Comedian Bob Newhart, deadpan master of sitcoms and telephone monologues, dies at 94

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bob Newhart, nan deadpan accountant-turned-comedian who became 1 of nan astir celebrated TV stars of his clip aft striking golden pinch a classical drama album, has died astatine 94.

Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says nan character died Thursday successful Los Angeles aft a bid of short illnesses.

Newhart, champion remembered now arsenic nan prima of 2 deed tv shows of nan 1970s and 1980s that bore his name, launched his profession arsenic a standup comic successful nan precocious 1950s. He gained nationwide fame erstwhile his regular was captured connected vinyl successful 1960 arsenic “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” which went connected to triumph a Grammy Award arsenic medium of nan year.

While different comedians of nan time, including Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Alan King, and Mike Nichols and Elaine May, often sewage laughs pinch their fierce attacks connected modern mores, Newhart was an anomaly. His outlook was modern, but he seldom raised his sound supra a hesitant, almost stammering delivery. His only prop was a telephone, utilized to dress to clasp a speech pinch personification connected nan different extremity of nan line.

In 1 memorable skit, he portrayed a Madison Avenue image-maker trying to instruct Abraham Lincoln connected really to amended nan Gettysburg Address: “Say 87 years agone alternatively of fourscore and seven,” he advised.

Another favourite was “Merchandising nan Wright Brothers,” successful which he tried to seduce nan aviation pioneers to commencement an airline, though he acknowledged nan region of their maiden formation could limit them.

“Well, see, that’s going to wounded our clip to nan Coast if we’ve sewage to onshore each 105 feet.”

Newhart was initially wary of signing connected to a play TV series, fearing it would overexpose his material. Nevertheless, he accepted an charismatic connection from NBC, and “The Bob Newhart Show” premiered connected Oct. 11, 1961. Despite Emmy and Peabody awards, nan half-hour assortment show was canceled aft 1 season, a root for jokes by Newhart for decades after.

He waited 10 years earlier undertaking different “Bob Newhart Show” successful 1972. This 1 was a business drama pinch Newhart playing a Chicago scientist surviving successful a penthouse pinch his schoolteacher wife, Suzanne Pleshette. Their neighbors and his patients, notably Bill Daily arsenic an hose navigator, were a wacky, neurotic bunch who provided an perfect counterpoint to Newhart’s deadpan commentary.
The series, 1 of nan astir acclaimed of nan 1970s, ran done 1978.

Four years later, nan comedian launched different show, simply called “Newhart.” This clip he was a successful New York writer who decides to reopen a long-closed Vermont inn. Again Newhart was nan calm, reasonable man surrounded by a group of eccentric locals. Again nan show was a immense hit, lasting 8 seasons connected CBS.

It bowed retired successful memorable style successful 1990 pinch Newhart — successful his aged Chicago scientist characteristic — waking up successful furniture pinch Pleshette, cringing arsenic he tells her astir nan unusual dream he had: “I was an innkeeper successful this crazy small municipality successful Vermont. … The handyman kept missing nan constituent of things, and past location were these 3 woodsmen, but only 1 of them talked!”

The stunt parodied a “Dallas” section wherever a cardinal characteristic was killed off, past revived erstwhile nan decease was revealed to person been successful a dream.

Two later bid were comparative duds: “Bob,” successful 1992-93, and “George & Leo,” 1997-98. Though nominated respective times, he ne'er won an Emmy for his sitcom work. “I conjecture they deliberation I’m not acting. That it’s conscionable Bob being Bob,” he sighed.

Over nan years, Newhart besides appeared successful respective movies, usually successful comedic roles. Among them: “Catch 22,” “In and Out,” “Legally Blonde 2” and “Elf,” arsenic nan diminutive dada of adopted full-size boy Will Ferrell. More caller activity included “Horrible Bosses” and nan TV bid “The Librarians,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon.”

Newhart joined Virginia Quinn, known to friends arsenic Ginny, successful 1964, and remained pinch her until her decease successful 2023. They had 4 children: Robert, Timothy, Jennifer and Courtney. Newhart was a predominant impermanent of Johnny Carson’s and liked to tease nan thrice-divorced “Tonight” big that astatine slightest immoderate comedians enjoyed semipermanent marriages. He was particularly adjacent pinch chap comedian and family man Don Rickles, whose raucous reproach joke fought memorably pinch Newhart’s droll understatement.

“We’re apples and oranges. I’m a Jew, he’s a Catholic. He’s low-key, I’m a yeller,” Rickles told Variety successful 2012. A decade later, Judd Apatow would salary tribute to their relationship successful nan short documentary “Bob and Don: A Love Story.”

A maestro of nan mildly sarcastic remark, Newhart sewage into drama aft he became saturated pinch his $5-an-hour accounting occupation successful Chicago. To walk nan time, he and a friend, Ed Gallagher, began making funny telephone calls to each other. Eventually, they decided to grounds them arsenic drama routines and waste them to power stations.

Their efforts failed, but nan records came to nan attraction of Warner Bros., which signed Newhart to a grounds statement and booked him into a Houston nine successful February 1960.

“A terrified 30-year-old man walked retired connected nan shape and played his first nightclub,” he recalled successful 2003.

Six of his routines were recorded during his two-week date, and nan album, “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” was released connected April Fools’ Day 1960. It sold 750,000 copies and was followed by “The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!” At 1 constituent nan albums classed No. 1 and 2 connected nan income charts. The New York Times successful 1960 said he was “the first comedian successful history to travel to prominence done a recording.”

In summation to winning Grammy’s medium of nan twelvemonth for his debut, Newhart won arsenic champion caller creator of 1960, and nan sequel “The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!” won arsenic champion drama spoken connection album.

Newhart was booked for respective appearances connected “The Ed Sullivan Show” and astatine nightclubs, performance halls and assemblage campuses crossed nan country. He hated nan clubs, however, because of nan heckling drunks they attracted.

“Every clip I person to measurement retired of a segment and put 1 of those birds successful his place, it kills nan routine,” he said successful 1960.

In 2004, he received different Emmy nomination, this clip arsenic impermanent character successful a play series, for a domiciled successful “E.R.” Another grant came his measurement successful 2007, erstwhile nan Library of Congress announced it had added “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” to its registry of historically important sound recordings. Just 25 recordings are added each twelvemonth to nan registry, which was created successful 2000.

Newhart made nan best-seller lists successful 2006 pinch his memoir, “I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This!” He was nominated for different Grammy for champion spoken connection medium (a class that includes audio books) for his reference of nan book.

“I’ve ever likened what I do to nan man who is convinced that he is nan past sane man connected Earth … nan Paul Revere of psychotics moving done nan municipality and yelling `This is crazy.′ But nary 1 pays attraction to him,” Newhart wrote.

Born George Robert Newhart successful Chicago to a German-Irish family, he was called Bob to debar disorder pinch his father, who was besides named George.

At St. Ignatius High School and Loyola University successful Chicago, he amused chap students pinch imitations of James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Durante and different stars. After receiving a grade successful commerce, Newhart served 2 years successful nan Army. Returning to Chicago aft his subject service, he entered rule schoolhouse astatine Loyola, but flunked out. He yet landed a occupation arsenic an accountant for nan authorities unemployment department. Bored pinch nan work, he spent his free hours acting astatine a banal institution successful suburban Oak Park, an acquisition that led to nan telephone bits.

“I wasn’t portion of immoderate comic cabal,” Newhart wrote successful his memoir. “Mike (Nichols) and Elaine (May), Shelley (Berman), Lenny Bruce, Johnny Winters, Mort Sahl — we didn’t each get together and say, ‘Let’s alteration drama and slow it down.’ It was conscionable our measurement of uncovering humor. The assemblage kids would perceive mother-in-law jokes and say, ‘What nan hellhole is simply a mother-in-law?’ What we did reflected our lives and related to theirs.”

Newhart continued appearing connected tv occasionally aft his 4th sitcom ended and vowed successful 2003 that he would activity arsenic agelong arsenic he could.

“It’s been truthful much, 43 years of my life; (to quit) would beryllium for illustration thing was missing,” he said.