Obit: Tom Poston

[chris12]

Actor Tom Poston from Newhart, Mork and Mindy and other shows as well as several game shows has passed away.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,269496,00.html

 

[Studio20]

For a man who portrayed "a man a half-step behind lifes parade" on broadway, tv..and by his own admission in real life......not only did he have a successful career....he was married to Suzanne Pleshette (Emily on The Bob Newhart Show)

And, no I don't care that shes along in years. Shes always been feminine, sexy with a mind and a spine of her own.

Heres to ya Mr. Poston..Thanks for sharing your talents with us.

 

[tlyle]

Loved him in "Coach" as Luthor's dentist. Funniest episode was the time they tried to get the ring off of Christine's hand.

 

[Charles1]

How ironic it is that two of the icons of "To Tell the Truth" passed away within two weeks of each other.

 

[searadiofreak]

I've always thought his best work was on the the 1970's Bob Newhart sitcom, "The Bob Newhart Show". He had some great roles there, especially as the practical joker who doesn't always get the last laugh!

 

[mleach]

he was great in the 1971 flick Cold Turkey as well.

his death is somewhat ironic. Poston was the grand marshall for the Winchester, VA Apple Blossom Fesitval back in 1986 ( with Hal Linden from Barney Miller ). That event is taking place this very weekend there.

BTW this years marshall is Wayne Newton

 

[bpatrick]

I've always thought his best work was on the the 1970's Bob Newhart sitcom, "The Bob Newhart Show". He had some great roles there, especially as the practical joker who doesn't always get the last laugh!

Someone once said that it was appropriate that Emily and the Peeper
were married in real life.

If you can find them, try to get tapes or kinescopes of Steve Allen's
1950s-era Sunday-night show. Not only is Tom there, but so are
Louis Nye and Don Knotts (both of whom have also passed away
within the last couple of years or so); Bill Dana doing Jose Jimenez
(may be offensive today, same with Pat Harrington Jr. doing Guido
Panzini); and (if it's available) a pre-Ed Sullivan appearance by Elvis
Presley--in white tie and tails yet! But you'll get to see why Tom
was such an audience favorite for more than three decades.

As for "To Tell The Truth," who's left now besides Orson Bean and
Polly Bergen (and I don't mean the 2000 version)?

 

[LKellerIII]

"If you can find them, try to get tapes or kinescopes of Steve Allen's
1950s-era Sunday-night show. Not only is Tom there, but so are
Louis Nye and Don Knotts."

I was very young - but my earliest TV memories are of Rosemary Clooney (who my father told me I had a crush on when I was 4 or 5), and the Poston-Knotts-Nye skits from the Steve Allen Show. Poston was a talented man, and will be missed.

 

[Ultimajock]

As for "To Tell The Truth," who's left now besides Orson Bean and
Polly Bergen (and I don't mean the 2000 version)?

...Joe Garagiola, who hosted the 1976-77 season; Garry Moore, while still recuperating from his January 1976 throat cancer operation, made his last TV appearance as a program host on the first program of that season, only to announce his retirement and Garagiola's replacing him as emcee. (Bill Cullen had done the remainder of the 1975-76 season after Moore's cancer treatment began)...

 

[Charles1]

As for "To Tell The Truth," who's left now besides Orson Bean and
Polly Bergen (and I don't mean the 2000 version)?

Garry Moore

I think Garry Moore died in the early '90's. Hope I'm not misunderstanding your post.

The only other semi-regulars from the '70's version who are still alive that I can think of are Gene Shalit and Anita Gillette...and they were both on "What's My Line" more than they were on TTTT.

 

[Ultimajock]

As for "To Tell The Truth," who's left now besides Orson Bean and
Polly Bergen (and I don't mean the 2000 version)?

Garry Moore

I think Garry Moore died in the early '90's. Hope I'm not misunderstanding your post.

...you are; I only brought up Garry Moore in relation to Joe Garagiola's replacing him as host. And in addition to Garagiola, Pat Carroll (more a frequent panelist on "Truth" than a regular) is still alive and working...

...since Poston emceed "Split Personality" in 1959, that also thins the list of surviving 1950s game show hosts; off the top of my head, I can only recall Bob Barker, Mike Wallace, Hugh Downs, Tom Kennedy, Jack Narz, Carl Reiner, Merv Griffin and Walter Cronkite (how early did Dick Clark start?)...

 

[bpatrick]

Garry Moore died in 1993. And I'm thinking
specifically of the 1956-78 period (Collyer/
Moore/Garagiola). AFAIK, some of the panelists
on the 1990-91 show (David Niven Jr., Gloria Loring,
Ron Masak) and certainly the hosts (Gordon Elliott,
Lynn Swann, and Alex Trebek) are still with us.
I also think Robin Ward, host of the 1980-81 version,
is still with us (I prefer to forget that version). But
I was referring to the "classic" years on CBS and
in syndication.

BTW, according to Gil Fates, Garry left "TTTT" in
December 1976 for throat surgery. Bill Cullen moved
into the emcee's chair for a couple of tapings in
January 1977 before Joe Garagiola took over as
interim host (it's likely that Bob Stewart, for whom
Cullen was hosting the syndicated "$25,000 Pyramid"
at the time, wouldn't let Cullen host two syndicated shows).
On the first taping for the 1977-78 season, Garry returned
to let everyone know his health was back, and at that point
Joe became the permanent host for the last season of
that version.

 

[timmyb]

i even remember how the panel was seated in the mid-late 60's edition of "to tell the truth".

left to right: tom poston, peggy cass, orson bean, kitty carlisle.

miss ya, tom. :'(

tb