Ken Berry | |
|---|---|
 Berry in 1972 | |
| Born | Kenneth Ronald Berry (1933-11-03)November 3, 1933 Moline, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 1, 2018(2018-12-01) (aged 85) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1954–1999 |
| Spouse | [1] |
| Partner | Susie Walsh (1994–2018; his death) |
| Children | 3[a] |
| Relatives | Bill Bateman (former-son-in-law)[2] |
Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, and singer. Berry starred on the television seriesF Troop (1965–1967),Mayberry R.F.D. (1968–1971) andMama's Family (1983–1990). He also appeared on Broadway inThe Billy Barnes Revue, headlined asGeorge M. Cohan in the musicalGeorge M! and provided comic relief for the medical dramaDr. Kildare withRichard Chamberlain in the 1960s.
Berry was born inMoline, Illinois in 1933 of Swedish and English descent, one of two children of an accountant, Darrell Berry, and his wife, Bernice (née Larson). He realized he wanted to be a dancer and singer at age 12, as he watched a children's dance performance during a school assembly. He then dreamed of starring in musicals and went to movie theaters to watchFred Astaire andGene Kelly in some of his favorite films such asEaster Parade,Royal Wedding,On the Town, andSummer Stock.[3]
Berry soon began attendingtap dance classes, and by age 15 he won a local talent competition sponsored by radio and television big band leaderHorace Heidt. Impressed by the young dancer's talent, Heidt asked him to join his popular traveling performance ensemble, "The Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Program". Berry accepted and toured the United States and Europe for 15 months, dancing and singing for the public and at post-World War II United States Air Force bases overseas. Berry during those months made lasting relationships with several ensemble members, including Heidt's son, Horace Jr., who later launched a big band and radio career.[3]
Following his graduation fromMoline High School, Berry volunteered for the United States Army, and was assigned toFort Bragg inFayetteville, North Carolina. His first year in the Army was spent in the artillery, where he entered a post talent contest; the winner would go onArlene Francis'sSoldier Parade in New York City. Berry, who always carried his tap shoes with him, worked out a routine and a few hours later won the contest. He headed to New York for his television debut.[citation needed]
Berry's second and final year in the Army was withSpecial Services, under SergeantLeonard Nimoy, who encouraged Berry to go to Hollywood and pursue acting. As a part of Special Services, he toured Army posts and officers' clubs, entertaining the troops as well as visiting colleges for recruiting purposes. Soon, another talent competition was held, the All Army Talent Competition, to find service personnel to appear onEd Sullivan'sToast of the Town. Berry placed third in the "Specialty Act" category with the song "There'll Be Some Changes Made" and returned to New York City and television.
The Sullivan appearance was to take place shortly before Berry would muster out of the Army. Nimoy sent telegrams to several studios and talent agents asking them to watch Berry on the show. The performance led to an offer from20th Century Fox and a screen test atUniversal Studios. Berry signed with an agent as soon as he arrived in Hollywood. He accepted Universal's offer and began as acontract player. Soon he was being groomed to take over forDonald O'Connor in theFrancis the Talking Mule movie series;[citation needed] however,Mickey Rooney became available and got the part. At Universal, Berry took full advantage of the studio's talent development program, and later, under theG.I. Bill, he took jazz dance, ballet, vocal, and additional acting classes. The movie musicals Berry admired had already seen their heyday; however, acting, which he once thought of as "something I would do between song and dance routines", became the basis of his career.[3]
Berry went on to star in the 1969 musical comedyHello Down There — reissued asSub a Dub Dub — as Mel Cheever, the nemesis ofTony Randall andJanet Leigh. He also starred in 1969's made-for-television filmWake Me When the War Is Over, withEva Gabor andWerner Klemperer.[4] and withDenver Pyle in 1976'sGuardian of the Wilderness, the story ofGalen Clark, the man who createdYosemite National Park. Berry also earned broader success as aDisney star in the filmsHerbie Rides Again in 1974, withHelen Hayes andStefanie Powers, andThe Cat from Outer Space in 1978, withSandy Duncan andMcLean Stevenson.
In 1956, after being released from Universal, Berry ventured to Las Vegas, where he opened for and joinedAbbott and Costello in their stage act, performing sketches and song and dance routines at theSahara Hotel and Casino. While working with Abbott and Costello, he met Dee Arlen, an actress whom he credited with getting him his first big break.[3] This was Berry's first performance on the Las Vegas Strip. Then, in 1957, Berry was asked byKen Murray, a well-known vaudeville performer, to join his stage variety show,The Ken Murray Blackouts. The Blackouts played to standing-room-only audiences, and Berry was asked to choreograph and perform the opening number for the show when it played theRiviera hotel and casino in Las Vegas. Berry eventually returned to Las Vegas again in the 1970s at the invitation ofAndy Griffith. Griffith, with Berry andJerry Van Dyke, playedCaesars Palace, where Berry performed song and dance numbers sandwiched by Andy and Jerry's stand-up routines.
Actress Dee Arlen referred Berry for a role in the showIn League with Ivy at the Cabaret Concert Theatre, a nightclub in Los Angeles. There he met famed composer–impresarioBilly Barnes, the play's composer. Barnes brought Berry intoThe Billy Barnes Revue ensemble, Berry's next break, and he performed in many of Barnes' shows in the coming years. While with Barnes, Berry worked with other performers, including his future wifeJackie Joseph andJoyce 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 the Broadway show was replaced two weeks after a legal dispute with the producers over a canceled performance. The cast had missed its flight from Chicago after a promotional appearance onPlayboy's Penthouse, and refunds had to be made to the ticket holders. He performed in several stage shows in Los Angeles.
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was a prime time television talent contest that ran from 1946 to 1958. The winner got a week's work on Godfrey's morning television program, which was simulcast on radio. Berry won in 1957, performed his week on the show, and was then asked back for six more weeks. He traveled with Godfrey and performed on remote broadcasts in an Omaha stockyard, in Seattle at alumber camp, at the Boeing aircraft plant, and at the San Diego Zoo. Berry came up with a new routine for every show, which aired daily.[3]
The Billy Barnes Review was popular with Hollywood, and one eveningCarol Burnett was in Los Angeles and saw Berry in the show. She was appearing onThe Garry Moore Show in New York and convinced the producers to sign Berry as a guest star. Burnett became a key ally for Berry, using him on her own special, which eventually became CBS'sThe Carol Burnett Show. Ken was one of Burnett's most frequent guest stars along withJim Nabors andSteve Lawrence. In 1972, Berry and Burnett appeared together in the color remake of Burnett's Broadway hit,Once Upon a Mattress for CBS.[5]
A notable dramatic performance by Berry was 1982's television movieEunice, which was based onThe Carol Burnett Show sketch,The Family.The Family was something of a pilot forMama's Family. Berry played Phillip, Eunice's brother, in the special; however he went on to play Vinton, a different brother, onMama's Family.
His collaboration with Carol Burnett continued with the 1993 theatrical production ofFrom the Top in Long Beach, California.[5]
The Billy Barnes Review also led to another important connection in his career when he was spotted byLucille Ball. Ball quickly asked him to join her new talent development program atDesilu, similar to the "talent pools" – known as talent "programs" – that the other studios had. He was under contract with Desilu for six months, performing for both Ball and Barnes at the same time. The reviews forThe Billy Barnes Review were largely positive, and additional investors contributed the extra money needed to move the show from the York Playhouse to Broadway,[6] which meant he had to take leave from Desilu.
After returning from New York in 1960, Berry was brought back to Desilu to play Woody, a bell hop, in 10 episodes of CBS'sThe Ann Sothern Show, which was set in a New York hotel called the Bartley House. The character Woody served as a "Greek chorus of one" on the series.
In 1968, Ball asked Berry to guest star onThe Lucy Show, where he played a bank client needing a loan to start a dance studio. He performed a tribute to the Fred Astaire number "Steppin' Out with My Baby" and a duet with Ball for a rendition of "Lucy's Back in Town".
After numerous smaller roles, Berry was cast as one of three comic relief characters onDr. Kildare from 1961 to 1966. A regular on the series, Berry played Dr. Kapish. He also played a dance instructor several times onThe Dick Van Dyke Show.
Berry continued doing guest roles, but while performing a small part on the short-livedGeorge Burns-Connie Stevens sitcomWendy and Me, both Burns and Stevens recommended him for the pilot ofF Troop for ABC, a western spoof where he played the accident-prone Captain Parmenter—his first starring role in a weekly sitcom.
Berry's co-stars wereForrest Tucker andLarry Storch. Berry called his time onF-Troop "two years of recess"[3] as the entire cast spent time between takes trying to make each other laugh. His dancing ability allowed him to perform choreographed pratfalls over hitching posts, sabers, and trash cans.
In 1967, during the second year ofF-Troop, Dick Linke — who was Berry's manager, and also managed Andy Griffith and Jim Nabors — pitched anF Troop stage show toBill Harrah, founder ofHarrah's Entertainment, which included a casino and hotel in Reno, Nevada. Harrah went for it, and Berry, Larry Storch, Forrest Tucker, andJames Hampton put together a show, hiring writers and a choreographer to assist. While performing the Reno show they received word thatF Troop had been canceled due to a financial dispute between the production company and the studio.
The next year, Berry was cast in the featured role of Sam Jones, a widowed farmer, on the last few episodes ofThe Andy Griffith Show. He then took the leading role on the retitled show,Mayberry R.F.D..[7] In September 1968, Berry led the cast ofMayberry R.F.D. as Griffith's character receded. Most of the regular characters stayed with the show. Andy and wife Helen left after a few episodes in season two. Series writers used Berry's "trouper" talents in stories about church revues and talent contests. On the 1970Mayberry R.F.D. episode "The Charity", he and co-starPaul Hartman performed a soft-shoe routine. Berry sometimes ended a show on the porch at dusk, serenading others with such songs as "Carolina Moon". In spite of finishing 15th place for season three,Mayberry R.F.D. was canceled in 1971 in what was called"the rural purge", where shows set in a bucolic locale (The Beverly Hillbillies,Green Acres, andPetticoat Junction) were replaced with the more "hip" fare ofNorman Lear (All in the Family) andThe Mary Tyler Moore Show.
AfterMayberry R.F.D., Berry starred in several TV movies and his own summer replacement variety show on ABC titledThe Ken Berry 'Wow' Show in 1972, which ran for five episodes. This show was a launching pad for future starsSteve Martin,Cheryl Ladd, andTeri Garr.
In 1973Sherwood Schwartz wrote a spin-off ofThe Brady Bunch, titledKelly's Kids, which featured Berry as the adoptive father of three diverse boys (black, white, and Asian). The pilot failed to interest ABC.
Over the next two decades Berry guest starred on many shows, includingThe Bob Newhart Show,The Julie Andrews Hour, severalMitzi Gaynor specials,The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,The Donny & Marie Show,The Love Boat,Fantasy Island,Grizzly Adams,CHiPs,The Golden Girls, andLittle House on the Prairie.
In 1983, Berry was cast as Vinton Harper inMama's Family, a spin-off fromThe Carol Burnett Show with comic actors includingVicki Lawrence,Dorothy Lyman, andRue McClanahan.Betty White andCarol Burnett appeared as guest stars. The first two seasons aired on NBC and then the show was cancelled in 1984. In 1986, it was picked-up for first run syndication. Lawrence, Berry, and Lyman all returned. McClanahan and White were already tapingThe Golden Girls so were no longer available. White did make one guest appearance. Burnett did not appear due to her recent divorce from long-time husbandJoe Hamilton, the show's producer.Beverly Archer andAllan Kayser joined the cast as neighbor Iola Boylen and Mama's grandson (Eunice's son) Bubba Higgins, respectively. The reboot ofMama's Family was successful, airing until 1990 with a total of 130 episodes produced.
During and afterMama's Family, Berry toured the United States in various theatrical performances, including multiple performances ofSugar with co-stars such asDonald O'Connor,Mickey Rooney,Soupy Sales, andBobby Morse,The Music Man withSusan Watson (Patrick Swayze andLisa Niemi were in the chorus),I Do! I Do! withLoretta Swit, andGene Kelly'sA Salute to Broadway withHoward Keel andMimi Hines. Kelly, who was Berry's idol, was set to direct the production, but fell ill.[3]
In his younger years, Berry signed with a modeling agency that put him in a variety of spots, including advertisements for tissues, cigarettes, cereal, and a car commercial.[3] Years later, after signing with a commercial agent, Berry was a spokesman in commercials forKinney Shoes from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, singing and dancing to the "Great American Shoe Store" jingle.[8]
Berry's first recording experience came with the Billy Barnes cast albums: one from the Broadway performance ofThe Billy Barnes Review and the second inBilly Barnes' L.A.
After an appearance onThe Andy Williams Show,Williams asked Berry to record a solo album on his newBarnaby label. Backed by a full orchestra,Ken Berry RFD was released in 1970.
Berry marriedJackie Joseph, a Billy Barnes castmate, on May 29, 1960. On November 29, 1962, their son Joseph Larson Berry was born but died 6 days later on December 5, 1962.[9] They then adopted two children together, John (b. 1964–2016) and Jennifer (b. 1965–2020).[10] They divorced in 1977.[11] His son John, who later became a co-founder of the Indie rock bandIdaho, died in 2016 of brain cancer at the age of 51.[12] His daughter Jennifer died in 2020 of natural causes at the age of 55.[10] Berry's longtime partner and companion, Susie Walsh, a stage manager, was with him for the last 24 years.
Berry "loved cars and anything with wheels" from the time he was a young child, particularly smaller cars, and maintained a 1966Mini Moke. An avid motorcyclist, he camped and rode the local Los Angeles mountain ranges.[3]
Berry died of heart complications inBurbank, California, on December 1, 2018, at the age of 85.[13][14][15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961–1966 | Dr. Kildare | Dr. John Kapish | 25 episodes |
| 1965–1967 | F Troop | Capt. Wilton Parmenter | 65 episodes |
| 1968–1971 | Mayberry R.F.D. | Sam Jones | 78 episodes[16] |
| 1968–1978 | The Carol Burnett Show | Himself | 19 episodes |
| 1972 | The Ken Berry WOW Show | Himself | 5 episodes |
| 1983–1990 | Mama's Family | Vinton Harper | 130 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Talent Patrol | Himself | |
| 1959 | Playboy's Penthouse | Himself | With The Billy Barnes Revue cast |
| 1960 | Harrigan and Son | Himself | As Curtis Decker |
| 1960–1961 | The Ann Sothern Show | Woody | 10 episodes |
| 1961 | Hennesey | Ensign Mayberry | |
| 1961 | The Asphalt Jungle | Doctor (uncredited) | |
| 1961 | The Garry Moore Show | Himself | |
| 1962 | GE True | Fiancé | |
| 1962 | The Bob Newhart Show | various | |
| 1962 | Mrs. G. Goes to College | Oscar | |
| 1962–1963 | Ensign O'Toole | Lt. Melton / Calucci | |
| 1963 | Burke's Law | Clyde (fella at party) | |
| 1964 | Calhoun: County Agent | Otis Sorenson | |
| 1964 | Combat! | Motor Sergeant | |
| 1964 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | Tony Daniels (choreographer) | |
| 1964 | Hazel | Phil Merrick | |
| 1964 | The Rogues | ||
| 1964–1965 | Twelve O'Clock High | Major Bragg / Captain | |
| 1964–1965 | No Time for Sergeants | Joe Dalrymple | 3 episodes |
| 1965 | Rawhide | Lt. Tendall | |
| 1965 | The Hollywood Palace | Himself | |
| 1966 | Carol & Company | Himself | |
| 1967 | Dateline: Hollywood | Himself | |
| 1967 | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Himself | |
| 1967 | The Danny Thomas Hour | Skip | |
| 1967 | The Woody Woodbury Show | Himself | |
| 1967 | You Don't Say! | Himself | Game show |
| 1968 | The Andy Griffith Show | Sam Jones | 4 episodes |
| 1969 | Allen Ludden's Gallery | Himself | |
| 1969 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Himself | |
| 1969 | The Leslie Uggams Show | Himself | |
| 1969 | Wake Me When the War Is Over | Lt. Roger Carrington | Made-for-TV movie |
| 1969–1971 | The Andy Williams Show | Himself | Guest performer |
| 1971 | The First Nine Months are the Hardest | First husband | |
| 1971 | The Reluctant Heroes | Lt. Parnell Murphy | |
| 1971 | This Is Your Life: Andy Griffith | Himself | |
| 1971–1973 | Love, American Style | Various roles | |
| 1972 | Arthur Godfrey's Portable Electric Medicine Show | Himself | |
| 1972 | Every Man Needs One | David Chase | Made-for-TV movie |
| 1972 | Once Upon a Mattress | Dauntless the Drab | |
| 1972 | The Julie Andrews Hour | Himself | |
| 1973 | Letters from Three Lovers | Jack | |
| 1973–1974 | Miss Teenage America Pageant | Himself, Master of Ceremonies | |
| 1973 | Mitzi — The First Time | Himself | |
| 1973 | The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Wilt Chamberlain | Himself | |
| 1973 | The Mouse Factory | Himself | |
| 1974 | The Brady Bunch | Ken Kelly | Backdoor pilot (episode used as the pilot) forKelly's Kids (which went unsold) |
| 1974 | Stand Up and Cheer | Himself | |
| 1974 | Tattletales | Himself | Game show/5 episodes during one week with wife Jackie |
| 1974 | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour | Himself | |
| 1975 | Medical Center | Allan Ronston | |
| 1975 | Mitzi and a Hundred Guys | Himself | |
| 1975 | The Jim Stafford Show | Himself | |
| 1976 | Ellery Queen | DJ Paul Parker / Buddy | |
| 1976 | Mitzi — Roarin' in the Twenties | Himself | |
| 1976 | Over and Out | Capt. Paddy Patterson | |
| 1977 | Dinah! | Himself | |
| 1977 | The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams | Will Boker | |
| 1977 | The Love Boat II | Dr. Jim Berkley | |
| 1977 | Valentine's Second Chance | Jimmy Valentine | |
| 1978 | Apple Pie | Salesman | |
| 1978 | CBS: On the Air | Himself | |
| 1978–1982 | Fantasy Island | Various 7 episodes | S1E15 fool client S2E5 get married S2E20 birthday S3E14 lookalikes S4E6 with affection S4E22 hard knocks S6E2 dancing lady |
| 1979 | Featherstone's Nest | Dr. Charlie Featherstone | |
| 1979 | Little House on the Prairie | London | |
| 1979 | The Love Boat | Robert Noble | |
| 1980 | CHiPs | Kelly | |
| 1980 | The Big Show | Himself | |
| 1982 | Eunice | Phil Harper | |
| 1983 | Just Men! | Himself | Game show hosted byBetty White |
| 1983 | Texaco Star Theatre: Opening Night | Himself | |
| 1985 | Late Night with David Letterman | Zeetron | Skit about a family in the future |
| 1985 | Gimme a Break! | Dave | |
| 1986 | Small Wonder | Buddy O'Conner | |
| 1992 | The Golden Girls | Thor Anderson | |
| 1992 | Vicki!: Mama's Family Reunion | Himself | |
| 1997 | The New Batman Adventures | Seymour Grey | |
| 1999 | Maggie Winters | Sheriff Riley | (final appearance) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Two for the Seesaw | Larry | Dancing with Shirley MacLaine, Uncredited |
| 1964 | The Lively Set | Hotel room service waiter | Uncredited |
| 1969 | Hello Down There | Mel Cheever | Alternative title:Sub-A-Dub-Dub |
| 1974 | Herbie Rides Again | Willoughby Whitfield | |
| 1976 | Guardian of the Wilderness | Zachary More | [17] |
| 1978 | The Cat from Outer Space | Dr. Frank Wilson | [18] |
| 1981 | Peter-No-Tail | Peter-No-Tail | Voice, US version |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | In League with 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 Best 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. Cohan | |
| Multiple years | I Do! I Do! | Michael Snow | |
| Multiple years | Sugar | Joe |
