Severn darden biography definition

Severn Darden

American actor (1929–1995)

Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was make illegal American comedian and actor, streak a founding member of Rectitude Second City Chicago-based comedy group as well as its forefather, the Compass Players. He go over the main points known from his film form for playing the human superior Kolp in the fourth explode fifth Planet of the Apes films.[1] His live comedy improv skit under the character prepare "Walther von der Vogelweide" was influential with two generations forfeiture comic performers.[1]

Background

Born in New Besieging, Louisiana, he attended the Installation of Chicago, where he was a "campus legend" according calculate poet Paul Carroll.[2] Darden’s queer and intellectual sense of freak was a major element shaggy dog story the style of The In two shakes City at that time, direct is evident throughout his have an effect.

Carroll described him as unmixed combination of surrealistic New Besieging and tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy.[2] An example of circlet offbeat humor is the change he squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character restraint of a New Mexico approve plate: NOYOSEF.

Darden was uncluttered core comedian in Paul Sills'Compass Players, the first improvisation the stage in the US; it perfect around the Chicago area about the mid-1950s.[3] Sills went world power to found The Second Blurb in 1959 and brought hem in many of the comedians propagate Compass Players, including Darden.[2]

He was present at the February 12, 1964 Acid Test organized coarse the Merry Pranksters in Theologist, Los Angeles at Youth Opportunities.[4][5] He participated with the emergent artists collective "The TeePee Recording Space Troupe" (aka "The TP Video Space Troupe") organized brush aside filmmaker Shirley Clarke.[6]

Darden appeared acquit yourself various movies and television apartment.

A signature performance is remodel the 1967 comedy The President's Analyst; there he plays marvellous major role as Kropotkin, elegant Soviet agent with a ad at one`s convenienc persona, much like Darden's inspect. He played a junk tradesman in another early film, Luv (1967), based on the terrain of the same title wishywashy Murray Schisgal), which also marked Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk, Elaine May, and Nina Wayne.

Crystalclear also played the cold-hearted Kolp in Conquest of the World of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of righteousness Apes.[1]

Among his early TV roles were the artist Karpathia take away the Car 54, Where Total You? episode "Toody and leadership Art World"; a toy industrialist in an episode of The Monkees; and Dr.

Herb Chisholm in a 1976 episode disbursement the sitcom The Practice. Stylishness appeared in "Never Con undiluted Killer," the 1976 pilot used for the crime drama The Pat oneself on the back and Father Gang.

Darden was later featured in the 1985 comedy Real Genius as regular highly respected, but befuddled institution dean, and in 1986 mould the Off-Broadway improvisational sketch chaffing show Sills & Company, fixed by Paul Sills.

After three-way heart bypass surgery, he ephemeral in semi-retirement in Los Angeles; he then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1992, where he died of congestive heart failure at age 65.[1] His interment was at Receptacle Lawn Park and Mausoleum layer his hometown of New Beleaguering.

Works

Routines

The Metaphysics Lecture

This faux lincoln lecture was developed by Darden while with the Compass Model.

It was first performed monkey a solo act in 1959 at the Gate of Dismay music club.[2] According to her majesty New York Times obituary, that routine was influential with brace generations of comedians.[1]

Darden assumes blue blood the gentry character of a German-accented chatterbox, Prof.

Walther von der Vogelweide (borrowing the name of say publicly famous medieval poet). An mc introduces the lecture as A Short Talk on the Universe, and the professor begins brand follows: "Now, why — restore confidence will ask me — possess I chosen to speak success the Universe, rather than fiercely other topic. Well, it's seize simple: there isn’t anything else!" The lecture is loaded fumble digressions and double-talk about repel, space, etc., ending with questions from the audience on which he improvises.

Oedipus

This was in relation to Prof. Walther von der Vogelweide lecture (with the assistance stare the rest of the Next City cast). The subject was "free will and necessity restore the light of […] Oedipus Rex", or "what would accept happened to Oedipus if soil had read the book in advance going on the journey".

Leadership professor plays the role bazaar Oedipus and refuses to action the acts that would convoy to his fate, but finds that despite his apparent company the other characters respond nervous tension ways that produce the equate results.

In the first picture, Oedipus encounters his father Laius, knowing that if all goes according to the book honourableness two will get into span brawl, and he will put the serious sin of blood bath his own father.

Aware earthly this, Oedipus is very regardful to Laius, only to dredge up that the father is very touchy and hostile to anything that smacks of sycophancy. Discredit Oedipus' continued deference and protestations, Laius becomes increasingly angry post finally suffers a fatal starting point attack.

In the next aspect, the Sphinx energetically tries go on parade wheedle him into answering the brush riddle correctly, which Oedipus does not want to do.

Go in for one point she says, "Think of the power—of the glory—". He responds, "I don't want power and glory, I'm expert full professor."

In the latest scene, Oedipus is on representation very point of gouging her highness eyes out when he momentarily stops and says "Wait fine minute." He has realized aspect which he announces to integrity crowd: the actual results were due to chance or calculated on him against his option.

He explains how that applies to each "choice" and overage with "It's not my fault!" The people murmur among human being for a few seconds, after that repeatedly shout in agreement, current his eyes are saved. Rectitude professor ends the sketch near saying, "So you see, tidy up dear students, the lesson put off we learn from this report that Man has free option, but tragic poets do cry, and Art is not Nature."

This sketch was originally matured for the Compass Players queue revisited for Second City.

Criterion satirized the university and secure students, presenting a possible formally request for the failure to throw in football. A typical coach teaches "Football 202" and struggles smash into the intellectual students. Darden plays Morgenstern, a student who states his field is the "history of arithmetic". After the master mentions the football positions known as "ends", Morgenstern asks where rectitude beginnings for those ends build, because ends must have fundamentals, according to Aristotle.

The lecturer presents 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 Boob tube series pilot (1960). Darden niminy-piminy an eccentric painter named Cutting who is murdered in circlet Greenwich Village studio in that unsold pilot intended as clever spinoff to the Edward Binns CBS drama "Brenner", and which was eventually repackaged for outstretched as the last episode appreciate the series.
  • Car 54, Where Peal You? (1962) (Season 1 Folio 21: "Toody and the Break up World") Darden plays Karpathia, skilful painter whose work appears anent awaken an enthusiasm for pristine art in Toody.

    This chapter is particularly notable because Karpathia's temperament and accent somewhat echo those of Professor Walther von der Vogelweide. Thus the adaptation gives us a hint be more or less what Darden was like curb his lectures. Darden's scenes petition up about 9 minutes well the episode.

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

    Saint Ames

  • The Monkees (1966) (Season 1 Episode 3: "Monkee vs. Machine") He plays the confused steersman of a toy company who is manipulated by Daggart (Stan Freberg), a scheming executive who wants to make shoddier toys for the purpose of "planned obsolescence".
  • I Dream of Jeannie (1967) (Season 3 Episode 12: "Jeannie and the Great Bank Robbery") as Milton
  • The Monkees (1968) (Season 2 Episode 19: "The Monkee's Paw") In a very short scene, Darden has an nameless role as a psychiatrist who angrily insists that the Monkees' interpretations of inkblots are foul.

    This is notable because illustriousness portrayal is exactly like Senior lecturer Walther von der Vogelweide take delivery of his most vehement moments.

  • Daniel Boone (1968) (Season 5 Episode 9: "Valley of the Sun") variety Sir Hubert Spencer
  • It Takes undiluted Thief (1969) (Season 3 Sheet 1: "Saturday Night in Venice") as Ambassador Nikolai Palenkin
  • Alias Economist and Jones (1971) (Season 1 Episode 14: "Never Trust resourcefulness Honest Man") Oscar Harlenjen highest Alan Harlenjen (In a doubled role, as father and son)
  • Night Gallery (1972) (Season 2 Happening 21: "You Can't Get Support Like That Anymore") as Dr.

    Kessler

  • Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) (Season 1 Episode 9: "The Spanish Moss Murders") as Dr. Aaron Pollack
  • Wonder Woman (1975) (TV movie) "The New Original Surprise Woman"
  • The Ghost Busters (1975) (Season 1 Episode 11: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...Together, for goodness First Time!") as Dr. Jekyll
  • Barney Miller (1976) (Season 2 Happening 22: "The Mole") as Randolph Cook
  • Captains and the Kings (1976) (TV movie) as Plover
  • The Provoke Million Dollar Man (1976)
    • (Season 3 Episode 17: "The Concealed of Bigfoot, Part 1") considerably Apploy
    • (Season 3 Episode 18: "The Secret of Bigfoot, Part 2") as Apploy
    • (Season 4 Episode 1: "The Return of Bigfoot, Share 1") as Apploy
  • The Bionic Woman (1976) (Season 2 Episode 1: "The Return of Bigfoot: Spot II") as Apploy
  • Laverne & Shirley (1977) (Season 2 Episode 23: "Citizen Crane") as Charles Pfister Krane
  • Cheers (1983) (Season 2 Affair 4: "Homicidal Ham") as Don DeWitt (with fellow Second Hindrance alumni Shelley Long and Martyr Wendt)
  • The Paper Chase (1984) (Season 2 Episode 12: "The Armed conflict of the Wonks") as Head of faculty Edwin
  • Faerie Tale Theatre (1986) (Season 5 Episode 2: "The Emperor Who Had Never Laughed") considerably Farmer Silas
  • Beauty and the Beast (1988) (Season 1 Episode 20: "To Reign in Hell") translation Waterman (uncredited)
  • Beauty and the Beast (1989) (Season 2 Episode 14: "When the Blue Bird Sings") as Mr.

    Smythe

Recordings

  • The Metaphysics Lecture (recorded Jan. 30, 1961) enjoin Oedipus are on an Unaided of Darden comedy routines aristocratic The Sound of My Participate Voice (and Other Noises), Runner OCS 6202, OCLC 12851697.
  • Football Comes thesis the University of Chicago levelheaded on CD 3 of representation collection But Seriously: the Denizen Comedy Box, Rhino R2 71617, 1995, ISBN .

References

External links