Don Adams
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| Don Adams | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Donald James Yarmy | |||||
| Born | April 13 1923 New York, New York | |||||
| Died | September 25 2005 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California | |||||
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, California | |||||
| Spouse(s) | Judy Luciano (1977-06-10–1990) (divorced) 1 child | |||||
| Parents | William Yarmy, Consuelo Morgan | |||||
| ||||||
Don Adams (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), was an American actor, comedian, game show panelist and occasional director, who in his five decades of television, was best known for his role as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the TV situation comedy Get Smart (1965–1970, 1995), for which he also directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Smart (1967–1969). He also provided the voice for Inspector Gadget as the title character.
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[edit] Early life
[edit] Biography
Adams was born Donald James Yarmy in New York City to William Yarmy, a Hungarian Jew, who worked as a soda jerk, and Consuelo Morgan, a Roman Catholic struggling housewife, who was of both Dutch and Irish heritage;[1] he was not raised in any religion but became a practicing Catholic then later converted to Judaism.[2]
Adams served with the United States Marine Corps during World War II in the Pacific Theater. He was wounded during the Battle of Guadalcanal and he contracted malaria, nearly dying of blackwater fever. Upon his recovery and return to the States, he served as a drill instructor.[3] Rumors that he was the only member of his platoon to survive at Guadalcanal are unsubstantiated.[3]
After Don dropped out of high school, at aged 18 (his senior year) in 1941, one of his first jobs was a theatre usher, and later worked as a comic and mimic, taking the stage name of Adams after marrying singer Adelaide (Dell) Efantis, who performed under the name Adelaide Adams. When Don first met her, he needed to borrow ten dollars from her brother, and chose not to propose marriage to her, knowing that it was serious; he was crying and laughing, at the same time. After their divorce, he still went by the stage name "Adams," explaining (perhaps comically) that he kept it because he got tired of being last during alphabetical auditions.
[edit] Character actor
Though Adams rarely had any character parts during his life, he made his television debut guest-starring on an episode of Startime. The one part led to other roles such as Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Danny Thomas Hour, Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, several episodes of The Love Boat playing various characters, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy, Back to the Beach, and the last guest-starring role he appeared was on Empty Nest. He also guest-voiced on an episode of Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher.
[edit] The Bill Dana Show
His work on television began in 1954, when he won "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" with a stand-up comedy act written by boyhood friend Bill Dana. In addition to appearing on numerous comedy, variety, and dramatic series, Adams had a role on the NBC sitcom The Bill Dana Show (1963-65), as a bumbling hotel detective named Mr Glick—a character nearly identical to what was soon to become "Maxwell Smart" on Get Smart. The hotel manager was played by Jonathan Harris who later did a guest role on Get Smart in 1970.
[edit] Get Smart
Creators Buck Henry and Mel Brooks wrote Get Smart as the comedic answer to all of the successful 1960s spy television dramas such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Avengers, I Spy and It Takes a Thief. NBC was interested in Adams, who was under contract with the network, though he was the second choice to play Maxwell Smart (Agent 86), after Tom Poston turned down the part. When it debuted in 1965, it was an immediate hit.
Adams endowed the character with his voice and clipped, unique speaking style. Co-star Barbara Feldon, who played the role of Smart's partner, Agent 99, said, "Part of the pop fervor for Agent 86, was because Don did such an extreme portrayal of the character that it made it easy to imitate." Adams created many popular catch-phrases with the character, including "Sorry 'bout that chief", "And, loving it", and "Would you believe?" These helped make the series a cult hit in over 100 countries.
In addition to acting, Adams also produced and directed some episodes of the show. Off the set, he occasionally feuded with Jay Sandrich, who served as writer. For his portrayal of Agent 86, he was nominated for Emmys 4 seasons in a row, between 1966 and 1969, and won 3 Emmys, for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series.
For its final season, the show moved to CBS, though ratings began to decline. As society changed in the late 1960s, all spy series and war movies went out of fashion. Get Smart series was cancelled in 1970, after 138 episodes.
Feldon said of her longtime friend Adams's tenure on Get Smart, "It was so easy, that was the strange thing. We didn't grope for that relationship. Don came in with Max intact. 99 just had to respond to that already salified Max."
[edit] Typecasting
Adams was very happy about the show's cancellation, as he wanted to move on to other projects, but his projects after Get Smart were less successful, including the comedy series The Partners (1971–1972), a self-titled game show called Don Adams' Screen Test (1975–1976) and three attempts to revive the Get Smart series in the 1980s. Even his movie, The Nude Bomb, was a box-office failure. Adams was typecast as Maxwell Smart and unable to move beyond that image.
He continued to make the majority of his income from his work on stage and in clubs. Because Admas had chosen co-ownership of the Get Smart property over an increased salary during the series' production period, he received regular income in later years.
[edit] Voice-over actor and later work
Adams worked as a voice actor in Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (1963–1966), but he was more famous as the voice of Inspector Gadget in the initial run of that television series (1983–1985) and the Christmas special, as well as in later reprises; he even voiced himself in animated form for a guest shot in an episode of Hanna-Barbera's The New Scooby-Doo Movies, "The Exterminator," which first aired on CBS October 13, 1973.
He attempted a situation-comedy comeback in Canada with Check it Out! in 1985; the show ran for three years in Canada, but it was not successful in the United States. The show also starred Gordon Clapp, an unknown star at the time, who developed a rapport with Adams. In an A&E Biography, Adams said that he made more money working on a series, better than on Get Smart. He reprised his Maxwell Smart role on Get Smart for FOX in 1995, which co-starred Barbara Feldon and rising star Andy Dick as Max's & 99's only son. Unlike the original version, this show did not appeal with younger viewers and it was canceled for only 6 episodes.
In 2003, Adams joined a Get Smart tribute at the Museum of Television and Radio. Also appearing at the convention were surviving stars of Get Smart: Barbara Feldon, Bernie Kopell and Dick Gautier.
Adams stated in interviews that his famous "clippy" voice characterization was an exaggeration of the speaking style of actor William Powell. Occasionally, he also enjoyed doing a more explicit impersonation of Ronald Colman.
Adams was the voice of Brain the dog in the end credits for the film version of Inspector Gadget in 1999.
[edit] Hobbies
Don had 12 hobbies, throughout the prime of his life, which included: collecting convertibles, golfing, gardening, horse racing, playing gin rummy, partying, gambling, playing cards, watching movies, spending time with his family, traveling and playing pool.
[edit] Quotes
Don: "I am a quick study - I can memorize a script in an hour - but I can't remember a name three seconds. I've even forgotten my wife's name on occasion." (Source: BrainyQuote.com)
Don: "Have to get a costume, I'm coming in as Maxwell Smart. But I'm working on my voice. My doorman doesn't bet on that. Hi there ... Missed it by that much!" (Source: A&EBiography.com)
Don about his separation from Dorothy in 1973: "I was 49, I looked at 50. I said, 'It's Over!' The next thing is picking out a casket. So, when a 20 year old girl, who was posing for the centerfold of Playboy, said, 'Come over here, honey!" (Source: A&EBiography.com)
Don on the cancellation of Get Smart: "I was ready to call it quits, I wanted to do something else. I had a lot of shows in mind that I wanted to write and produced, and directing is something that I loved doing, better than acting. And I was also a stand-up comedian. And don't forget, we did 138 shows, which is a lot of shows in television." (Source: A&E Biography.com)
Don about his decision on getting married a second time, before his mother passes: "And she said, 'You got to make up you mind, because you're almost 30; and life goes by very fast; and you're a long time in the ground. So, you have to hurt yourself for the people you love. See, you have to do it now.' She died two days later." (Source: A&EBiography.com)
Don as to why Get Smart was a bonafide 1960s series: "It was a special show that became a cult classic of sorts, and I made a lot of money for it, but it also hindered me career-wise because I was typed. The character was so strong, particularly because of that distinctive voice, that nobody could picture me in any other type of role." (Source: FOXNews.com)
Don: "I hate performing. I don't care about being funny: I never did. Sometimes, I wonder how I got into comedy at all. I did movie star impressions as a kid in high school. Somehow, they just got out of hand." (Source: USIMDB.com)
Don: "I'm no longer independently wealthy. I guess it's the result of too many wives, too many kids, and too much alimony." (Source: BrainyQuote.com)
[edit] Personal life
Adams was married (and divorced) three times and was survived by five of his seven children: son Sean (who died in 2006) and daughters Carolyn, Catherine, Christine, Stacey, and Beige. His daughter Cecily Adams died before him. On September 25, 2005, he died in Los Angeles, California from a lung infection following a long battle with bone lymphoma. He was survived by his only granddaughter, Madeline (Cecily's daughter). He is interred in Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. His funeral mass was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.
[edit] References
- ^ Don Adams Dies
- ^ Jewish Reference, Jewish Actors, Directors, and Other in Show Business
- ^ a b U.S. Marine Don Adams. Truth or Fiction. Retrieved on 2007-04-22.
[edit] External links
- Don Adams at the Voice Chasers Database
- Don Adams at the Internet Movie Database
- Don Adams, Television's Maxwell Smart, Dies at 82
- When Being Funny Means Having to Say You're Sorry About That, Chief
- Guardian obituary and obituary letter
- Find A Grave link
- Don Adams at TV.com
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Adams, Don |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Yarmy, Donald James |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 13 1923 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York, New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2005-9-25 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Los Angeles, California |
de:Don Adams (Schauspieler) es:Don Adams fr:Don Adams lv:Dons Adamss pt:Don Adams simple:Don Adams sh:Don Adams fi:Don Adams sv:Don Adams
Categories: 1923 births | 2005 deaths | American comedians | American film actors | American game show hosts | American military personnel of World War II | American television actors | American voice actors | Bone cancer deaths | Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery | Emmy Award winners | New York actors | People from New York City | United States Marines
