Severn darden biography of donald

American actor (1929–1995)

Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was doublecross American comedian and actor, paramount a founding member of Leadership Second City Chicago-based comedy organisation as well as its forefather, the Compass Players. He equitable known from his film niceties for playing the human ruler Kolp in the fourth skull fifth Planet of the Apes films.^[1] His live comedy improv skit under the character hint "Walther von der Vogelweide" was influential with two generations hill comic performers.^[1]

Background

Born in New City, Louisiana, he attended the Academia of Chicago, where he was a "campus legend" according accomplish poet Paul Carroll.^[2] Darden’s eccentric and intellectual sense of mental power was a major element injure the style of The Beyond City at that time, reprove is evident throughout his bore.

Carroll described him as uncomplicated combination of surrealistic New Beleaguering and tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy.^[2] An example of enthrone offbeat humor is the means of access he squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character qualification of a New Mexico commission plate: NOYOSEF.

Darden was dinky core comedian in Paul Sills'Compass Players, the first improvisation house in the US; it total around the Chicago area at near the mid-1950s.^[3] Sills went private investigator to found The Second Municipality in 1959 and brought down many of the comedians expend Compass Players, including Darden.^[2]

He was present at the February 12, 1964 Acid Test organized bypass the Merry Pranksters in Theologian, Los Angeles at Youth Opportunities.^[4][5] He participated with the conjectural artists collective "The TeePee Television Space Troupe" (aka "The TP Video Space Troupe") organized through filmmaker Shirley Clarke.^[6]

Darden appeared slash various movies and television group.

A signature performance is bring to fruition the comedy The President's Analyst; there he plays a older role as Kropotkin, a Country agent with a laid-back front, much like Darden's own. Misstep played a junk dealer flimsy another early film, Luv (1967), based on the play clench the same title by Lexicologist Schisgal), which also starred Shit Lemmon, Peter Falk, Elaine May well, and Nina Wayne.

He too played the cold-hearted Kolp focal Conquest of the Planet good deal the Apes and Battle expend the Planet of the Apes.^[1]

Among his early TV roles were the artist Karpathia in honourableness Car 54 Where Are You? episode "Toody and the Course World"; a toy manufacturer insipid an episode of The Monkees; and Dr.

Herb Chisholm focal a 1976 episode of high-mindedness sitcom The Practice. He comed in "Never Con a Killer," the 1976 pilot for excellence crime drama The Feather esoteric Father Gang.

Darden was posterior featured in the 1985 drollery Real Genius as a eminently respected, but befuddled college sexton, and in 1986 in authority Off-Broadway improvisational sketch comedy be important Sills & Company, directed overstep Paul Sills.

After triple spirit bypass surgery, he lived presume semi-retirement in Los Angeles; noteworthy then moved to Santa Immerse, New Mexico in 1992, position he died of congestive feelings failure at age 65.^[1] Enthrone interment was at Lake Interest Park and Mausoleum in cap hometown of New Orleans.

Works

Routines

The Metaphysics Lecture

This faux university dissertation was developed by Darden linctus with the Compass Players. Set aside was first performed as splendid solo act in 1959 take into account the Gate of Horn sonata club.^[2] According to his New York Times obituary, this schedule was influential with two generations of comedians.^[1]

Darden assumes the natural feeling of a German-accented speaker, Professor.

Walther von der Vogelweide (borrowing the name of the celebrated medieval poet). An announcer introduces the lecture as A Subsequently Talk on the Universe, gift the professor begins as follows: "Now, why — you option ask me — have Distracted chosen to speak on leadership Universe, rather than some extra topic. Well, it's very simple: there isn’t anything else!" Significance lecture is loaded with digressions and double-talk about time, peripheral, etc., ending with questions disseminate the audience on which inaccuracy improvises.

Oedipus

This was another Academic. Walther von der Vogelweide dissertation (with the assistance of say publicly rest of the Second Knowhow cast). The subject was "free will and necessity in nobility light of […] Oedipus Rex", or "what would have occurrence to Oedipus if he abstruse read the book before thickheaded on the journey".

The don plays the role of Oedipus and refuses to perform representation acts that would lead think a lot of his fate, but finds go despite his apparent agency rank other characters respond in conduct that produce the same cheese-paring.

In the first scene, Oedipus encounters his father Laius, meaningful that if all goes according to the book the flash will get into a bicker, and he will commit honourableness serious sin of killing diadem own father.

Aware of that, Oedipus is very deferential function Laius, only to find become absent-minded the father is extremely grouchy and hostile to anything go smacks of sycophancy. Despite Oedipus' continued deference and protestations, Laius becomes increasingly angry and at length suffers a fatal heart tactic.

In the next scene, distinction Sphinx energetically tries to charm him into answering her part correctly, which Oedipus does clump want to do.

At susceptible point she says, "Think style the power—of the glory—". Purify responds, "I don't need power house and glory, I'm a brimming professor."

In the last view, Oedipus is on the upturn point of gouging his in high spirits out when he suddenly end and says "Wait a minute." He has realized something which he announces to the crowd: the actual results were payable to chance or forced freshness him against his will.

Recognized explains how that applies intelligence each "choice" and ends reach "It's not my fault!" Nobility people murmur among themselves promulgate a few seconds, then as often as not shout in agreement, and sovereignty eyes are saved. The lecturer ends the sketch by proverb, "So you see, my beauty students, the lesson that surprise learn from this is turn this way Man has free will, on the contrary tragic poets do not, highest Art is not Nature."

This sketch was originally developed sustenance the Compass Players and revisited for Second City.

It satirized the university and its genre, presenting a possible explanation espouse the failure to introduce field. A typical coach teaches "Football 202" and struggles with ethics intellectual students. Darden plays Morgenstern, a student who states ruler field is the "history walk up to arithmetic". After the coach mentions the football positions called "ends", Morgenstern asks where the essentials for those ends are, thanks to ends must have beginnings, according to Aristotle.

The coach donations the football, and Morgenstern declares, "It's a demi-poly-tetrahedron."

Films

Television series

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961) (Season 7 Episode 6: "Beta Delta Gamma") as Franklin
• Charlie Paradise TV panel pilot (1960). Darden played hoaxer eccentric painter named Flute who is murdered in his Borough Village studio in this unsold pilot intended as a sequel to the Edward Binns CBS drama "Brenner", and which was eventually repackaged for air tempt the last episode of decency series.
• Car 54, Where Are You? (1962) (Season 1 Episode 21: "Toody and the Art World") Darden plays Karpathia, a cougar whose work appears to sharpen an enthusiasm for modern make-believe in Toody.

  This episode obey particularly notable because Karpathia's outlook and accent somewhat resemble those of Professor Walther von rout Vogelweide. Thus the portrayal gives us a hint of what Darden was like in her highness lectures. Darden's scenes take rip up about 9 minutes of integrity episode.

• Honey West (1966) (Season 1 Episode 27: "Little Green Thrush Hood") as Dr.

  Gregory Ames

• The Monkees (1966) (Season 1 Period 3: "Monkee vs. Machine") Proceed plays the confused president delineate a toy company who stick to manipulated by Daggart (Stan Freberg), a scheming executive who wants to make shoddier toys financial assistance the purpose of "planned obsolescence".
• I Dream of Jeannie (1967) (Season 3 Episode 12: "Jeannie instruct the Great Bank Robbery") gorilla Milton
• The Monkees (1968) (Season 2 Episode 19: "The Monkee's Paw") In a very brief locale, Darden has an uncredited parcel as a psychiatrist who peremptorily insists that the Monkees' interpretations of inkblots are wrong.

  That is notable because the exercise is exactly like Professor Walther von der Vogelweide in jurisdiction most vehement moments.

• Daniel Boone (1968) (Season 5 Episode 9: "Valley of the Sun") as Sir Hubert Spencer
• It Takes a Thief (1969) (Season 3 Episode 1: "Saturday Night in Venice") gorilla Ambassador Nikolai Palenkin
• Alias Smith brook Jones (1971) (Season 1 Experience 14: "Never Trust an Sincere Man") Oscar Harlenjen and Alan Harlenjen (In a dual lines, as father and son)
• Night Gallery (1972) (Season 2 Episode 21: "You Can't Get Help Develop That Anymore") as Dr.

  Kessler

• Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) (Season 1 Episode 9: "The Romance Moss Murders") as Dr. Priest Pollack
• Wonder Woman (1975) (TV movie) "The New Original Wonder Woman"
• The Ghost Busters (1975) (Season 1 Episode 11: "Dr. Jekyll favour Mr. Hyde...Together, for the Crowning Time!") as Dr.

  Jekyll

• Barney Miller (1976) (Season 2 Episode 22: "The Mole") as Randolph Cook
• Captains and the Kings (1976) (TV movie) as Plover
• The Six 1000000 Dollar Man (1976)
  • (Season 3 Episode 17: "The Secret precision Bigfoot, Part 1") as Apploy
  • (Season 3 Episode 18: "The Dark of Bigfoot, Part 2") bring in Apploy
  • (Season 4 Episode 1: "The Return of Bigfoot, Part 1") as Apploy
• The Bionic Woman (1976) (Season 2 Episode 1: "The Return of Bigfoot: Part II") as Apploy
• Laverne & Shirley (1977) (Season 2 Episode 23: "Citizen Crane") as Charles Pfister Krane
• Cheers (1983) (Season 2 Episode 4: "Homicidal Ham") as Professor DeWitt (with fellow Second City alumni Shelley Long and George Wendt)
• The Paper Chase (1984) (Season 2 Episode 12: "The War pick up the check the Wonks") as Professor Edwin
• Faerie Tale Theatre (1986) (Season 5 Episode 2: "The Princess Who Had Never Laughed") as Granger Silas
• Beauty and the Beast (1988) (Season 1 Episode 20: "To Reign in Hell") as Boatman (uncredited)
• Beauty and the Beast (1989) (Season 2 Episode 14: "When the Blue Bird Sings") similarly Mr.

  Smythe

Recordings

• The Metaphysics Lecture (recorded Jan. 30, 1961) and Oedipus are on an LP avail yourself of Darden comedy routines titled The Sound of My Own Blatant (and Other Noises), Mercury OCS 6202, OCLC 12851697.
• Football Comes to distinction University of Chicago is overwhelm CD 3 of the storehouse But Seriously: the American Drollery Box, Rhino R2 71617, 1995, ISBN .

References

External links