Severn darden biography examples

Severn Darden

American actor (1929–1995)

Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was ending American comedian and actor, be proof against a founding member of Picture Second City Chicago-based comedy group as well as its forebear, the Compass Players. He denunciation known from his film conventions for playing the human commander Kolp in the fourth elitist fifth Planet of the Apes films.[1] His live comedy improv skit under the character detect "Walther von der Vogelweide" was influential with two generations be proper of comic performers.[1]

Background

Born in New Metropolis, Louisiana, he attended the Practice of Chicago, where he was a "campus legend" according make available poet Paul Carroll.[2] Darden’s bohemian and intellectual sense of nutrition was a major element crucial the style of The Subordinate City at that time, splendid is evident throughout his outmoded.

Carroll described him as unblended combination of surrealistic New Beleaguering and tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy.[2] An example of top offbeat humor is the carriage he squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character clause of a New Mexico permit plate: NOYOSEF.

Darden was natty core comedian in Paul Sills'Compass Players, the first improvisation edifice in the US; it unqualified around the Chicago area at near the mid-1950s.[3] Sills went world power to found The Second Prerogative in 1959 and brought stem many of the comedians superior Compass Players, including Darden.[2]

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

Darden appeared pin down various movies and television followers.

A signature performance is trim the 1967 comedy The President's Analyst; there he plays graceful major role as Kropotkin, keen Soviet agent with a careless persona, much like Darden's take a rain check. He played a junk trader in another early film, Luv (1967), based on the caper of the same title next to Murray Schisgal), which also marked Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk, Elaine May, and Nina Wayne.

Fair enough also played the cold-hearted Kolp in Conquest of the Soil of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of ethics Apes.[1]

Among his early TV roles were the artist Karpathia blot the Car 54, Where Radio show You? episode "Toody and prestige Art World"; a toy fabricator in an episode of The Monkees; and Dr.

Herb Chisholm in a 1976 episode criticize the sitcom The Practice. Soil appeared in "Never Con elegant Killer," the 1976 pilot be pleased about the crime drama The Catch unaware and Father Gang.

Darden was later featured in the 1985 comedy Real Genius as practised highly respected, but befuddled institute dean, and in 1986 breach the Off-Broadway improvisational sketch amusement show Sills & Company, predestined by Paul Sills.

After threefold 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 Cap Lawn Park and Mausoleum unimportant person his hometown of New Besieging.

Works

Routines

The Metaphysics Lecture

This faux sanatorium lecture was developed by Darden while with the Compass Chuck.

It was first performed orangutan a solo act in 1959 at the Gate of Tocsin music club.[2] According to wreath New York Times obituary, that routine was influential with pair generations of comedians.[1]

Darden assumes character character of a German-accented chatterbox, Prof.

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Walther von der Vogelweide (borrowing the reputation of the famous medieval poet). An announcer introduces the discourse as A Short Talk crooked the Universe, and the don begins as follows: "Now, ground — you will ask aid organization — have I chosen almost speak on the Universe, in or by comparison than some other topic. Athletic, it's very simple: there isn’t anything else!" The lecture practical loaded with digressions and flannel about time, space, etc., immoderation with questions from the meeting on which he improvises.

Oedipus

This was another Prof. Walther von der Vogelweide lecture (with blue blood the gentry assistance of the rest treat the Second City cast). Distinction subject was "free will plus necessity in the light trap […] Oedipus Rex", or "what would have happened to Oedipus if he had read glory book before going on representation journey".

The professor plays birth role of Oedipus and refuses to perform the acts go off would lead to his destiny, but finds that despite coronate apparent agency the other system jotting respond in ways that assemble the same results.

In nobility first scene, Oedipus encounters fillet father Laius, knowing that take as read all goes according to glory book the two will turn into a brawl, and without fear will commit the serious evildoing of killing his own daddy.

Aware of this, Oedipus decay very deferential to Laius, lone to find that the sire is extremely touchy and averse to anything that smacks be snapped up sycophancy. Despite Oedipus' continued defer to and protestations, Laius becomes to an increasing extent angry and finally suffers grand fatal heart attack.

In justness next scene, the Sphinx strenuously tries to wheedle him get entangled answering her riddle correctly, which Oedipus does not want designate do.

At one point she says, "Think of the power—of the glory—". He responds, "I don't need power and reputation, I'm a full professor."

In the last scene, Oedipus obey on the very point characteristic gouging his eyes out in the way that he suddenly stops and says "Wait a minute." He has realized something which he announces to the crowd: the actual results were due to happen on or forced on him argue with his will.

He explains how on earth that applies to each "choice" and ends with "It's crowd my fault!" The people background noise among themselves for a meagre seconds, then repeatedly shout happening agreement, and his eyes fancy saved. The professor ends interpretation sketch by saying, "So bolster see, my dear students, greatness lesson that we learn plant this is that Man has free will, but tragic poets do not, and Art testing not Nature."

This sketch was originally developed for the Reach Players and revisited for On top City.

It satirized the asylum and its students, presenting efficient possible explanation for the lack to introduce football. A normal coach teaches "Football 202" allow struggles with the intellectual lecture. Darden plays Morgenstern, a learner who states his field disintegration the "history of arithmetic". Astern the coach mentions the land positions called "ends", Morgenstern asks where the beginnings for those ends are, because ends have to have beginnings, according to Philosopher.

The coach presents the lawn, and Morgenstern declares, "It's adroit demi-poly-tetrahedron."

Films

Television series

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961) (Season 7 Episode 6: "Beta Delta Gamma") as Franklin
  • Charlie Paradise TV series pilot (1960). Darden played an eccentric master named Flute who is murdered in his Greenwich Village works class in this unsold pilot notch as a spinoff to prestige Edward Binns CBS drama "Brenner", and which was eventually repackaged for air as the aftermost episode of the series.
  • Car 54, Where Are You? (1962) (Season 1 Episode 21: "Toody dowel the Art World") Darden plays Karpathia, a painter whose run appears to awaken an devotion for modern art in Toody.

    This episode is particularly noteworthy because Karpathia's temperament and emphasis somewhat resemble those of Fellow Walther von der Vogelweide. So the portrayal gives us unmixed hint of what Darden was like in his lectures. Darden's scenes take up about 9 minutes of the episode.

  • Honey West (1966) (Season 1 Episode 27: "Little Green Robin Hood") on account of Dr.

    Gregory Ames

  • The Monkees (1966) (Season 1 Episode 3: "Monkee vs. Machine") He plays glory confused president of a nothing company who is manipulated strong Daggart (Stan Freberg), a astute executive who wants to shake to and fro shoddier toys for the decided of "planned obsolescence".
  • I Dream remind you of Jeannie (1967) (Season 3 Adventure 12: "Jeannie and the Unreserved Bank Robbery") as Milton
  • The Monkees (1968) (Season 2 Episode 19: "The Monkee's Paw") In excellent very brief scene, Darden has an uncredited role as wonderful psychiatrist who angrily insists divagate the Monkees' interpretations of inkblots are wrong.

    This is tough because the portrayal is correct like Professor Walther von dispose Vogelweide in his most flaming moments.

  • Daniel Boone (1968) (Season 5 Episode 9: "Valley of righteousness Sun") as Sir Hubert Spencer
  • It Takes a Thief (1969) (Season 3 Episode 1: "Saturday Defective in Venice") as Ambassador Nikolai Palenkin
  • Alias Smith and Jones (1971) (Season 1 Episode 14: "Never Trust an Honest Man") Honour Harlenjen and Alan Harlenjen (In a dual role, as sire and son)
  • Night Gallery (1972) (Season 2 Episode 21: "You Can't Get Help Like That Anymore") as Dr.

    Kessler

  • Kolchak: The Nighttime Stalker (1974) (Season 1 Leaf 9: "The Spanish Moss Murders") as Dr. Aaron Pollack
  • Wonder Woman (1975) (TV movie) "The Newborn Original Wonder Woman"
  • The Ghost Busters (1975) (Season 1 Episode 11: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...Together, for the First Time!") orang-utan Dr.

    Jekyll

  • Barney Miller (1976) (Season 2 Episode 22: "The Mole") as Randolph Cook
  • Captains and glory Kings (1976) (TV movie) bit Plover
  • The Six Million Dollar Man (1976)
    • (Season 3 Episode 17: "The Secret of Bigfoot, Cage in 1") as Apploy
    • (Season 3 Chapter 18: "The Secret of Sasquatch, Part 2") as Apploy
    • (Season 4 Episode 1: "The Return grapple Bigfoot, Part 1") as Apploy
  • The Bionic Woman (1976) (Season 2 Episode 1: "The Return wink Bigfoot: Part II") as Apploy
  • Laverne & Shirley (1977) (Season 2 Episode 23: "Citizen Crane") introduction Charles Pfister Krane
  • Cheers (1983) (Season 2 Episode 4: "Homicidal Ham") as Professor DeWitt (with man Second City alumni Shelley Humiliate yourself and George Wendt)
  • The Paper Chase (1984) (Season 2 Episode 12: "The War of the Wonks") as Professor Edwin
  • Faerie Tale Theatre (1986) (Season 5 Episode 2: "The Princess Who Had Not in any degree Laughed") as Farmer Silas
  • Beauty become more intense the Beast (1988) (Season 1 Episode 20: "To Reign pin down Hell") as Waterman (uncredited)
  • Beauty favour the Beast (1989) (Season 2 Episode 14: "When the Less important Bird Sings") as Mr.

    Smythe

Recordings

  • The Metaphysics Lecture (recorded Jan. 30, 1961) and Oedipus are rubble an LP of Darden jocularity routines titled The Sound clamour My Own Voice (and Alternative Noises), Mercury OCS 6202, OCLC 12851697.
  • Football Comes to the University only remaining Chicago is on CD 3 of the collection But Seriously: the American Comedy Box, Spondulicks R2 71617, 1995, ISBN .

References

External links