RIP - Charles Nelson Reilly

[Big Al]

Even if all he did was MATCH GAME, that would be enough to make him a comedy legend in my mind. He was on the same level as Paul Lynde, IMO: the kind of performer who could leave you in stitches by merely reading the phonebook. Or the way he would give that mischievious (sp?) grin to the camera. Or his interaction with Brett Somers.

I've yet to see his one-man show, SAVE IT FOR THE STAGE. Has anyone here seen it?

Enough of my babbling. From CNN:

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Charles Nelson Reilly, the Tony Award winner who later became known for his ribald appearances on the "Tonight Show" and various game shows, has died. He was 76.

Reilly died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia, his partner, Patrick Hughes, told the New York Times.

Reilly began his career in New York City, taking acting classes at a studio with Steve McQueen, Geraldine Page and Hal Holbrook. In 1962, he appeared on Broadway as Bud Frump in the original Broadway production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." The role won Reilly a Tony Award.

He was nominated for a Tony again for playing Cornelius in "Hello, Dolly!" In 1997 he received another nomination for directing Julie Harris and Charles Durning in a revival of "The Gin Game."

After moving to Hollywood in 1960s he appeared as the nervous Claymore Gregg on TV's "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" and as a featured guest on "The Dean Martin Show."

He gained fame by becoming what he described as a "game-show fixture" in the 1970s and '80s. He was a regular on programs like "Match Game" and "Hollywood Squares," often wearing giant glasses and colorful suits with ascots.

His larger-than-life persona and affinity for double-entendres also landed him on the "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson more than 95 times.

Reilly ruefully admitted his wild game-show appearances adversely affected his acting career. "You can't do anything else once you do game shows," he told The Advocate, the national gay magazine, in 2001. "You have no career."

His final work was an autobiographical one-man show, "Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly," about his family life growing up in the Bronx. The title grew out of the fact that when he would act out as a child, his mother would often admonish him to "save it for the stage."

The stage show was made into the 2006 feature film called "The Life of Reilly."

Reilly's openly gay television persona was ahead of its time, and sometimes stood in his way. He recalled a network executive telling him, "They don't let queers on television."

Hughes, his only immediate survivor, said Reilly had been ill for more than a year.

No memorial plans had been announced.

Edited May 28, 2007 by Big Al

[Free For All]

Besides his tenured position on the Match Game panel, I also remember him as Hoo Doo from the 1971 kid's show "Lidsville". I remember finding that show fairly creepy.

He was one of those celebrities who was basically the perpetual "party guest".

RIP

Edited May 28, 2007 by Free For All

[catesta]

The guy was funny.

R.I.P.

[Chuck Nessa]

The guy was funny.

R.I.P.

So that's where Harry's glasses went.

[Eric]

Alec Baldwin does a great impression of him on an SNL episode.

[Chas]

The guy was funny.

R.I.P.

So that's where Harry's glasses went.

Nah , Billy Taylor's got 'em .

[Chuck Nessa]

[Big Al]

The guy was funny.

R.I.P.

So that's where Harry's glasses went.

Holy cow!

[BERIGAN]

I was just looking through a catalog last night that showed this on DVD

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Match-Game-DVD-...n/dp/B000J3EB8K

[Tim McG]

I seem to recall he did other TV shows besides Game Shows.

[Alexander]

He appeared in one of my favorite "X-Files" epsiodes, "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'".

He was also the voice of the Dirty Bubble (one of Mermaid-Man's arch foes) on SpongeBob.

Edited May 29, 2007 by Alexander

[Tim McG]

He also appeared in The Ghost and Mrs. Rielly.

[Big Al]

He was also the voice of the Dirty Bubble (one of Mermaid-Man's arch foes) on SpongeBob.

Oddly enough, my son and I watched one of those episodes in which the Dirty Bubble appeared (the conch shell episode, I believe).

And that Match Game DVD is worth every penny!

[clifford_thornton]

Alec Baldwin does a great impression of him on an SNL episode.

I remember that. Funny stuff!

[clifford_thornton]

The guy was funny.

R.I.P.

So that's where Harry's glasses went.

Holy cow!

Wearing a pair not dissimilar to those right now, myself!

[Rooster_Ties]

C.N.R., back from the dead, and kicking a Moose's ass before the 2nd verse.

(pseudo White Stripes, via Weird Al.)

[Big Al]

Weird Al is (and has been for a while now) on the creepy side of Weird, and this is further evidence. I didn't find this one bit funny.

[JSngry]

"Funny", no, but as a weird semi-parallel to clem's Ode to Clark Terry, i did find it, uh..."interesting", which is something i have never said about Weird Al before.

Edited August 10, 2009 by JSngry

[BruceH]

He also appeared in The Ghost and Mrs. Rielly.

I think you mean "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." I remember him on that show. (In fact, I think I was that show's only fan.)

[Free For All]

He also appeared in The Ghost and Mrs. Rielly.

I think you mean "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." I remember him on that show. (In fact, I think I was that show's only fan.)

I dunno, I thought Hope Lange was kinda hot.

The ghost dude was kinda creepy though.

Edited August 11, 2009 by Free For All

[BruceH]

He also appeared in The Ghost and Mrs. Rielly.

I think you mean "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." I remember him on that show. (In fact, I think I was that show's only fan.)

I dunno, I thought Hope Lange was kinda hot.

The ghost dude was kinda creepy though.

That's what I mean...back when the show was on I had a little-kid crush on Hope Lange. I really dug her. Then they canceled the show before it was on long enough to go into syndication, so it just dropped off the face of the earth. (And captain Gregg---the ghost---was cool. They managed to find an actor who really looked like Rex Harrison from the movie.)