Actor Tom Bosley of "Happy Days" dies: report

[Duane]

RIP Mr C.

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/article/tv-news.en.reuters.com/tv-news.en.reuters.com-20101019-us_tombosley


Actor Tom Bosley, whose career spanned five decades and included his role as the father of a typical American family on popular 1970s TV comedy "Happy Days," has died at 83, according to media reports on Tuesday.

Celebrity news website TMZ cited family members as saying Bosley died at his home in Palm Springs, California and recently he had been battling a staph infection.

A spokesman for Bosley was not immediately available for confirmation.

Bosley's everyday manner and looks helped him forge a career in Hollywood as a character actor and guest star in a number of popular 1960s television shows such as "Route 66," "Dr. Kildare," "Marcus Welby, M.D." and "Bonanza."

But it was on the long-running "Happy Days" that he enjoyed his biggest success, playing the father of the show's central character Richie Cunningham, who was a teenager growing up in the 1950s.

"Happy Days" ran from 1974 to 1984 and was a smash hit series that made Henry Winkler (Fonzie) a major Hollywood star and sparked the adult success of Ron Howard, who played Richie and would later go on to a career as a film director.

When the show ended, Bosley returned to character work on TV with roles in numerous popular series such as "The Love Boat" and "Murder, She Wrote." He continued working well into the 2000s with parts in series such as "That '70s Show."

 

[YosemiteSam]

Wow, I never saw him in pictures since he really started to age.

RIP.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Thomas Edward "Tom" Bosley (born October 1, 1927) is an American actor, best known for his starring and supporting roles on the television shows Happy Days, Murder, She Wrote, and Father Dowling Mysteries, as well as the title role in the Pulitzer Prize winning Fiorello!.

Bosley was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Dora (née Heyman) and Benjamin Bosley. Despite being well known for playing a Catholic priest, and numerous Protestants, Bosley is Jewish. During World War II, Bosley served in the United States Navy. While attending DePaul University, in Chicago, in 1947, he made his stage debut in Our Town with the Canterbury Players at the Fine Arts Theatre. Bosley performed at the Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois, in 1949 and 1950 alongside Paul Newman.

Bosley's breakthrough stage role was New York mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia in the long-running Broadway musical Fiorello! in (1959), for which he won a Tony Award. In 1994, he originated the role of Maurice in the Broadway version of Disney's Beauty & the Beast.

His first motion picture role was in 1963, as the would-be suitor of Natalie Wood in Love with the Proper Stranger. Other films include The World of Henry Orient, Divorce American Style and The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal. Bosley shared a heartfelt story about his experience with the Holocaust in the documentary film Paper Clips.

Among his early television appearances was in 1960 on the CBS summer replacement series, Diagnosis: Unknown, with Patrick O'Neal. In 1962, he portrayed Assistant District Attorney Ryan in the episode "The Man Who Wanted to Die" on James Whitmore's ABC legal drama The Law and Mr. Jones.

Bosley's best known role is the character Howard Cunningham, Richie Cunningham's father, in the long-running sitcom Happy Days. Bosley is also known for portraying Sheriff Amos Tupper on Murder, She Wrote. He also portrayed the titular Father Frank Dowling on the TV mystery series, Father Dowling Mysteries. In 2004, Bosley guest starred as a toy maker named Ben-Ami on the series finale of the Christian video series K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments. Among myriad television appearances, one notable early performance was in the "Eyes" segment of the 1969 pilot episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Joan Crawford.

Also notable as a voice actor due to his resonant, fatherly yet expressive tone, Bosley hosted The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater, a 1977 radio drama series for children. He went on to voice many cartoon characters, including Harry Boyle in the animated series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. He provided the voice of the title character in the 1980s cartoon The World of David the Gnome and the shop owner Mr. Winkle in the children's Christmas special The Tangerine Bear. He also narrated the movie documentary series That's Hollywood. Additionally, he played the narrator B.A.H. Humbug in the Rankin/Bass animated Christmas special The Stingiest Man In Town. Bosley was also the voice of Mister Geppetto, Pinocchio's 'dad' in Filmation's Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night, released in 1987. Bosley also starred in the 2008 Hallmark Channel television movie Charlie & Me.

In 1984, Bosley guest-hosted the "Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular" with local newscaster Pat Harper.

He has endorsed Glad Trash Bags, D-Con, the IQ Computer and Sonic Drive-Ins, and was the current spokesman for SMC (Specialty Merchandise Corporation).

 

[trickblue]

He jumped the ultimate shark...

RIP, Mr. C...

 

[bbgun]

Bad week to be a beloved sitcom parent.

Gbye, Tom. Thanks for all the free entertainment over the years.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

Good bye Mr. C.

RIP.

Another part of my childhood is gone.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Was he still frisky at the end?

 

[Doomsday101]

It looks like another case of death comes in 3's 1st Barbra Billingsly and now Bosley.

 

[trickblue]

It looks like another case of death comes in 3's 1st Barbra Billingsly and now Bosley.

Let the Abe Vigoda watch begin...

 

[Faerluna]

Let the Abe Vigoda watch begin...

Noooooooooooooooo!

RIP Mr. C.

 

[Yeagermeister]

RIP Mr. C

 

[Doomsday101]

Let the Abe Vigoda watch begin...

Abe has been able to beat the odds so far. However I admit I thought he was dead already until I saw the snickers commercial with him and Betty White. :laugh2:

 

[Hostile]

Mr. C. was always a class act.

 

[bbgun]

[youtube]oSy0WbJhGu4[/youtube]

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

No kidding, I really loved watching Happy Days as a kid. Man, I'm getting old fellas.


Rest In Peace Mr. C.

 

[Hostile]

The thread seemed like it was lacking something.

[youtube]gMxkMy9JvXI[/youtube]

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

I should use my Happy Days ringtone for the next couple of days.

 

[big dog cowboy]

RIP Mr. C.

 

[The Fonz]

RIP Mr.C Thanks for the memories! You will be missed

[youtube]RPvU1vJ29C4[/youtube]

 

[CliffnDallas]

I think he played a Catholic priest in one series. I remember it because the Nun was cute and I had the hot's for her. Anyway may he rest in peace.