Foster Brooks
Foster Brooks | |
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Born | Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | May 11, 1912
Died | December 20, 2001 | (aged 89)
Occupations |
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Years active | 1952–1996 |
Spouses |
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Children | 6 |
Foster Brooks (May 11, 1912 – December 20, 2001) was an American actor and comedian best known for his portrayal of a lovable drunk in nightclub performances and television programs.
Early life
Brooks was born in Louisville, Kentucky on May 11, 1912, to Edna (née Megowan) and Pleasant M. Brooks. He had seven brothers.[1] His career started in radio, notably with station WHAS (AM) in Louisville. He was a staff announcer, and his deep baritone voice was also well-suited for singing. Brooks gained fame for his reporting of the Ohio River flood of 1937, where he was featured on emergency broadcasts by WHAS and also WSM (AM) from Nashville, Tennessee. In 1952, Brooks appeared on local TV in a short-lived spoof of Gene Autry and his "Singing Cowboys".
He later worked in local broadcasting as a radio and TV personality at
In 1960, Brooks moved with his family to Los Angeles to seek more professional opportunities. During this time, he appeared on television comedies such as
On the syndicated Steve Allen Show of the 1960s, Allen introduced Brooks as an important movie producer. Brooks stumbled on stage doing his drunk act, fooling some of the other guests. Brooks claimed to be the executive in charge of editing movies for television. His biggest success, he said, was the famous movie The Three Commandments. His character also claimed to have invented the concept of removing clips from the movies and inserting commercials.[4]
In 1969, game show icon and television personality Dennis James took his friend Brooks to a North Carolina charity golf tournament to tell some jokes, and then introduced Brooks to good friend, singer Perry Como, who in turn gave the comedian his major break. Como chose Brooks to open for him at a Las Vegas hotel. When the hotel's owners balked at Como's choice due to Brooks' age and lack of fame, Como insisted and the owners acquiesced. Brooks was an instant hit. He made his first appearance soon thereafter on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.[2][5]
Career
Brooks regularly appeared on
His signature routine was the basis of a hit comedy album titled Foster Brooks, The Lovable Lush, released in the early 1970s. As his "Lovable Lush" character, Brooks usually portrayed a conventioneer who had had a few too many drinks—not falling-down drunk, but inebriated enough to mix up his words and burp to comedic delight. Brooks is best remembered for his appearances on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast during the 1970s, where he roasted other comedians, such as Don Rickles,[6] Johnny Carson[7] and Lucille Ball,[8] and serious public figures such as writer Truman Capote,[9] consumer activist Ralph Nader,[10] and former vice president Hubert Humphrey.[11]
During his period of greatest fame, Brooks rarely drank.[12] Of giving up drinking to win a bet in 1964, Brooks said, "A fellow made me a $10 bet I couldn't quit, and I haven't had a drink since. At the time I needed the $10."[12]
He would occasionally make cameo appearances in which his character was perfectly sober, such as his appearance in a 1968 episode of
On the comedy series
In the 1970s, Brooks appeared as a celebrity panelist on the game shows Hollywood Squares and Match Game, and in 1979, he appeared in the film The Villain as a bank clerk.[2]
Public sensibilities had changed regarding alcoholics and public drunkenness by the 1980s, so Brooks moved away from his drunken character. In 1983, Brooks appeared in the film
Brooks' last performance was at a
Later career and legacy
Years later Brooks was referred to on the Cartoon Network television show Space Ghost Coast to Coast (episode 45, "Switcheroo II"). He was featured in a scene that was cut before being aired, but the scene was later included on the Space Ghost Coast to Coast volume 3 DVD release.[14] He is also referenced on an episode of Get a Life called "Paperboy 2000". On the March 1, 2010, episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart referred to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's mispronunciation of a constituent's name by saying, "It's not supposed to end on a Foster Brooks hiccup." He was mentioned in the lyrics of a Loudon Wainwright song, "Drinks Before Dinner."
Personal life
Brooks was first married to Loretta Brooks, with whom he had a son and three daughters; one daughter died in infancy.[15][16] Foster and Loretta divorced in 1950. That same year, he married Teri Brooks, with whom he had two daughters.[2] Brooks' brother, Tom, was a well-known entertainer in Louisville for many years.[1] Brooks's nephew Randy Brooks is a comedy songwriter, best known for his composition "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," recorded by Randy's friend Elmo Shropshire.[17]
Death
Brooks died on December 20, 2001, at his home in Encino, California, from heart failure. He was 89 years old.[18]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | The Late Liz | Howard Borman | |
1976 | Super Seal | Harold | |
1979 | The Villain | Bank Clerk | |
1983 | Cracking Up | The Pilot | |
1984 | Oddballs | Hardy Bassett | |
1984 | Cannonball Run II | Fisherman #1 | |
1986 | GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords | Stoneheart / Fossil Lord | Voice |
1991 | The Giant of Thunder Mountain | Doc (Townsman) |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1962 | Gunsmoke |
Ed | S8:E3, "Quint Asper Comes Home" |
1967 | The Monkees | Conventioneer | S1:E30, "Monkees in Manhattan" |
1969 | The Beverly Hillbillies | Fiddlin Sam Dingle | S6:E25, "The Clampetts Fiddle Around" |
1973 | Here's Lucy | Episode "Tipsy through the Tulips" | |
1982 | Mork & Mindy | Miles Sternhagen | 3 episodes |
Madame's Place | Self | Episode: "Who Laughs Last?" |
See also
References
- ^ OCLC 247857447. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g Lueck, Thomas J. (December 24, 2001). "Foster Brooks, 89, Comedian Known for His Tipsy Persona". The New York Times. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
- ^ "BBA Class of 1997 Hall of Fame". Buffalo Broadcasters Association. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ Foster Brooks on the Steve Allen Show, retrieved September 1, 2017.
- ^ Foster Brooks roasts Don Rickles on Dean Martin Roast, February 8, 1974
- ^ "Foster Brooks roasts Johnny Carson on Dean Martin Roast, November 2, 1973
- ^ "Foster Brooks roasts Lucille Ball on Dean Martin Roast, February 8, 1975
- ^ Foster Brooks roasts Truman Capote on Dean Martin Roast, clip
- ^ Foster Brooks roasts Ralph Nader on Dean Martin Roast, February 15, 1974.
- ^ "Foster Brooks Roast Hubert Humphrey" – via YouTube.
- ^ Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved February 9, 2017 – via Google News.
- ^ "Foster Brooks appears at American Legion Dinner". Boca Raton News. February 19, 1990. Retrieved February 9, 2017 – via Google News.
- ^ Mark Keizer. "Space Ghost Coast to Coast: Volume 3 review". dvdfile.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Foster Brooks in the 1940 Census". Ancestry.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ "Loretta M. Brooks Obituary". Legacy.com. December 27, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Knopper, Steve (December 20, 2022). "'Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer': How a Holiday Gag Became a Christmas Standard". Billboard. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "Foster Brooks: 'Match Game' comedian known as 'Lovable Lush'". Variety. December 24, 2001.
External links
- Foster Brooks at IMDb
- Performing on Dean Martin show on YouTubevideo clip
- Foster Brooks discography at Discogs