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Don Adams RIP

T

tjthedj

Guest
LOS ANGELES (Sept. 26)- Don Adams, the wry-voiced comedian who starred as the fumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in the 1960s television spoof of James Bond movies, "Get Smart," has died. He was 82.

Adams died of a lung infection late Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his friend and former agent Bruce Tufeld said Monday, adding the actor broke his hip a year ago and had been in ill health since.

As the inept Agent 86 of the super-secret federal agency C.O.N.T.R.O.L., Adams captured TV viewers with his antics in combatting the evil agents of C.H.A.O.S. When his explanations failed to convince the villains or his boss, he tried another tack: "Would you believe...?" It became a national catchphrase.

Smart was also prone to spilling things on the desk or person of his boss Thaddius (actor Edward Platt). Smart's apologetic "Sorry about that, chief" also entered the American lexicon. The spy gadgets, which aped those of the Bond movies, were a popular feature, especially the pre-cell-phone telephone in a shoe.

Smart's beautiful partner, Agent 99, played by Barbara Felden, was as brainy as he was dense, and a plot romance led to marriage and the birth of twins later in the series.

Adams, who had been under contract to NBC, was lukewarm about doing a spy spoof. When he learned that Mel Brooks and Buck Henry had written the pilot script, he accepted immediately. "Get Smart" debuted on NBC in September 1965 and scored No. 12 among the season's most-watched series and No. 22 in its second season.

"Get Smart" twice won the Emmy for best comedy series with three Emmys for Adams as comedy actor.
 
Besides Maxwell Smart, Don Adams is also fondly remembered for a cartoon voice role in the mid 1980's: He played the voice of Inspector Gadget.

He was nearly ten years older than I thought he was.

By the way, "Get Smart" was cancelled by NBC in 1969, but given the fact it was one of the better sitcoms of the era, CBS picked it up for what turned out to be a final season in 1969/1970. Because CBS had Jackie Gleason, "My Three Sons" and "Petticoat Junction" on Saturday nights (the night where "Get Smart" ran on NBC) in 1969, "Get Smart" got moved to Fridays, which I think is what killed the show. Had CBS been able to run it on Saturday nights during the 1969/1970 season, I think the show would have had lasted until 1971, maybe even 1972.
 
> Besides Maxwell Smart, Don Adams is also fondly remembered
> for a cartoon voice role in the mid 1980's: He played the
> voice of Inspector Gadget.

And please don't forget, I did as well as I did in science class because of the adventures of Tennessee Tuxedo!
 
> Besides Maxwell Smart, Don Adams is also fondly remembered
> for a cartoon voice role in the mid 1980's: He played the
> voice of Inspector Gadget.
>
> He was nearly ten years older than I thought he was.
>
> By the way, "Get Smart" was cancelled by NBC in 1969, but
> given the fact it was one of the better sitcoms of the era,
> CBS picked it up for what turned out to be a final season in
> 1969/1970. Because CBS had Jackie Gleason, "My Three Sons"
> and "Petticoat Junction" on Saturday nights (the night where
> "Get Smart" ran on NBC) in 1969, "Get Smart" got moved to
> Fridays, which I think is what killed the show. Had CBS been
> able to run it on Saturday nights during the 1969/1970
> season, I think the show would have had lasted until 1971,
> maybe even 1972.

He also continued the role in the 1980 film "The Nude Bomb", the 1989 TV-Movie update and the 1990s short-lived remake.

He was also the voice of Brain in the "Inspector Gadget" movie and the voice of Tennessee Tuxedo.
 
As Maxwell Smart, Don Adams helped put two catchphrases into the national vocabulary: "Would You Believe??" and "Sorry About That, Chief!".
 
I'm also a fan of the short lived TV show in the 80's called Check it Out, where Don played the role of a Grocery store owner.

He also had some tv ads for long distance savings in the late 90's where he would refer to himself as "A retired agent" who knows how to save on long distance.<P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
 
> As Maxwell Smart, Don Adams helped put two catchphrases into
> the national vocabulary: "Would You Believe??" and "Sorry
> About That, Chief!".
>
There was another catchphrase, "Missed it by that much".<P ID="signature">______________
"Always on the move." Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge Of the Sith</P>
 
> I'm also a fan of the short lived TV show in the 80's called
> Check it Out, where Don played the role of a Grocery store
> owner.
>
> He also had some tv ads for long distance savings in the
> late 90's where he would refer to himself as "A retired
> agent" who knows how to save on long distance.
>
Don also hosted "The Don Adams Screen Test" back in the mid 70's. He's now reunited somewhere with "the Chief" spilling coffee on him.<P ID="signature">______________
"Always on the move." Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge Of the Sith</P>
 
> > I'm also a fan of the short lived TV show in the 80's
> called
> > Check it Out, where Don played the role of a Grocery store
>
> > owner.
> >
> > He also had some tv ads for long distance savings in the
> > late 90's where he would refer to himself as "A retired
> > agent" who knows how to save on long distance.
> >
> Don also hosted "The Don Adams Screen Test" back in the mid
> 70's. He's now reunited somewhere with "the Chief" spilling
> coffee on him.
>

I've always had a fond spot for "Meester Schmart"...as Siegfried (Bernie Kopell) called him. This show has been a candidate for DVD (with commentary) but no one jumped on it in time. Now this wonderfully funny man is gone, a small tragedy, but one of significance that his colorful dialogue on this show is lost. Maybe Barbara Feldon can contribute some of the background to make a Get Smart DVD of value.

Also was very fond of the music for some odd reason. Just enjoyed the humorous score...wish the show didn't have a laughtrack.

Anyone remember the three cars he had during the show. This was one of the classic jokes...Bond drove a very upscale Aston Martin...but Smart drove cars with less...uhhh how do you say....presige. Its kind of funny but his first car did turn out to be a cult classic.....

Those cars....were........(ill post them in a follow up ..but could you remember them?)
 
Answers to Smart's 3 car question....see if you can guess what they are before checking the answer

Sunbeam Tiger
VW Karmann Ghia
"Buick" Opel GT

The sunbeam tiger became a cult classic when a 289 Ford V8 was added to the car....more trivia...
 
> > As Maxwell Smart, Don Adams helped put two catchphrases
> into
> > the national vocabulary: "Would You Believe??" and "Sorry
> > About That, Chief!".
> >
> There was another catchphrase, "Missed it by that much".
>

One more Maxwell Smart catchphrase: "... and loving it!"<P ID="signature">______________
"Radio is like musical chairs. When the music stops, I sit down and say something."</P>
 
> > > As Maxwell Smart, Don Adams helped put two catchphrases
> > into
> > > the national vocabulary: "Would You Believe??" and
> "Sorry
> > > About That, Chief!".
> > >
> > There was another catchphrase, "Missed it by that much".
> >
>
> One more Maxwell Smart catchphrase: "... and loving it!"
>

How about : "I asked you not to tell me that!"
 
> > > I'm also a fan of the short lived TV show in the 80's
> > called
> > > Check it Out, where Don played the role of a Grocery
> store
> >
> > > owner.
> > >
> > > He also had some tv ads for long distance savings in the
>
> > > late 90's where he would refer to himself as "A retired
> > > agent" who knows how to save on long distance.
> > >
> > Don also hosted "The Don Adams Screen Test" back in the
> mid
> > 70's. He's now reunited somewhere with "the Chief"
> spilling
> > coffee on him.
> >
>
> I've always had a fond spot for "Meester Schmart"...as
> Siegfried (Bernie Kopell) called him. This show has been a
> candidate for DVD (with commentary) but no one jumped on it
> in time. Now this wonderfully funny man is gone, a small
> tragedy, but one of significance that his colorful dialogue
> on this show is lost. Maybe Barbara Feldon can contribute
> some of the background to make a Get Smart DVD of value.
>
> Also was very fond of the music for some odd reason. Just
> enjoyed the humorous score...wish the show didn't have a
> laughtrack.
>
> Anyone remember the three cars he had during the show. This
> was one of the classic jokes...Bond drove a very upscale
> Aston Martin...but Smart drove cars with less...uhhh how do
> you say....presige. Its kind of funny but his first car did
> turn out to be a cult classic.....
>
> Those cars....were........(ill post them in a follow up
> ..but could you remember them?)
>
Weren't there plans for a remake of Get Smart? I read somewhere that someone from The Daily Show was or is connected to such a project. Gotta have Mel Brooks behind this.<P ID="signature">______________
"Always on the move." Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge Of the Sith</P>
 
> > > > As Maxwell Smart, Don Adams helped put two
> catchphrases
> > > into
> > > > the national vocabulary: "Would You Believe??" and
> > "Sorry
> > > > About That, Chief!".
> > > >
> > > There was another catchphrase, "Missed it by that much".
> >
> > One more Maxwell Smart catchphrase: "... and loving it!"
> >
> How about : "I asked you not to tell me that!"

I find that hard to believe.<P ID='signature'>______________
September 2005 - South Florida Radio News -- Part 2</P>
 
Re: Answers to Smart's 3 car question....see if you can guess what they are before checking the answer

> Sunbeam Tiger
> VW Karmann Ghia
> "Buick" Opel GT
>
> The sunbeam tiger became a cult classic when a 289 Ford V8
> was added to the car....more trivia...

Did Buick own Opel back then?

73s from 954<P ID="signature">______________
September 2005 - South Florida Radio News</P>
 
Re: Answers to Smart's 3 car question....see if you can guess what they are before checking the answer

> > Sunbeam Tiger
> > VW Karmann Ghia
> > "Buick" Opel GT
> >
> > The sunbeam tiger became a cult classic when a 289 Ford V8
>
> > was added to the car....more trivia...
>
> Did Buick own Opel back then?
>
> 73s from 954
>
GM owns Opel and in the late 60s/early 70s imported some of the sportscars through the Buick division.
 
Re: Answers to Smart's 3 car question....see if you can guess what they are before checking the answer

> > Sunbeam Tiger
> > VW Karmann Ghia
> > "Buick" Opel GT
> >
> > The sunbeam tiger became a cult classic when a 289 Ford V8
>
> > was added to the car....more trivia...
>
> Did Buick own Opel back then?
>
> 73s from 954
>
As the other reply mentioned, Opel was (and still is) a GM marque. In the late 60s and through 1975, GM imported Opels under the Buick name as the conventional wisdom back then was that foreign cars were looked upon as cheap tin boxed economy cars. The Opels were anything but that. I owned a 1975 Opel 1900 sedan (known in Europe as the Ascona) that was one of the best cars I ever owned. The Opel line in the US consisted of the 1900 sedan, the Manta coupe and the GT sports car. Buick sold 15,000 Opels in 1975, then for some inexplicable reason they stopped importing them and brought in Isuzus rebadged as Opels. The public could tell the difference and Buick was lucky to sell 5,000 in 1976. <P ID="signature">______________
"Radio is like musical chairs. When the music stops, I sit down and say something."</P>
 
>
> Weren't there plans for a remake of Get Smart? I read
> somewhere that someone from The Daily Show was or is
> connected to such a project. Gotta have Mel Brooks behind
> this.
>
Yes, and no. See this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425061/

Mel Brooks and Buck Henry have writing credits on the IMDB page, but I don't know if they are for the current project or as the co-creators. However, like almost any of the TV show remakes, I hold out little hope for this one. It seems the only big screen TV series remake I've been satisfied with is The Fugitive, and a great deal of that has to do with Tommy Lee Jones as Marshal Sam Girard. It's also the only big screen TV series remake that has earned a best picture Oscar nomination.<P ID="signature">______________
"Radio is like musical chairs. When the music stops, I sit down and say something."</P>
 
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