Allan Melvin

At 84 years old, Allan Melvin has this physical status:

Allan John Melvin (February 18, 1923 – January 17, 2008) was a British character actor, voice actor, and impressionist who appeared in hundreds of television episodes from the 1950s to the early 1990s, often in recurring roles on various television shows.

Performer Pete Dudley on My Favorite Martian, Corporal Henshaw on The Billy Bunch, Alice's boyfriend Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on both All in the Family and Archie Bunker's Place include playing various characters on The Andy Griffith Show; as real estate salesman Pete Dudley in My Favorite Martian, Archie Bunker's Place, and as Archie Bunker's

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Life and career

Melvin was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Marie and Richard Melvin, but he spent part of his childhood in New York City with his paternal grandparents, Helen (née Campbell) and Frank Melvin. Allan attended Columbia University, and after graduating, he served in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1944, he married Amalia Faustina Sestero in New York City.

He performed a nightclub act and appeared and triumphed on the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts radio show while working in NBC Radio's sound effects team. He got his first glimpse at television by playing Corporal Steve Henshaw on the famous The Phil Silvers Show program, while on Broadway in Stalag 17. "I believe the camaraderie of all those guys made it such a pleasant way to work." They were so relaxed.

Melvin appeared in a few loud, occasionally abrasive, but generally friendly second banana roles during this period. Melvin was also adept at "tough guy" roles, as an example of his versatility as an actor, one episode of The Phil Silvers Show featured Melvin as a Humphrey Bogart impersonator.

Melvin spent time at CBS with Sheldon Leonard and Aaron Ruben in the 1960s. He served as Staff Sgt. Charlie Hacker, who was Sgt. Vince Carter has been Vince Carter's rival for four seasons on Gomer Pyle, USMC. He has also appeared on eight occasions on The Dick Van Dyke Show. In The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty and Bluto, he also provided the voices of cartoon character Magilla Gorilla, the lion Drooper on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, and archvillain Tyrone in The All New Popeye Hour. Melvin has appeared in eight different roles on The Andy Griffith Show, mainly as heavies. He's also appeared on Perry Mason in various roles, including reporter Bert Kannon in the 1966 film "The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise." In the episode "West Of Mars," Allan appeared as the space enforcer on the series Lost in Space in 1966.

Melvin is best known for his appearances on two famous 1970s sitcoms. He played Sam Franklin, the owner of a local butcher shop and boyfriend of the Brady Bunch (played by Ann B. Davis) on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner, Archie Bunker's neighbor and acquaintance on All in the Family. He appeared as a Mel's Diner patron on Alice and as a voice artist (under the name "Al Melvin" in other 1970s pop culture. For the television show H.R., he provided many characters' voices. On the new Adventures of Flash Gordon, Pufnstuf and the voice of Prince Thun of the Lion Men are included. Rocky Maninoff for Tennessee Tuxedo appeared on "Mixed-Up Mechanics" in 1963.

Some of his most popular work was in television advertisements, including Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes and Remington electric razors. With a modified lyric, he sang a few bars of Frank Loesser's "I Believe in You" in the latter commercial. For ten years, Al the Plumber on Liquid-Plumr drain opener commercials was also on display.

Melvin appeared in Archie Bunker's Place in the early 1980s, in which he reprised Barney Hefner's now more prominent role. Melvin's career was mainly dedicated to cartoon voice-overs after the series ended in 1983. His voice acting career lasted until 1994 with Scooby-Doo! His last voice work (again as Magilla Gorilla) was in Arabian Nights before retiring.

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