Biography Arte Johnson

1 biography

1.1 life
1.2 television , film roles
1.3 laugh-in
1.4 later work

biography
early life

johnson born january 20, 1929, in benton harbor, michigan, , son of abraham lincoln , edythe mackenzie (golden) johnson. father attorney. johnson attended university of illinois @ urbana-champaign, worked @ campus radio station , ui theater guild brother coslough cos johnson, , graduated in 1949.

he sought employment in chicago advertising agencies unsuccessful , left new york city work viking press. in 1954, johnson performed in several new york nightclubs, including le ruban bleu , village vanguard. first job in show business came when impulsively stepped audition line , cast in gentlemen prefer blondes. johnson appeared in ben bagley s shoestring revue, opened off-broadway on february 28, 1955, @ president theater in new york.

early television , film roles

johnson appeared 3 times in 1955–1956 cbs sitcom s jan, starring janis paige , merry anders. in 1958, joined cast of short-lived nbc sitcom, sally, starring joan caulfield. in played bascomb bleacher, jr., son of co-owner of department store, bascomb, sr., portrayed gale gordon. in 1960, played ariel lavalerra in film adaptation of jack kerouac s novel subterraneans. starred in andy griffith show hotel clerk in 1962 in episode andy , barney in big city .

in 1960 , 1961, cast in 3 episodes of jackie cooper s military sitcom/drama series, hennesey, on cbs. following year, played mr. bates in episode secret life on alfred hitchcock presents. cast in episode of frank aletter s sitcom, bringing buddy. appeared in whole truth , 1961 episode of twilight zone, underpaid car salesman punches dishonest used car lot owner jack carson. before big breakthrough in laugh-in, johnson appeared corporal coogan in 1962 episode handmade private of anthology series, ge true, hosted jack webb. played bumbling navy cameraman on episode of mchale s navy in first season.

johnson appeared in comedic role charlie, boom-microphone operator demonstrates jack benny how tell joke properly, on jack benny program, aired on october 2, 1964. joke performed in sketch ugly baby story, later associated flip wilson.

in 1965, made first-season guest appearance on abc s sitcom, bewitched samantha (elizabeth montgomery) s cousin edgar. mute elf, edgar sent observe , undermine samantha s marriage – blessing of endora (agnes moorehead). once sees how happily married samantha , darrin stephens (dick york) are, edgar reverses mischief , gives (albeit quiet) blessing still-new marriage.

johnson appeared in 1 of final episodes of abc s donna reed show in 1966. cast in 1967 satirical james coburn film president s analyst, in gave comically chilling performance federal agent blindly obedient orders-are-orders mentality.

in 1968, acted in season 3 episode of lost in space, princess of space. johnson played traitorous robot space pirate fedor helping machines win war.

johnson starred in 1971 episode of rod serling s night gallery entitled flip-side of satan, playing ruthless, fringe-leather vested, disk jockey j.j. wilson , forced confront past transgressions.

laugh-in

johnson best known work on rowan & martin s laugh-in, american television series broadcast 1968 1973. played various characters including wolfgang, smoking world war ii german soldier, still fighting war, scouted show behind bush. invariably comment on preceding sketch catchphrase interesting ... , followed either comic observation or misinterpretation. toward show s close, (as nazi) offer words of affection lucy , gary (lucille ball , second husband, gary morton). lucy show on cbs in direct competition nbc s laugh-in on monday night. laugh-in full hour show while lucy traditional 30 minute sitcom. lucy pretty show survive airing opposite laugh-in.

johnson indicated later phrase came desperate journey, 1942 world war ii film errol flynn , ronald reagan playing royal air force pilots shot down in nazi germany. manage cross of country without speaking german, or knowing territory, but, when captured, nazi interrogator doubts story saying interesting . johnson reprised role while voicing nazi-inspired character virman vunderbarr on episode of justice league unlimited.

johnson tyrone f. horneigh approaching lucille ball in sketch on glen campbell goodtime hour (1971)

his other iconic laugh-in character tyrone f. horneigh (the last name pronounced horn-eye, clean variant of vulgar term horny ), white-haired, trench coat-wearing dirty old man repeatedly sought seduce gladys ormphby, (ruth buzzi s brown-clad spinster character) on park bench. tyrone enter scene, muttering song (usually in merry, merry month of may ), and, spying gladys on bench, sit next her. ask believe in hereafter? , reply of course do. respond know here after, @ point whack him purse , fall off bench.

referring moderately popular candy made caramel , walnuts, tyrone ask gladys, how walnetto?

to boost ratings in third season, tyrone courted gladys led on-air wedding on march 16th 1970 episode during spring ratings sweep. tiny tim played best man, carol channing bridesmaid , henry gibson officiating.

years after laugh-in ended, 2 characters made animated saturday-morning children s show, baggy pants , nitwits tyrone helpful, muttering superhero.

johnson , brother coslough earned emmy awards while working on laugh-in.

later work

in 1972, johnson guest-starred in episode of partridge family nicholas minsky pushkin, in episode heart belongs 2 car garage. heart belongs 2 car garage on imdb

in 1973, johnson guest-starred in episode of situation comedy touch of grace. in 1974, appeared in first season of detroit-produced children s show hot fudge. appeared, 1 week, celebrity guest panelist on game show match game. in late 1970s, semi-regular celebrity guest panelist on gong show.

in 1976, played animated cartoon character misterjaw , blue, german-accented shark (with bow tie , top hat), liked leap out of water , shout heegotcha! or gotcha! @ unsuspecting folks on pink panther laugh-and-a-half hour-and-a-half show. voiced character rhubarb on houndcats. in 1976, appeared guest on canadian tv show celebrity cooks host bruno gerussi , clip episode featured in opening credits until show ended in 1987.

in september 1977, johnson appeared on episode of nbc daytime version of wheel of fortune substitute letter-turner, both fill-in injured susan stafford, , promote short-lived nbc game show knockout, aired through 1978. instead of being introduced show s announcer, start show small monologue, announcer introduce day s contestants.

in 1979, cast renfield, comic sidekick of george hamilton s dracula in surprise box office smash, love @ first bite. following year appeared in all-star television disaster movie condominium.

in 1985, voiced weerd in 13 ghosts of scooby-doo, , played disgruntled employee denied severance pay in episode of airwolf. voiced several characters, such as: dr. ludwig von strangebuck , count ray on 2 episodes of ducktales, devil smurf on smurfs, top cat , lou on yo yogi!, newt on animaniacs, , many other shows.

in 1990, johnson appeared in episode of night court.

from 1991 1992 johnson appeared in multiple episodes of general hospital finian o toole. in 1996, played old laboratory head of team of scientists working on serum of youth in second chance.

he has performed more 80 audiobook readings, including gary shteyngart s absurdistan (2006) , carl hiaasen s bad monkey.

in 2005, appeared in justice league unlimited episode ties bind voice of virman vundabar.