R.I.P. Jack Klugman

Sorry to hear of the passing of Jack Klugman.  He was 90.  You may remember him as either Oscar Madison or Quincy M.E.  For years before that he was a character actor.  My favorite role of his was as the father in the movie GOODBYE COLUMBUS.  He had the rare ability to be hilariously funny one minute and then heartbreaking the next.  And he was always real.  Lines never felt "written" when he delivered them.

In the '70s when there was a golden age of TV comedy (ALL IN THE FAMILY, MASH, MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, BOB NEWHART SHOW, MAUDE) the one show that was always overlooked was THE ODD COUPLE and yet it was one of my favorites.  Consistently funny and if ever two actors "were" their characters it was Tony Randall as Felix and Jack Klugman as Oscar.   My partner and I began our career by buying an ODD COUPLE TV script and studying it.  So I guess, in an offhanded way, Jack Klugman was an early inspiration.

I can't speak of him personally.  I never met the man.  But I was always a huge fan of his work.  If there is a heaven I can just picture him standing there, looking around, and immediately spotting Tony Randall.  His first words in the afterlife will be "Oh no!"

R.I.P. Jack Klugman.  You will live on in my heart and on MEtv.