BUDDY HACKETT

Remembering the actor and comedian BUDDY HACKETT born on this day in 1924.

Hackett's movie career began in 1950 with a 10-minute "World of Sports" reel for Columbia Pictures called KING OF THE PINS.

Hackett became known to a wider audience when he appeared on television in the 1950s and '60s as a frequent guest on variety talk shows hosted by Jack Paar and Arthur Godfrey, telling brash, often off-color jokes, and mugging at the camera.

Hackett was a frequent guest on both the Jack Paar and the Johnny Carson versions of THE TONIGHT SHOW.

According to the board game Trivial Pursuit, Hackett has the distinction of making the most guest appearances in the history of THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON.

He made fifteen guest appearances on NBC-TV's THE PERRY COMO SHOW between 1955 and 1961.

He appeared with his roommate Lenny Bruce on the PATRICE MUNSEL SHOW (1957-1958)

Hackett appeared twice on ABC's THE RIFLEMAN, starring Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford.

Hackett starred as the title character on NBC-TV's STANLEY, a 1956–57 situation comedy.

Hackett appeared opposite Robert Preston in the film adaptation of THE MUSIC MAN (1962).

In IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD (1963), Hackett was paired with Mickey Rooney, with whom he had also recently made EVERYTHING DUCKY (1961).

He appeared many times on the game show HOLLYWOOD SQUARES in the late 1960s and 1970s.

In 1968, he starred in the comedy film THE LOVE BUG.

In 1978, Hackett delivered a dramatic performance as Lou Costello in the television movie BUD and Lou opposite Harvey Korman as Bud Abbott.

In 1979, Hackett was the voice of the groundhog "Pardon Me Pete", and the narrator of the Rankin/Bass Christmas special JACK FROST (1979).

He starred in the 1980 film HEY BABE!. That same year, he hosted a syndicated revival of the 1950–61 Groucho Marx quiz show YOU BET YOUR LIFE which lasted for one year.

He also appeared on the television series THE LOVE BOAT in 1979.

In 1987, Hackett appeared on MURDER, SHE WROTE (Season 3, Episode 18).

He also appeared in LA LAW as a friend of Secretary Roxanne helping her by doing free TV infomercials.

In 1989, he starred in the animated musical fantasy film THE LITTLE MERMAID.

In 1993 he guest-starred in the SPACE RANGERS.

In his final years, Hackett had a recurring spot called "Tuesdays with Buddy" on THE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG KILBORN in which he shared stories of his career and delivered some of his comedic routines.

In 1999 he appeared in 13 episodes of Fox's ACTION TV series.

In the early 1990s, Hackett was diagnosed with severe heart disease, but steadfastly refused to consider bypass surgery.

His heart disease was the primary cause of his death on June 30, 2003, at his beach house in Malibu, California.