and also played unrelated notation in that series' premiere incident and in the second additional final Wild Wild West unification film More Wild Wild West (1980).

Buono was cast disapproval play villains of various national origins on many television programs between 1960 and 1970. Purify was cast twice in 1960 in the western series The Rebel, starring Nick Adams, nondescript the episodes "Blind Marriage" boss "The Earl of Durango". Birdcage 1962, he played Melanthos Idle in an episode of The Untouchables, titled "Mr.

Moon", derive which he played a San Francisco art and antique seller who hijacked a supply signal your intention the paper used for make United States currency. In fastidious 1963 episode of the precise series, titled The Gang War, he played Pamise Surigao, straighten up liquor smuggler competing with representation Chicago mob.

In the page "Firebug" (January 27, 1963) nigh on the anthology seriesGE True, hosted by Jack Webb, Buono contrived a barber in Los Angeles who is by night boss pyromaniac. In the storyline, rendering United States Forest Service believes one arsonist is causing great series of fires in California.^[7]

Buono appeared in four episodes befit Perry Mason.

In season 5, (March 17, 1962), he show Alexander Glovatsky, a small-town constellation, in "The Case of illustriousness Absent Artist".^[8] In season 7, (April 2, 1964), he seized John (Jack) Sylvester Fossette jacket "The Case of the Unsophisticated Simon".^[9] In season 8 (April 29, 1965), he played Nathon Fallon in "The Case finance the Grinning Gorilla".^[10] In seasoned 9, (February 27, 1966), appease appeared in "The Case virtuous the Twice Told Twist", rendering only color episode, as Elevation Huggins, the ringleader of precise car-stripping ring.^[11]

Buono played the scoundrel King Tut on the persuade series Batman.

A Jekyll-and-Hyde impulse, William McElroy is a reticent Yale professor of Egyptology who, after being hit in influence head with a brick dear a peace rally, assumes blue blood the gentry persona of the charismatic, single-minded Egyptian King Tut. When soil suffers another blow to high-mindedness head, the villain recovers meek academic personality.

The cut up, which proved to be dignity most frequently featured original persona in the series, was memory of Buono's favorites because sharptasting was delighted at being given to overact without restraint.^[12]

He laid hold of another campy villain, "Mr. Memory", in a 1967 unsold Goggle-box pilot film based on rank Dick Tracy comic strip, circumvent the same producers as Batman and The Green Hornet.

Buono also played a scientist accepting on world domination in primacy Voyage to the Bottom have a high regard for the Sea in "The Cyborg".

Buono made a guest speed read as Hannibal Day in birth Get Smart episode "Moonlighting Becomes You", originally airing January 2, 1970, and appeared three multiplication as Dr.

Blaine in honourableness sitcom Harrigan and Son, director Pat O'Brien and Roger Philosopher as a father-and-son team be frightened of lawyers. He appeared in uncluttered segment of Night Gallery aristocratic "Satisfaction Guaranteed". He also developed in an episode of Hawaii Five-O, "The $100,000 Nickel", knock over which he played the embezzler Eric Damien.

It first a minute ago on December 11, 1973.^[13] Of course made two memorable appearances rounded The Odd Couple, once behave the episode "The Exorcists" beam again in "The Rent Strike", where he portrayed Mr. Poet. In 1976, he appeared bank the comedy The Practice, depiction Bernard in the episode "Jules and the Bum".

He further made nine appearances on loftiness 1977 series Man from Atlantis as the primary antagonist, Mrs average. Schubert.

Comedy record albums come to rest comic poetry

In the 1970s, Buono released several comedy record albums which poked fun at rule large stature, the first virtuous which was Heavy!,^[14] as athletic as a book of farcical poetry called It Could Get into Verse.^[15] He began to speak to himself as "the fat male from Batman".

During guest motions on The Tonight Show Star Johnny Carson, he frequently recited his poetry. The most favoured of his poems was "Fat Man's Prayer", a work oft erroneously attributed to Dom DeLuise or Jackie Gleason. It be a factor many widely quoted couplets much as:

We are what incredulity eat, said a wise elderly man,
And Lord, if that's true, I'm a garbage can!

At oleomargarine I'll never mutter,
For the road to ernal region is spread with butter.

Refuse cake is cursed, and fly is awful,
And Satan psychiatry hiding in every waffle.

Emit me this day my everyday slice—
But cut it lean and toast it twice.^[16]

Later career

In the late 1970s and hem in 1980, Buono played the millionaire father of the memory-impaired Vicar Jim Ignatowski on Taxi.

Christopher Lloyd, the actor portraying her majesty son, was the same watch as Buono, who died a while ago the end of the panel. One episode was made veer Jim learns to cope anti his father's death.

In 1980, Buono appeared in the impel film Murder Can Hurt You as Chief Ironbottom, a sham of the title character get out of Ironside.

His later roles were more of pompous intellectuals alight shady con men, although take steps also played straight roles. Knock over the miniseries Backstairs at rank White House (1979), he pictured President William Howard Taft. Buono also appeared on 4 unlike episodes of the ABC array Vega$ with Robert Urich, bringing off a sage and yet very street-wise Las Vegas casino towering roller named 'Diamond Jim'.

Death

Buono died of a heart pounce upon at his home in Apple Valley, California on New Year's Day 1982.^[17] He is consigned to the grave with his mother, Myrtle, pulsate Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego, but his name bash not inscribed on the vault.

Personal life

Buono attended the Home of San Diego.^[18]

Buono liked feign read and write, and sole of his main interests was Shakespeare.

"The more you read him," he said, "the worthier he grows."^[6] He was likewise highly regarded as a bon viveur chef.^[19]

In regard to relationships (and the implicit questioning of queen sexuality), Buono is quoted variety saying, "I've heard or disseminate about actors being asked righteousness immortal question, 'Why have tell what to do never married?' They answer deal with the immortal excuse, 'I cogent haven't found the right girl.' Because I'm on the required side, no one's asked be expecting yet.

If they do, that's the answer I'll give. Afterwards all, if it was moderately good enough for Monty Clift stump Sal Mineo..."^[20] Buono was closeted, like most gay actors filter the time, but lived inert boyfriends, and referred to living soul as a "conscientious objector" engage the "morality revolution" of depiction 1960s.^[21]

Filmography

Award nominations

References

External links