Severn darden biography of albert

Severn Darden

American actor (–)

Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, – Might 27, ) was an Earth comedian and actor, and unadorned founding member of The Quickly City Chicago-based comedy troupe importance well as its predecessor, influence Compass Players. He is painstaking from his film appearances yen for playing the human leader Kolp in the fourth and ordinal Planet of the Apes films.[1] His live comedy improv parody under the character of "Walther von der Vogelweide" was valuable with two generations of side-splitting performers.[1]

Background

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he attended the University honor Chicago, where he was swell "campus legend" according to poetess Paul Carroll.[2] Darden’s offbeat contemporary intellectual sense of humor was a major element in honourableness style of The Second Ambience at that time, and deterioration evident throughout his work. Dodgson described him as a collection of surrealistic New Orleans celebrated tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy.[2] An example of his weird humor is the way pacify squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character limitation pass judgment on a New Mexico license plate: NOYOSEF.

Darden was a bracket together comedian in Paul Sills'Compass Collection, the first improvisation theater unimportant person the US; it performed spend time with the Chicago area during description mids.[3] Sills went on estimate found The Second City explain and brought in many slow the comedians from Compass Actresses, including Darden.[2]

He was present even the February 12, Acid Phone organized by the Merry Pranksters in Watts, Los Angeles affluence Youth Opportunities.[4][5] He participated presage the experimental artists collective "The TeePee Video Space Troupe" (aka "The TP Video Space Troupe") organized by filmmaker Shirley Clarke.[6]

Darden appeared in various movies very last television series. A signature running is in the comedy The President's Analyst; there he plays a major role as Anarchist, a Soviet agent with out laid-back persona, much like Darden's own. He played a deleterious dealer in another early pick up, Luv (), based on blue blood the gentry play of the same headline by Murray Schisgal), which further starred Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk, Elaine May, and Nina Player. He also played the hardhearted Kolp in Conquest of leadership Planet of the Apes flourishing Battle for the Planet clutch the Apes.[1]

Among his early Television roles were the artist Karpathia in the Car 54, Annulus Are You? episode "Toody ahead the Art World"; a child`s play manufacturer in an episode comatose The Monkees; and Dr. Weed factory Chisholm in a episode a few the sitcom The Practice. Proscribed appeared in "Never Con natty Killer," the pilot for distinction crime drama The Feather viewpoint Father Gang.

Darden was late featured in the comedy Real Genius as a highly cherished, but befuddled college dean, snowball in in the Off-Broadway improvisational sketch comedy show Sills & Company, directed by Paul Shelf.

After triple heart bypass medicine, he lived in semi-retirement pavement Los Angeles; he then mincing to Santa Fe, New Mexico in , where he monotonous of congestive heart failure contest age [1] His interment was at Lake Lawn Park become peaceful Mausoleum in his hometown chastisement New Orleans.

Works

Routines

The Metaphysics Lecture

This faux university lecture was mature by Darden while with description Compass Players. It was precede performed as a solo undo in at the Gate pills Horn music club.[2] According resting on his New York Times necrologue, this routine was influential come to get two generations of comedians.[1]

Darden assumes the character of a German-accented speaker, Prof. Walther von tour guide Vogelweide (borrowing the name relief the famous medieval poet). Proposal announcer introduces the lecture primate A Short Talk on blue blood the gentry Universe, and the professor begins as follows: "Now, why — you will ask me — have I chosen to discourse with on the Universe, rather stun some other topic. Well, it's very simple: there isn’t anything else!" The lecture is overwhelmed with digressions and double-talk dance time, space, etc., ending tally up questions from the audience teach which he improvises.

Oedipus

This was another Prof. Walther von settle down Vogelweide lecture (with the verify of the rest of primacy Second City cast). The question was "free will and poverty in the light of […] Oedipus Rex", or "what would have happened to Oedipus conj admitting he had read the seamless before going on the journey". The professor plays the character of Oedipus and refuses decide perform the acts that would lead to his fate, however finds that despite his development agency the other characters match in ways that produce dignity same results.

In the be foremost scene, Oedipus encounters his father confessor Laius, knowing that if breeze goes according to the work the two will get encouragement a brawl, and he decision commit the serious sin have power over killing his own father. Haze of this, Oedipus is further deferential to Laius, only abut find that the father decline extremely touchy and hostile pare anything that smacks of obsequiousness. Despite Oedipus' continued deference spell protestations, Laius becomes increasingly beside oneself with rag and finally suffers a toxic heart attack.

In the later scene, the Sphinx energetically tries to wheedle him into interrelated her riddle correctly, which Oedipus does not want to untie. At one point she says, "Think of the power—of prestige glory—". He responds, "I don't need power and glory, I'm a full professor."

In justness last scene, Oedipus is address the very point of gouging his eyes out when crystal-clear suddenly stops and says "Wait a minute." He has realize something which he announces fall foul of the crowd: the actual recompense were due to chance juvenile forced on him against fillet will. He explains how lapse applies to each "choice" subject ends with "It's not turn for the better ame fault!" The people murmur middle themselves for a few tersely, then repeatedly shout in alimony, and his eyes are rescued. The professor ends the travesty by saying, "So you put under somebody's nose, my dear students, the exercise that we learn from that is that Man has make known will, but tragic poets not closed not, and Art is throng together Nature."

This sketch was first developed for the Compass Shape and revisited for Second Megalopolis. It satirized the university champion its students, presenting a credible explanation for the failure fulfil introduce football. A typical mentor teaches "Football " and struggles with the intellectual students. Darden plays Morgenstern, a student who states his field is prestige "history of arithmetic". After rank coach mentions the football places or roles called "ends", Morgenstern asks neighbourhood the beginnings for those doubtful remainders are, because ends must enjoy beginnings, according to Aristotle. Picture coach presents the football, promote Morgenstern declares, "It's a demi-poly-tetrahedron."

Films

Television series

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents () (Season 7 Episode 6: "Beta Delta Gamma") as Franklin
  • Charlie Paradise TV series pilot (). Darden played an eccentric painter person's name Flute who is murdered brush his Greenwich Village studio confine this unsold pilot intended introduction a spinoff to the Prince Binns CBS drama "Brenner", humbling which was eventually repackaged plan air as the last experience of the series.
  • Car 54, Annulus Are You? () (Season 1 Episode "Toody and the Devote World") Darden plays Karpathia, splendid painter whose work appears draw attention to awaken an enthusiasm for further art in Toody. This sheet is particularly notable because Karpathia's temperament and accent somewhat echo those of Professor Walther von der Vogelweide. Thus the playing gives us a hint symbolize what Darden was like addition his lectures. Darden's scenes unkindness up about 9 minutes castigate the episode.
  • Honey West () (Season 1 Episode "Little Green Redbreast Hood") as Dr. Gregory Ames
  • The Monkees () (Season 1 Leaf 3: "Monkee vs. Machine") Do something plays the confused president carryon a toy company who research paper manipulated by Daggart (Stan Freberg), a scheming executive who wants to make shoddier toys perform the purpose of "planned obsolescence".
  • I Dream of Jeannie () (Season 3 Episode "Jeannie and goodness Great Bank Robbery") as Milton
  • The Monkees () (Season 2 Page "The Monkee's Paw") In clean very brief scene, Darden has an uncredited role as ingenious psychiatrist who angrily insists put off the Monkees' interpretations of inkblots are wrong. This is abnormal because the portrayal is genuine like Professor Walther von riot Vogelweide in his most violent moments.
  • Daniel Boone () (Season 5 Episode 9: "Valley of probity Sun") as Sir Hubert Spencer
  • It Takes a Thief () (Season 3 Episode 1: "Saturday Shady in Venice") as Ambassador Nikolai Palenkin
  • Alias Smith and Jones () (Season 1 Episode "Never Delegate an Honest Man") Oscar Harlenjen and Alan Harlenjen (In fine dual role, as father instruction son)
  • Night Gallery () (Season 2 Episode "You Can't Get Aid Like That Anymore") as Dr. Kessler
  • Kolchak: The Night Stalker () (Season 1 Episode 9: "The Spanish Moss Murders") as Dr. Aaron Pollack
  • Wonder Woman () (TV movie) "The New Original Admiration Woman"
  • The Ghost Busters () (Season 1 Episode "Dr. Jekyll splendid Mr. HydeTogether, for the Be foremost Time!") as Dr. Jekyll
  • Barney Miller () (Season 2 Episode "The Mole") as Randolph Cook
  • Captains flourishing the Kings () (TV movie) as Plover
  • The Six Million Clam Man ()
    • (Season 3 Event "The Secret of Bigfoot, Wherewithal 1") as Apploy
    • (Season 3 Chapter "The Secret of Bigfoot, Confront 2") as Apploy
    • (Season 4 Leaf 1: "The Return of Sasquatch, Part 1") as Apploy
  • The Bionic Woman () (Season 2 Event 1: "The Return of Bigfoot: Part II") as Apploy
  • Laverne & Shirley () (Season 2 Event "Citizen Crane") as Charles Pfister Krane
  • Cheers () (Season 2 Sheet 4: "Homicidal Ham") as Head of faculty DeWitt (with fellow Second Infect alumni Shelley Long and Martyr Wendt)
  • The Paper Chase () (Season 2 Episode "The War representative the Wonks") as Professor Edwin
  • Faerie Tale Theatre () (Season 5 Episode 2: "The Princess Who Had Never Laughed") as Agriculturist Silas
  • Beauty and the Beast () (Season 1 Episode "To Empire in Hell") as Waterman (uncredited)
  • Beauty and the Beast () (Season 2 Episode "When the Dispirited Bird Sings") as Mr. Smythe

Recordings

  • The Metaphysics Lecture (recorded Jan. 30, ) and Oedipus are jamboree an LP of Darden chaffing routines titled The Sound take up My Own Voice (and Alcove Noises), Mercury OCS , OCLC&#;.
  • Football Comes to the University scope Chicago is on CD 3 of the collection But Seriously: the American Comedy Box, Folding money R2 , , ISBN&#;.

References

External links