Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Jul 13, 2006, 2:02 PM
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Comedian Red Buttons dead at 87
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Red Buttons, the veteran comedian whose carrot top led to his stage name, died Thursday in Los Angeles at 87.
Buttons' career lasted from the 1930s Borscht Belt to 1990s celebrity roasts. He died of vascular disease at his home in the Century City area, said publicist Warren Cowan. Buttons was with family members when he died and had been ill for some time, Cowan added.
He provided the voice of Robespierre, the friend of mouser Jaune-Tom, in the 1962 UPA animated feature film Gay Purr-ee.
In the partly animated 1977 Disney feature film Pete's Dragon, he appeared in live action as Hoagy. The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films nominated him for a Saturn Award for best supporting actor for his role.
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, released theatrically by Rankin-Bass Productions in 1979, cast him as Frosty's friend Milton.
Born Aaron Chwatt in New York's Lower East Side on February 5, 1919, Buttons had a wide-ranging career. He wrote several popular songs, including "Strange Things Are Happening" and "The Ho-Ho Song," which he often performed himself. He won the the 1957 Oscar as supporting actor for his dramatic role in Sayonara.
As a boy, he sang in the famous Coopermans Choir for three years with then world-famous Cantor Joseph "Yossele" Rosenblatt.
He got his name from a uniform he wore while working as a singing bellhop.
Buttons was a performer since his childhood, when he sang on street corners. At 16, he joined comedy act playing the Catskills resort area in upstate New York (his straight man was Robert Alda, whose wife was pregnant with Alan -- future star of M*A*S*H).
Burlesque theater owners spotted him, and he became the youngest comic on the circuit. Before he was drafted in 1943, he had small roles on Broadway.
In Sayonara (based on a James Michener story), Buttons played Sgt. Joe Kelly, a soldier in the U.S. occupation forces in Japan who has an illfated romance with a Japanese woman (played by Myoshi Umeki, who also won an Oscar).
At first, director Josh Logan was reluctant to cast such a well-known comedian in a serious role. "The tests were so extensive that they could just put scenery around them and release the footage as a feature film," Buttons said.
After Buttons' Academy Award, he appeared in such movie dramas and comedies as Imitation General, The Big Circus, Hatari!, The Longest Day, Up From the Beach, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, The Poseidon Adventure and Gable and Lombard.
Buttons was married three times: to a stripper, Roxanne Arlen, in 1947 (the marriage was annuled two years later), to Helayne McNorton from 1949 until their divorce in 1963; and to Alicia Prats from 1964 until her death in 2001.
He and Alicia Prats had a son and daughter, Adam and Amy. Besides the children, Buttons is survived by a brother and sister.
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Jul 13, 2006, 6:44 PM)
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Directing Animator / Contributor
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Jul 13, 2006, 2:12 PM
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Buttons guested on "E/R" in 2005 as his final acting appearance.
Buttons starred in the 1966 short-lived tv comedy series "The Double Life of Henry Phyfe" which parodied secret agent movies.
Buttons was great as Mr. Martin in "The Poseidon Adventure" as the calm voice of reason when Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine argued about ways on leading the survivors from the upside-down and sinking luxury liner and who found love with Carol Lynley's pop singer character under difficult circumstances. Buttons and Borgnine re-teamed in Irwin Allen's volcano disaster epic "When Time Ran Out."
(This post was edited by artytoons on Jul 13, 2006, 3:16 PM)
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Research Guru / Moderator
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Jul 13, 2006, 2:58 PM
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He was one of the great Borscht Belt comedians.
Buttons showed his serious side as an interviewee in the TV special In the Fiddler's House. At the fabled Second Avenue Deli, he reminisced about his past as a choirboy in the Lower East Side and sang -- beautifully, too -- a Yiddish religious song from his youth.
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Jul 13, 2006, 3:13 PM)
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Research Guru / Moderator
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Jul 14, 2006, 12:53 PM
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There will be a private funeral.
The family asked that any donations be made to Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles, 2721 Wigtown Road, Los Angeles, CA 90064.
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Inbetweener
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Mar 3, 2007, 7:33 PM
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Dear Eminovitz, Mrr.Buttons appeared on an installment of"The ABC TV Afterschhol Special"in the early 1970's.
The installment was titled "Alexander"..it told the story of three lonely and sad kids. Who are given the chance to use their imaginations and be happy again by a kindly old tramp(Buttons).
Sadly,"Alexander"dies..and the house that he used to live in is turned into a museum. The three kids don't care for the tribute. Their parents say..that if the house wasn't turned into a museum? It would probably be torned down. Nevertheless? "Alexander"did leave a postive legacy to those kids.
The kids were played by Robbie Rist("Cousin Oliver"on "The Brady Bunch" and "Wizzard"on"Kid Video"),
Kerry McClaine("Hormer"on "The Cow-Boys"TV Show)and a young lady..who has since become a famous performer and craftsperson in the movie industry..Ms.Jodie Foster.
4CK.
(This post was edited by bmode on May 2, 2008, 1:43 AM)
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Inbetweener
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May 1, 2008, 7:20 AM
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Dear Eminovitz, Mr.Buttons was a clown..not a comedian. Clowns are actors..who can perform in dramas and comedies. Comedians just tell jokes and make you laugh.
They(The comedians)cannot play on your emotions."as Mr.Keenan Wynn has said of his father..Mr.Ed Wynn and his contemporaries. I hope that this explination will help in showing the difference between the comedian and the clown.
4CK.
(This post was edited by bmode on May 2, 2008, 1:44 AM)
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Jpeg Master
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May 2, 2008, 1:52 AM
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4CK, I gotta jump in here. Your way off in your posts here, and please learn to type. I don't believe there is something wrong with your computer monitor like you said before. You are no different than anyone else, so please act accordingly.
To clarify, Red was a composer, actor, comedian and author.
Comedians do not just tell jokes and make you laugh, they are also considered actors and performers. Ever heard of Red Foxx, Rodney Dangerfield, Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy? Just to name a few, they all went on to big huge movies stars.
How old are you? Leave this one to Eminovitz, please.
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BmodeMusic.com
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Directing Animator
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May 3, 2008, 11:14 AM
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He was a man of MANY MANY talents:
And He WILL be Missed! 
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ToonRadio! Dog City-Editer:TV.Com! Big Cartoon DataBase!
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Inbetweener
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May 3, 2008, 2:49 PM
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Dear B.Mode,I've seen Mr.Foxx try to act in a drama"HalemNights"..he was not very good in a dramatic role.Mr.Dangerfield did comedy as an actor..but?He is not a dramatic actor..neither is Mr.Seinfeld.When I said that Mr.Buttons is an actor..I'm talking about an actor..who can do drama and comedy. Very few performers can do both!Obvisiously..you have never heard Mr.Keenan Wynn talk about his father's abilitties to act in drama and comedy on record?If you've ever heard the radio show transcripts of Me.Ed Wynn on Mark 56 Records..and the introto that disk read by Mr.Keenan Wynn? By describing his father's talent to use pathos to make audiences laugh and cry...very few performers have the abilities to use true pathos to make audiences laugh and cry.I'm 52..I'm not a very old man..but?I've seen the talents of true clowns and I appreciatetheir efforts to make people laugh in comedy and cry and feel in drama.
(I've seen Mr.Ed Wynn do drama in a PBS TVversion of Mr.Rod Serling's"Requieum For A Heavyweight"and He was able to make me cry and feel for him andfor Mr.Pallance..Who played"Man Mountain McClintock"in the show)
Chaplin had it,Lucy Ball had it,Gleason had it,Art Carney had it,Red Skelton had it..Chuck Still hasit..Red Buttons had it..Billy Crystal has it..Whoppe Goldberghas it.John Candy had it.That is the talent that Mr.Keenan Wynn was taliking about..not circus clowns..but clowns in the tradition ofChaplin,Skelton,Ball,Gleason,McCann,Candy etc.
4CK
(This post was edited by 4CK on May 4, 2008, 2:18 AM)
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Jpeg Master
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May 3, 2008, 11:28 PM
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If you think Harlem Nights is a dramatic role, this conversation is over now.
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BmodeMusic.com
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Re: Comedian Red Buttons dead at 87
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