#Buddy hackett series#

In 1983, a new generation discovered his Catskills roots with the Home Box Office (HBO) special Buddy Hackett-Live and Uncensored. He frequently played casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Stand-up comedy remained the backbone of Buddy Hackett's career. Though the film recreated many of the team's classic bits, it was the portrayal of their often strained relationship and the sadness of Costello's later life which allowed Hackett to show the world he could embody a complex dramatic character. Hackett shined as Costello opposite Harvey Korman's Abbott. NBC's Bud and Lou was a made-for-television biography of the comedy duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. The greatest showcase of his acting ability came on television in 1979. His manic performance in Stanley Kramer's It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) stood out among the film's overcrowded cast.

#Buddy hackett series#

Audiences refused to accept Hackett in Art Carney's role as Gleason's sidekick the series lasted only three months.īuddy Hackett made a number of memorable film appearances throughout the 1960s, including The Music Man (1962), The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962), and the teen comedy Pajama Party. A bigger misstep was CBS' attempt the next fall to pair Hackett with comedian Jackie Gleason in a revival of the latter's comedy-variety program. Future variety series star Carol Burnett played Stanley's girlfriend, Celia the voice of imperious hotel owner Horace Fenton was provided by comedian Paul Lynde. He played Stanley Peck, a newsstand owner who constantly gets in trouble trying to help other people. From September 1956 to March 1957, Hackett starred in NBC's live sitcom Stanley. Hackett remained a presence on early television, however, appearing on The Tonight Show, The Jack Paar Show, and The Jackie Gleason Show.Īs the 1950s progressed the television situation comedy developed into the medium's dominant form. School House aired only from January through April of 1949. Buddy Hackett was among the ever-changing cast, which also included Wally Cox and Arnold Stang.

The premise came straight from vaudeville: a teacher character (Kenny Delmar) played host to a variety of unruly 'students,' actually comedians doing their shtick. His night club style fit perfectly with the Dumont series School House. Television was enjoying its first ' Golden Age' when Buddy Hackett made his premiere appearance. Hackett made his reputation in Catskill venues like the Concord Resort Hotel.

He honed his craft at the resorts of the Catskill Mountains, 100 miles northwest of New York City, in the area known as 'The Borscht Belt.' Many American Jews came there to vacation in an atmosphere where Jewish culture was celebrated and Jewish humor brought distraction from the troubles of the city. After serving in the United States Army he tried his luck as an upholsterer (like his father) and a waiter. His cherubic face, twinkling eyes, and gentle self-mockery take off much of the sting from his profane language.īuddy Hackett was born Leonard Hacker on August 31, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York. His stand-up is risque in an old-fashioned way little of the anger and social commentary of Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, or Chris Rock is to be found. Hackett frequently makes himself-his short stature, his rotund build, and his Jewishness-the subject of his humor. He was offered, and refused, the opportunity to replace Curly in The Three Stooges, preferring to remain a solo act. He has performed in films, television and cable specials, and has written a book of poetry. Though primarily known in the 1990s for his nightclub comedy, Buddy Hackett is a versatile performer whose career spans more than half of the twentieth century.