(Comedian Freddie Prinze plays an ex-con who happens to be...)
Comedian Freddie Prinze plays an ex-con who happens to be an electronic genius. Along with four young women, he sets out to rob the Chicago Transit Authority payroll.
Freddie Prinze was an American comedian and actor.
Background
He was born on June 22, 1954 in New York City, New York, United States, the only child of Karl Prinze, a tool-and-die maker, and Mary Prinze, a factory worker.
Prinze, who jokingly called himself a "Hungarican, " developed much of his humor from his mixed ethnicity. His mother, a Puerto Rican Roman Catholic who spoke little English, urged her son to attend mass every Sunday; his father, a Hungarian Jew who spoke three languages, sent his son to a Lutheran elementary school.
Prinze grew up on West 157th Street in the predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood of Washington Heights on Manhattan's Upper West Side. His childhood friends described him as an overweight child who joined local street gangs for his own protection. Prinze, however, never engaged in physical fights; he used his quick wit to cut down his adversaries.
Education
Prinze enrolled in the High School for the Performing Arts with strong interests in ballet and drama but soon realized that his grandest talent lay in his unique street humor. He left high school in 1973, lacking enough credits to graduate.
Career
He performed in Manhattan nightclubs, including the Improv and Catch a Rising Star. After school he dedicated himself to a career in entertainment. He worked the New York club circuit, often without pay.
Prinze's rise to national success was meteoric. In 1973, just months after he left high school, he was invited to make his television debut on the "Jack Paar Show. " It was his appearance on the "Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in December 1973, however, that launched his career. Television producer James Komack saw Prinze's performance on the "Tonight Show" and, shortly thereafter, cast him in a costarring role in a new television series. Set in the East Los Angeles barrio, "Chico and the Man" pitted an ill-tempered Anglo automobile mechanic (Jack Albertson) against his wisecracking Chicano employee (Prinze), focusing on the ethnic and generational differences between the two characters. The show premiered on NBC in September 1974 and was an immediate hit.
Following the success of "Chico and the Man, " Prinze was catapulted from the street life of Washington Heights to the glamorous, high-profile life of a Hollywood celebrity. He made numerous appearances on television specials, completed his only television movie, The Million Dollar Ripoff (1976), and performed his stand-up routine in Las Vegas.
Ironically, Prinze's personal problems did not detract from his professional success. Prinze appeared as a guest host on the "Tonight Show, " and more appearances were scheduled. In January 1977 he performed at President Jimmy Carter's preinaugural celebration in Washington.
Despite his professional success, however, Prinze was rapidly succumbing to the pressures of public life. During the early morning hours of January 28, 1977, Prinze's depression overcame him. Facing a charge of driving under the influence of drugs, a legal challenge from a former business associate, and his impending divorce, Prinze made numerous telephone calls to his family and friends. Business manager and close friend Marvin Snyder arrived at Prinze's hotel room in West Los Angeles just as Prinze ended a telephone conversation with his estranged wife, drew a loaded gun, and shot himself in the head. Prinze died the next day in a Los Angeles hospital.
Achievements
Freddie Prinze was the star of sitcom "Chico and the Man", that was one of the most-watched television shows. Prinze was the first young comedian to be asked to have a sit-down chat with Carson on his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Prinze sucessfully appeared on and guest-hosted The Tonight Show on several other occasions. He also appeared on The Midnight Special to perform his comic routine, that made him extremely popular.
Prinze received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on December 14, 2004, honoring his contribution to the television industry.
(Comedian Freddie Prinze plays an ex-con who happens to be...)
Personality
Prinze did not cope well with his sudden and enormous success. His initial love affair with Hollywood quickly faded, and he made off-hand remarks to friends about taking his own life. He developed an alarming dependency on drugs, often taking an excess of tranquilizers, especially quaaludes, to calm himself.
Connections
In October 1975, Prinze married Katherine Elaine Cochran; they had one child. His problems eventually devastated his marriage, and in December 1976 his wife filed for divorce.
