In Memoriam: Kenneth Mars, 1936-2011
Feb. 15th, 2011 11:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thatcrazycajunIt is with great sadness I must report that veteran character actor and voice artist Kenneth Mars has died at 75 of pancreatic cancer at his Los Angeles, CA home, CNN reports here. Wikipedia's page on him here has more information about his long and varied career in television, stage and screen.
Most will remember Ken for his roles in two of legendary producer/writer/actor Mel Brooks' best films, The Producers and Young Frankenstein...and well they should. But my own favorite perf of his was actually bookended by those two films from 1968 and 1974 respectively: a sadly now largely forgotten 1972 gem starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal called What's Up, Doc? It was director Peter Bogdanovich's attempt to revive the classic Hollywood screwball comedy, and Mars played an obnoxious, egotistical Croatian musicologist with almost as heavy an accent as his Inspector Kemp. I still remember his line when Babs' character asks who he is: "I am Hugh." "You're me?" "No, I am Hugh!" It also featured another of Brooks' regulars, the late, great and dearly missed Madeline Kahn in her first full-length movie role. And yes, you can get it on DVD or Blu-ray through Amazon here.
My deepest sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues in this most difficult hour...and thank you, sir, for a great many years of laughs.
Most will remember Ken for his roles in two of legendary producer/writer/actor Mel Brooks' best films, The Producers and Young Frankenstein...and well they should. But my own favorite perf of his was actually bookended by those two films from 1968 and 1974 respectively: a sadly now largely forgotten 1972 gem starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal called What's Up, Doc? It was director Peter Bogdanovich's attempt to revive the classic Hollywood screwball comedy, and Mars played an obnoxious, egotistical Croatian musicologist with almost as heavy an accent as his Inspector Kemp. I still remember his line when Babs' character asks who he is: "I am Hugh." "You're me?" "No, I am Hugh!" It also featured another of Brooks' regulars, the late, great and dearly missed Madeline Kahn in her first full-length movie role. And yes, you can get it on DVD or Blu-ray through Amazon here.
My deepest sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues in this most difficult hour...and thank you, sir, for a great many years of laughs.
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no subject
Date: 2011-02-16 06:22 am (UTC)It's been a bad week. I saw an obit for Betty Garret the oher day.
GHR
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Date: 2011-02-16 01:58 pm (UTC)