COS: Storyteller Finds What's Funny SHADOWS: Burton, Depp Add Camp
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Time: 05-10-2012 18:42 User: mstockwell PubDate: 05-11 -2012 Zone: KY Edition: 1 Page Name: D9 Color: CyanMagentaYellowBlack KY VELOCITY | courier-journal.com/features THE COURIER-JOURNAL | FRIDAY,MAY 11,2012 | D9 COS: Storyteller finds what’sfunny STARSWHO GOTABOOST FROM ‘SHADOWS’ Jonathan Frid, who died tress Oscar nominations (for Robert De Niro on the semi- Continued from Page D1 April 13,was the most obvi- “Cinderella Liberty,” “The nal “Mean Streets” (1973), ous beneficiary of the “Dark Goodbye Girl,” “Chapter which launched several of have the Bill Cosby Louis- Shadows” phenomenon: In Two” and “Only When I the more electrifying careers ville laugh derby.I’m addition to becoming an Laugh”), and marry and in American cinema. Keitel’s gonna hurt your face, and unlikely matinee idol, he divorce playwright Neil Si- only previous credit had make lightning shoot parlayed Barnabas Collins mon. been on “Hogan’sHeroes.” down both sides of your into aseries of one-man »ABE VIGODA: Still kicking »KATEJACKSON: Daphne body.” shows and continued appear- at 91, Vigoda appeared as Harridge of the 1970-71 Cosby has been more ing on the Canadian stage — Ezra Braithwaite of 1969, and season, Jackson established or less doing the same and at “Dark Shadows” con- Otis Greene of 1840, and herselfasaTVstar as Jill since the late 1950s, when ventions — well into his 80s. promptly went on to achieve Danko on “The Rookies” he dropped out of Temple (Frid also has acameo in Tim immortality as Tessio in “The (1972-76), but achieved University to become a Burton’snew movie.) But Godfather.” (“Tessio was pop-cultural ecstasy as one stand-up comedian. With- there were others whose always smarter,” says Michael of the original “Charlie’s in afew years he had careers came to life during Corleone.) Of course, Vigoda Angels,” alongside Farrah turned agift for storytell- the “Dark Shadows” run, the also played Det. Phil Fish on Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith. ing into the start of one of following being some of the TV’s“Barney Miller” (1974- »DONNA McKECHNIE: The the most successful, in- more prominent. 81),the role for which he’s multitalented McKechnie novative and influential »MARSHA MASON: An probably most famous. played Amanda Harris/Olivia careers in show business. uncredited Vampire Girl in »HARVEY KEITEL: Seen as a Corey 1969-70 and in 1976 Cosby was the first 1969, Mason would go on to customer of Collinsport’slocal won the Tony Award for African-American actor become one of the more pub, the Blue Whale, in 1966, best actress in amusical for to star on atelevision popular actresses of the ’70s Keitel afew years later would having created the role of series (“ISpy”); “The and ’80s, earn four best ac- join Martin Scorsese and Cassie in “A Chorus Line.” Cosby Show” dominated network TV in the 1980s, running from 1984 to 1992; and he was inducted into the Television Arts & SHADOWS: Burton, Depp add camp Sciences Hall of Fame in 1992; received the Kenne- Continued from Page D5 Angelique is misunder- said, ‘Remember my cat dy Center Honors Life- stand, too. She’snot just a Barnabas? Where do you time Achievement Award ing extreme women — cartoon character.” think Igot the name?’” in 1998; and received the from the erotic provoca- Who is “Dark Shad- Haley said working on Presidential Medal of teur of Bernardo Berto- ows” for? The ongoing “Dark Shadows” meant Freedom in 2002. He’s lucci’s “The Dreamers” conceit within the film is “total submersion not just also abest-selling author. (2003) to the mad school- its relentless parade of into the ’70s, but the gothic Not bad for aguy who Bill Cosby was the first African-American actor to star on teacher of “Cracks” (2011) verbal and visual gags world of TimBurton.” wound up in remedial atelevision series — “I Spy” (with Robert Culp). —though she was initia- about the ’70s, from lava What seems to be a classes at Temple after lly afraid Angelique lamps to The Carpenters quaint Maine fishing vil- his discharge from the “We’regonna After Albert, Cosby might be too far over-the- (“Reveal yourself, tiny lage is actually four Navy.Cosby traces his cemented his legacy with top. “Iknew Johnny songstress!” Barnabas square blocks created start as acomedian to have the Bill “The Cosby Show,” over would be going big and commands the television, over awater tank at Lon- those days, when he was CosbyLouisville which he had complete what he does is this kind where Karen Carpenter is don’sPinewood Studios. 23 years old and open to creative control. It was a of German Expressionist crooning “Topofthe Haley said the set deco- all possibilities. Like most laugh derby.” wholesome family show thing,” she said. “As his World”). ration was so detailed, and of his stories, it’salong about alarge, successful enemy,Iknew I’d have to Haley,who was a’70s so thorough, it was like a one. BILL COSBY, actor,comedian professional family,the be his equal so it was a child star (“The Bad News trip back in time. “Iscored 500, total, on and activist kind of premise that had concern —but also a Bears”), provides akind For his co-star Moretz, the SAT exam, and they flourished on TV since great opportunity to be of sight gag himself (even the time only amounted to put me in remedial every- the 1950s. But with one able to show this side of though, after 15 years afew months. “The funny thing,” Cosby said. “I chose my papers and the crucial difference: The myself, really cuckoo.” away from Hollywood, he thing was, I’ve shot the couldn’tcare less. Iwas response Igot —Iwas family was black. There She also sees the earned an Oscar nomina- last two years in London, as happy as Icould be. I like, wait aminute, man, was one other difference: movie as being in line tion for “Little Children” and Ilove London, but am asponge. I’m all right.” The show was among the with Burton’swork, in 2006). He said he wasn’t when Iread the script, I “The remedial English He hit the nightclub most popular in TV histo- which has always been an original “Dark Shad- said, ‘Oh cool, aseaport professor assigned us to circuit in 1962 and quickly ry,one of only three to be about societal outliers, be ows” watcher,but “my town in Maine,’ ”said the write about the first time found himself on “The Ed rated No. 1for five con- they Batman, Beetlejuice, wife was one of the kids actress, whose recent we ever did something. I Sullivan Show.” He scored secutive seasons. Ed Wood or Willie Wonka. who ran home from work has included “Let Me went home and for the arecording contract, and Some things have “He’salways about the school to watch it. And I In” and “Hugo.” “Then I first time since, Ithink, his second album, 1964’s remained constants outcast, the misunder- have abuddy who was so was told, ‘Actually,we’re first grade, Iwanted to do “IStarted Out as aChild,” throughout Cosby’sca- stood outsider,” Green excited when he heard I shooting in Pinewood,’ and something and do it well.” won the first of six con- reer,especially his reli- said of her director. “And was playing Willie, he Iwas going back again.” Cosby sat down at his secutive Grammys. He ance on storytelling and family’sdinner table with made history in 1965 observational humor. pencil and alegal pad, when he joined Robert Cosby has never been a weeding out the obvious Culp on the wildly pop- comedian who hammers ideas. Finally,ithit him. ular “ISpy,” playing Alex- home his point, but in- “What about the first ander Scott and winning stead gets there in his time you pulled your own three Emmys. own sweet time, leaning tooth? Isaid, yeeaaah. I Cosby was ubiquitous into pauses and letting didn’twrite it because it at that point, ahuge part silence draw as many was funny.Iwrote it be- of American pop culture laughs as punchlines. cause it has some pain in at atime when there were Cosby can’texplain it. It took me about four only three television net- why it all comes naturally hours. Iturned the paper works. He starred in “The to him — “Mrs. Cosby in —Idon’tknow what Bill Cosby Show” for two says, ‘When you die, I’m was going to happen, but I years beginning in 1969, gonna crack open your know that Ienjoyed doing was an original cast mem- head and see what’sin it. WasitanApaper? I ber of “The Electric Com- there,’ ”hesaid —but it don’tknow.I’m in remedi- pany” (1971) and then does. al English for areason. developed “Fat Albert and “There are alot of Heh heh.” the Cosby Kids,” astaple things out there that one Cosby’spaper was of Saturday afternoon can look at and, in doing read in class by the teach- children’sprogramming. observation storytelling, er,praised for its content Fat Albert, Weird Har- one can make funny,” but slammed for gram- old, Dumb Donald and Cosby said. “Now,having matical errors. His next Mushmouth helped Cosby said that, the question paper,about procrastina- teach life lessons and had then is, ‘OK, where are tion, was again singled an ongoing theme of pro- they?’ That’slike looking out, and he worked hard moting education. During at apiano and saying, to eliminate many of his the show’srun, he earned ‘Well, there’s88keys, and mistakes. His teacher was adoctorate in education certainly one should be pleased and students from the University of able to find ahit tune were laughing.