Honking in Heaven

May 18, 2004 12:52 PM

No longer happy and peppy. But still bursting with love, maybe. Broadway will honor the late Tony Randall tonight by dimming its lights at 8PM EDT. For those of us who can't stand pits, pits, pits in our juice, juice, juice, always remember: The world is a circus if you look at it the right way. Every time you pick up a handful of dust, and see not the dust but mystery, a marvel, there in your hand. Every time you stop and think, "I'm alive. And being alive is fantastic." Every time such a thing happens, you are part of the circus of Dr. Lao.
posted by Oriole Adams (11 comments total)

Tony Randall, Half of TV's `Odd Couple,
{not finding this in the press releases] Thought from watching a Tony Randall interview some years back. Randall first played Oscar Madison in a play, then read for the same TV part, yet was casted as Felix Unger, making him the Full Odd Couple.
posted by thomcatspike at 1:04 PM on May 18, 2004

Tony Randall always reminds me of the SNL sketch "Mr. Short Term Memory" with Tom Hanks.
posted by ColdChef at 1:25 PM on May 18, 2004

"Hey! Tony Randall!"

Tony Randall always reminds me of the SNL sketch "Mr. Short Term Memory" with Tom Hanks.
posted by ColdChef at 1:26 PM on May 18, 2004

Short term memory, indeed, ColdChef. ;)
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 2:26 PM on May 18, 2004

Hey! That's Tony Randall two comments up!

What a great talent he was...his 50s/60s movies were just delightful. And IIRC, wasn't he one of the first major stars to portray a gay man on network TV -- "Love, Sidney"?
posted by davidmsc at 4:41 PM on May 18, 2004

Brief page about "Love, Sidney."

I also vaguely remember watching "The Tony Randall Show" (?), which featured Randall as a judge beset by problems from his (?) teenage kid(s).
posted by davidmsc at 4:42 PM on May 18, 2004

I'm picturing an immaculately maintained gravesite. Goodbye, Felix Unger. I grew up on The Odd Couple. I always thought Klugman would be the first to go.

Well, in honor.....
posted by jonmc at 5:00 PM on May 18, 2004

Godard is a huge fan of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter. Truffaut loved the movie -- and Randall -- too.
Godard even compared the director, Frank Tashlin, to Voltaire.
even if Randall had never acted, just his role in Send Me No Flowers would be enough to establish him as one of the all-time kings of comedy.

.
posted by matteo at 6:48 PM on May 18, 2004

I think The Odd Couple was the first grown-up TV show I remember watching (I would have been about 7). Friday nights on ABC.

Randall was great. His enthusiasm was contagious, and he will be missed.
posted by pmurray63 at 9:44 PM on May 18, 2004

Holy crap, I forgot all about "Love, Sidney!" That theme song...oh my jesus. Thank you, davidmsc.
posted by sklero at 9:47 PM on May 18, 2004

Randall first played Oscar Madison in a play
Arrrg... was Jack Klugman that I was thinking of; whom was also being interviewed with Randall at the same time, sorry I mixed them up.
posted by thomcatspike at 11:51 AM on May 19, 2004