Buddy Hackett

Background

Buddy Hackett was born as Leonard Hacker on August 31, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He was the son of Philip and Anna (Geller) Hacker.

Education

Hackett studied at New Utrecht High School.

Career

Hackett first performed onstage at the age of 15 in the Catskills but didn't truly begin his career until a few years later, when he returned from service in WWII. It was while in the Army, however, that Hackett met a double-talking Chinese waiter who became a popular part of his early routines. Comedy work quickly led to roles in the early days of TV, with Hackett making his debut in 1948 on the DuMont Network's "School House". In a sign, his future was more as the smart-aleck sidekick than a leading man, his first role on the big screen came as the voice of a talking camel in 1947's "Slave Girl".

He first appeared, however, in 1953's "Walking My Baby Back Home", after signing a contract with Universal. Soon thereafter Hackett made the move to Broadway, where he won the 1955 Donaldson Award for best debut performance by a male for his role in the farce "Lunatics and Lovers". He went on to play opposite Carol Burnett in the 1956 sitcom "Stanley" and to comic roles in such films as "All Hands on Deck," "Everything's Ducky" and "The Love Bug". He also gave a rare restrained performance in the 1963 big-screen adaptation of "The Music Man". Throughout the 1950s and early '60s, Hackett was a regular performer on "The Tonight Show" with Jack Paar, also appearing frequently on "Hollywood Squares" and "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In".

In 1978, Hackett surprised many with his dramatic performance as Lou Costello in the television movie Bud and Lou opposite Harvey Korman and Bud Abbott. The film told the story of Abbott and Costello, and Hackett's portrayal was widely praised. He and Korman did a memorable rendition of the team's famous "Who's on First?" routine. In 1979, Hackett was the voice of the groundhog "Pardon Me Pete", and the narrator of the Rankin/Bass Christmas special Jack Frost. Hackett starred in the 1980 film Hey Babe! with a 13-year-old Yasmine Bleeth, in her first screen appearance. The same year, he hosted a short-lived syndicated revival of You Bet Your Life which lasted for one year. from 1980 to 1981. Throughout the 1970s, Hackett appeared regularly doing TV ads for Tuscan Dairy popsicles and yogurt. But his most famous television campaign was for Lay's potato chips ("Nobody can eat just one!") which ran for three years, from 1968 to 1971.

Hackett guest-starred in the Space Rangers episode, "To Be Or Not To Be", as has-been comedian Lenny Hacker, a parody of his stage persona. The character's name was Hackett's own real name. In 1983, he was the subject of an HBO special, "Buddy Hackett Live and Uncensored" that revived interest in his stage routine. In it, he provides a classic Catskills routine while interacting with and jokingly harassing various audience members with an irreverent and decidedly raunchy comedy routine. A notable film performance was voicing Scuttle, the goofy little seagull, in Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989) and the direct-to-video sequel The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea in 2000. Hackett also appeared in the short-lived comedy series Action which starred Jay Mohr as movie producer Peter Dragon. In the series, he played Dragon's uncle Lonnie. He appeared again with Mohr as a judge in the reality show Last Comic Standing. Hackett's final film role was in the 1998 film Paulie, for which he played Artie, a pawnbroker. The film reunited Hackett with Jay Mohr once again for the third and final time in his career. He retired permanently from comedy performing in 1996 after suffering stage fright and dizziness for the first time in his career.

Hackett still appeared on the small screen, however, most notably as Jay Mohr's uncle and chauffeur in the short-lived but critically acclaimed Fox series "Action". Mohr is host and exec producer of "Last Comic Standing", in which Hackett was serving as a judge.

Achievements

• 

  Hackett was a legendary comedic talent who appeared on stage, in movies, and on television from the 1940s into the twenty-first century. Hackett also had a number of notable supporting roles on stage and screen over the years, from his little-known Broadway debut in 1954 to perhaps his best-known film role in "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World," in which he and Mickey Rooney took over for a drunk pilot. He also as a celebrity judge on the NBC reality show "Last Comic Standing."
  
  He was also gaining acclaim for his film performances in God's Little Acre (1958), The Music Man (1962), and The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962). Other movies in which he appeared include It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), The Love Bug (1968), Scrooged (1988), and Disney's animated The Little Mermaid (1989). On television, he was a regular on The Liar's Club (1976), played the part of Lou Costello in Bud and Lou (1978), and made guest appearances on many other popular shows, such as Quincy and The Big Valley. He was also the author of two books: The Truth About Golf, and Other Lies (1968) and The Naked Mind of Buddy Hackett (1974).
  
  For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Hackett was given a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2000, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him. In 2000, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.
  
  

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Naked Mind of Buddy Hackett

    (That comedian everybody loves does have another side to h...)

    1974
  • The truth about golf And other lies 1968

• movie

  • Fireman Save My Child 1954
  • God's Little Acre 1958
  • All Hands On Deck 1961
  • The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm 1963
  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World 1963
  • Muscle Beach Party 1964
  • The Love Bug 1969
  • Loose Shoes 1978
  • Hey Babe! 1983
  • Scrooged 1988
  • Paulie 1998

Personality

Hackett was notable for his sharp wit and frequent improvisation.

Hackett often cited Lou Costello, a fellow portly comedian with a quick wit, as one of his idols, and portrayed him with surprising pathos in the 1978 telepic "Bud and Lou".

Hackett and his wife established the Singita Animal Sanctuary in California's San Fernando Valley. He was also a firearms collector and owned a large collection that he sold off in his later years.

Hackett suffered from diabetes for several years which was aggravated by his obesity. Buddy's son Sandy said that he suffered a stroke nearly a week before his death which may have been contributed to.

Physical Characteristics: Hackett was of short stature and had a babyface, that drew big laughs for his "blue" routines, delivered with a sweet persona.

Connections

On June 12, 1955, Hackett married Sherry Cohen. They had three children: Sandy Zade, Ivy Julie and Lisa Jean.

Father:

Philip Hacker

Mother:

Anna (Geller) Hacker

Spouse:

Sherry Cohen

Daughter:

Lisa Jean Hackett

Son:

Sandy Hackett

(born on June 18, 1956)

Sandy Zade Hackett is an American actor, comedian and producer.

Daughter:

Ivy Julie Hackett

References

• Contemporary Authors New Revision Series In response to the escalating need for up-to-date information on writers, Contemporary Authors New Revision Series (Volume 217) brings researchers the most recent data on the worlds, most popular authors.
  2011