Now, if you'll excuse me, I've already kept Jesus waiting five minutes.
April 25, 2013 12:44 PM Subscribe
"Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice — pull down your pants, and slide on the ice." - Dr. Sidney Freedman, M*A*S*H. Allan Arbus, actor, photographer, and amateur clarinetist, passed away last Friday. He was 95.
Allan Arbus, US Army photographer, and later NYC fashion photographer from the '40s through the '60s, was also the ex-husband of photographer Diane Arbus. He turned to acting later in life, taking the lead role in Putney Swope (1969) before becoming a household name as Dr. Sidney Freedman on M*A*S*H (1973-1983).
Allan Arbus, US Army photographer, and later NYC fashion photographer from the '40s through the '60s, was also the ex-husband of photographer Diane Arbus. He turned to acting later in life, taking the lead role in Putney Swope (1969) before becoming a household name as Dr. Sidney Freedman on M*A*S*H (1973-1983).
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posted by HumanComplex at 12:46 PM on April 25, 2013
posted by HumanComplex at 12:46 PM on April 25, 2013
Dr. Sidney Freedman was a Jewish icon for me, as a Jewish kid growing up among precious few Jews.
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posted by benito.strauss at 12:48 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by benito.strauss at 12:48 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
I've been waiting for someone to post this to the blue. I loved Dr. Freedman so very very much. I'm glad he had a long enjoyable life.
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posted by blurker at 12:56 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by blurker at 12:56 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
Are we sure it wasn't just a chicken who died?
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posted by bondcliff at 1:00 PM on April 25, 2013 [13 favorites]
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posted by bondcliff at 1:00 PM on April 25, 2013 [13 favorites]
Absolutely my favorite character from that show. His irregular appearances made it that much better.
posted by phong3d at 1:00 PM on April 25, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by phong3d at 1:00 PM on April 25, 2013 [5 favorites]
Man. I had not thought of the man in at least 20 years, but he was certainly the most enjoyable character for me on TV MASH.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:03 PM on April 25, 2013
posted by mrgrimm at 1:03 PM on April 25, 2013
I have been watching MASH everynight after the local news, even though "others" in my home don't like it, and I've seen every episode already. I grew up watching MASH, religiously. I hope Alda shows up for the funeral.
posted by It is better for you not to know. at 1:11 PM on April 25, 2013
posted by It is better for you not to know. at 1:11 PM on April 25, 2013
95?
Seriously -- he was just a couple years younger than Colonel Potter? And about 20 years older than everybody else? That's a surprise.
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posted by Sys Rq at 1:12 PM on April 25, 2013 [4 favorites]
Seriously -- he was just a couple years younger than Colonel Potter? And about 20 years older than everybody else? That's a surprise.
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posted by Sys Rq at 1:12 PM on April 25, 2013 [4 favorites]
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His character was always so kind, witty, and urbane. I'm sure Arbus was, too. It's sad that this archtype has pretty much disappeared from television.
posted by entropicamericana at 1:17 PM on April 25, 2013 [4 favorites]
His character was always so kind, witty, and urbane. I'm sure Arbus was, too. It's sad that this archtype has pretty much disappeared from television.
posted by entropicamericana at 1:17 PM on April 25, 2013 [4 favorites]
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posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:21 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:21 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by LobsterMitten at 1:25 PM on April 25, 2013
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:25 PM on April 25, 2013
95? No. Nuh-uh. He was never 95. Nope. Neither was Harry Morgan. They were never, ever that old.
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posted by Melismata at 1:43 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by Melismata at 1:43 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
"Oh sure, it's the little battlefields, a pond, the bedrooms, the school yard, that leave the biggest scars."
posted by MOWOG at 1:45 PM on April 25, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by MOWOG at 1:45 PM on April 25, 2013 [6 favorites]
This is one of those "yes, it is sad that he has passed on but geez, reading his obits - what a an awesome and interesting life" deaths. Reading Ken Levine's post the other day -- which spoke about him being just as warm and kind off camera as the character he played on M*A*S*H was a great thing to hear.
[insert inappropriate "it wasn't a chicken" joke here.]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:48 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
[insert inappropriate "it wasn't a chicken" joke here.]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:48 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by ChuraChura at 1:53 PM on April 25, 2013
posted by ChuraChura at 1:53 PM on April 25, 2013
Ken Levine's post makes an observation that has always struck me, about Arbus's performance as Sidney:
"You’ll notice that everybody on MASH speaks in a very rapid cadence. One-liners come flying at you from every direction. But Dr. Freedman spoke slowly. He settled everybody down."
I think that was a fantastic acting choice, and it created a lot of that gentle, still-center aura that Sidney carried with him.
And mulling it over, Sidney Freedman is definitely my tip-top favorite portrayal of a psychiatrist (or psychologist, for that matter. Sorry, Bob.) in television or movies. It's been a long time, but nobody has ever unseated him in my rankings.
posted by theatro at 1:53 PM on April 25, 2013 [8 favorites]
"You’ll notice that everybody on MASH speaks in a very rapid cadence. One-liners come flying at you from every direction. But Dr. Freedman spoke slowly. He settled everybody down."
I think that was a fantastic acting choice, and it created a lot of that gentle, still-center aura that Sidney carried with him.
And mulling it over, Sidney Freedman is definitely my tip-top favorite portrayal of a psychiatrist (or psychologist, for that matter. Sorry, Bob.) in television or movies. It's been a long time, but nobody has ever unseated him in my rankings.
posted by theatro at 1:53 PM on April 25, 2013 [8 favorites]
... and the Onion's on top of things, too.
posted by phong3d at 1:57 PM on April 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by phong3d at 1:57 PM on April 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
Although Arbus was in Putney Swope, he did not play the lead role in blackface. That was Arnold Johnson (although, according to legend, Johnson was so awful that all his lines were overdubbed).
Arbus is credited as "Mr. Bad News," although I don't think he is ever referred to by name in the film. You can see him at about the 82 second mark here.
This has been your "don't trust Wikipedia" fact of the day. RIP Arbus.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 2:50 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
Arbus is credited as "Mr. Bad News," although I don't think he is ever referred to by name in the film. You can see him at about the 82 second mark here.
This has been your "don't trust Wikipedia" fact of the day. RIP Arbus.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 2:50 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
I can hear his gentle voice in my head right this minute, although I haven't seen a Dr. Sidney Freedman M*A*S*H clip in years. I'm glad he got a long, full life.
And add me to the list of people who are stunned to hear he was 95 — I wouldn't have guessed that he was more than five years older than Alan Alda and most of the others on the M*A*S*H cast.
posted by orange swan at 2:55 PM on April 25, 2013 [6 favorites]
And add me to the list of people who are stunned to hear he was 95 — I wouldn't have guessed that he was more than five years older than Alan Alda and most of the others on the M*A*S*H cast.
posted by orange swan at 2:55 PM on April 25, 2013 [6 favorites]
This has been your "don't trust Wikipedia" fact of the day.
Thanks for clearing that up! I actually read it in a few different places, and not having seen the film, I just had no idea it was inaccurate. I appreciate your correction, ivan ivanych samovar.
posted by heyho at 3:11 PM on April 25, 2013
Thanks for clearing that up! I actually read it in a few different places, and not having seen the film, I just had no idea it was inaccurate. I appreciate your correction, ivan ivanych samovar.
posted by heyho at 3:11 PM on April 25, 2013
Wasn’t there also a scene where Radar asks if having a teddy bear was unusual. And the Sidney character says, “Radar, do you know all the people who think I Love Lucy is real” – and they’re not even having people shoot at them. (In other words, it’s OK to be a little different, especially in these circumstances.)
A great character, a fascinating guy.
posted by NorthernLite at 3:31 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
A great character, a fascinating guy.
posted by NorthernLite at 3:31 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by trip and a half at 3:57 PM on April 25, 2013
posted by trip and a half at 3:57 PM on April 25, 2013
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Fun fact: Arbus played a small role in Damien: The Omen II. Thanks to his role on M*A*S*H, I was pissed when his character died.
No, no spoiler alert...it's redundant for a character dying in an Omen flick.
posted by Gelatin at 4:11 PM on April 25, 2013
Fun fact: Arbus played a small role in Damien: The Omen II. Thanks to his role on M*A*S*H, I was pissed when his character died.
No, no spoiler alert...it's redundant for a character dying in an Omen flick.
posted by Gelatin at 4:11 PM on April 25, 2013
I encourage all Allan Arbus as Sidney Freedman fans to see his performance in Coffy. it's quite an, uh, eye-opener.
posted by freakazoid at 4:13 PM on April 25, 2013
posted by freakazoid at 4:13 PM on April 25, 2013
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I didn't see M*A*S*H on the air when it came out: I wasn't born yet, and wouldn't be for decades. I haven't seen most of it in fact. But History carries it a few times a day, and I have yet to see a bad episode, and every episode I've seen with Sidney in it has been a damn fine one.
posted by Canageek at 5:11 PM on April 25, 2013
I didn't see M*A*S*H on the air when it came out: I wasn't born yet, and wouldn't be for decades. I haven't seen most of it in fact. But History carries it a few times a day, and I have yet to see a bad episode, and every episode I've seen with Sidney in it has been a damn fine one.
posted by Canageek at 5:11 PM on April 25, 2013
His character was always so kind, witty, and urbane.
And at the same time totally comfortable (and not snobbish towards) the less polished folks he was surrounded by, shich kind of sums up his appeal. That and his lousy poker playing.
posted by jonmc at 5:15 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
And at the same time totally comfortable (and not snobbish towards) the less polished folks he was surrounded by, shich kind of sums up his appeal. That and his lousy poker playing.
posted by jonmc at 5:15 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'm glad to see others for whom his character was their favorite on M*A*S*H. He just seemed...cooler than the other characters. Who were always "on."
aav.
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posted by the sobsister at 7:51 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
aav.
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posted by the sobsister at 7:51 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
The episode that has both Sidney Freeman and the crazy gungho spy dude (blanking!) and the poker game? One of the best ever.
posted by dame at 8:28 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by dame at 8:28 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
Flagg.
posted by dame at 8:38 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by dame at 8:38 PM on April 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
was also the ex-husband of photographer Diane Arbus.
Wow, I had no idea. Thanks.
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posted by homunculus at 9:28 PM on April 25, 2013
Wow, I had no idea. Thanks.
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posted by homunculus at 9:28 PM on April 25, 2013
Yeah, they were really beautiful together.
posted by heyho at 10:18 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by heyho at 10:18 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 10:59 PM on April 25, 2013
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 10:59 PM on April 25, 2013
Allan Arbus was basically the best thing about MASH to me when I saw it growing up, and that's saying a whole hell of a lot. Here's to him and his fantastic acting and wonderful characterization.
posted by koeselitz at 11:16 PM on April 25, 2013
posted by koeselitz at 11:16 PM on April 25, 2013
dame: ...the crazy gungho spy dude (blanking!)...
You mean Col. Flagg? My favorite M*A*S*H character ever!
His best appearance was among my favorite moments on the show:
You mean Col. Flagg? My favorite M*A*S*H character ever!
His best appearance was among my favorite moments on the show:
Flagg's "trademark" is to assure that no one sees him leave when he finishes a job. ("I have no home. I am the wind.") Keeping up that image backfired at least once when he ordered all of the others in the room to close their eyes as he exited via a leap through the window. When the others opened their eyes after hearing a yelp of pain, Hawkeye investigated and dryly noted, "The wind just broke his leg."posted by wenestvedt at 7:32 AM on April 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, Col. Flagg once said to Sidney Freedman, "You think you're real smart. But you're not smart; you're dumb. Very dumb. But you've met your match in me."
posted by wenestvedt at 7:51 AM on April 26, 2013
posted by wenestvedt at 7:51 AM on April 26, 2013
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I love the episode where he was writing to Freud after going to the 4077th to get some R&R. It showed how human he could be.
posted by luckynerd at 9:11 AM on April 26, 2013
I love the episode where he was writing to Freud after going to the 4077th to get some R&R. It showed how human he could be.
posted by luckynerd at 9:11 AM on April 26, 2013
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posted by no relation at 9:24 PM on April 26, 2013
posted by no relation at 9:24 PM on April 26, 2013
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