John Benjamin Myhers (December 18, 1921 – May 27, 1992) was an American stage and screen actor. His film roles included playing Mr. Bratt in the film adaptation of the

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

'' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (1967), Robert Livingston in the 1972 film adaptation of the

'' 1776'', and as the leader of the Roman Senate in

Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...

' ''

History of the World, Part I ''History of the World, Part I'' is a 1981 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Mel Brooks. Brooks also stars in the film, playing five roles: Moses, Comicus the stand-up philosopher, Tomás de Torquemada, King Louis XVI, ...

'' (1981).

Early life and education

Myhers was born in Strum, Wisconsin, the son of Ole Myhers (1896–1941) and Mabel (née Borreson) Myhers (1902–1964), who later married Hal DeRoach. Myhers began singing at the age of 12 and won several leading roles in the St. Paul Civic Opera during his student years at McPhail School of Music in St. Paul. He served in the United States armed forces in Italy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and stayed in Rome for 11 years after the war. He studied at the American Academy and earned a doctoral degree in literature from the University of Rome.

Career

Theatre

He performed leading roles in Broadway shows such as ''Kiss Me Kate'', ''The Golden Fleecing'' and ''The Good Soup'', and most notably played the role of

Captain Von Trapp Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp (4 April 1880 – 30 May 1947) was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy who later became the patriarch of the Trapp Family Singers. Trapp was the most successful Austro-Hungarian submarine commander of World W ...

in the First National Touring Company of ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

'' in the early 1960s and later. He played opposite

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

in a

Stratford, Connecticut Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Stratford is in the Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was settled b ...

production of ''Antony and Cleopatra''. He also appeared opposite actors such as

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...

and

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film '' The Ten ...

in theatrical plays across the country.

Film

His most notable film role was playing Bert O. Bratt in the film adaptation of '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying''. He played Robert Livingston in '' 1776'' (he also played the role in the

version), and also appeared in

' ''

'' as the leader of the Roman Senate. Other film credits include ''

Quo Vadis ''Quō vādis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you marching?". It is also commonly translated as "Where are you going?" or, poetically, "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Pet ...

'', '' Willard'', '' Weddings and Babies'', and several Disney movies (including ''

Treasure of Matecumbe ''Treasure of Matecumbe'' is a 1976 American adventure western film directed by Vincent McEveety and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was based on the novel ''A Journey to Matecumbe'' by Robert Lewis Taylor. The filming locations were in ...

'', '' The Shaggy D.A.'' and ''

Now You See Him, Now You Don't ''Now You See Him, Now You Don't'' is a 1972 American Science fiction comedy, science fiction comedy film starring Kurt Russell as a chemistry student who accidentally discovers the secret to Invisibility in fiction, invisibility. It is the seque ...

'').

Television

Myhers also had a robust career on television, appearing on shows like ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the '' James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, ...

'', ''

Hogan's Heroes ''Hogan's Heroes'' is an American television sitcom set in a Nazi German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II. It ran for 168 episodes (six seasons) from September 17, 1965, to April 4, 1971, on the CBS network, the longest broadcast ...

'', '' The Mothers-in-Law'', ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marr ...

'', ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'', ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'', ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

'' and ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo ...

''. He was also the voice of

Hector Heathcote Hector Heathcote is a Terrytoons animated cartoon character. Created by Eli Bauer and Ralph Bakshi, he first appeared on July 18, 1959, in ''The Minute and a Half Man.'' He was voiced by John Myhers. Terrytoons created the character for televis ...

on ''The Hector Heathcote Show'' in 1961, and in a series of animated shorts that ran from 1959 to 1971. His last acting appearance was in 1985 on ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television program, television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dysto ...

'' in the episode " Ye Gods".

Personal life and death

Myhers was married to Joan Benedict from 1962 to his death in 1992. Myhers died of pneumonia on May 27, 1992 in Los Angeles, California, at

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2, ...

. He is also survived by his daughter Claudia Myhers Tschudin. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park-Hollywood Hills.

Partial filmography

*''La vendetta del corsaro'' (1951) *''

'' (1951) as Guard (uncredited) *''O.K. Nero!'' (1951) *''The Small Miracle'' (1951) *'' Weddings and Babies'' (1958) as Al *''Saturday Night in Apple Valley'' (1965) *'' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (1967) as Bert O. Bratt *'' The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz'' (1968) as Boss *''

The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell ''The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, and Jeffrey Hunter. It was the final film for Tashlin, who died in 1972. Plot Master Sergeant Dan O'Farrell ...

'' (1968) as Lt. Cmdr. Roger Snavely *'' 2000 Years Later'' (1969) as Air Force General *'' Willard'' (1971) as Carlson *''

'' (1972) as Golfer *'' 1776'' (1972) as Robert Livingston (NY) *''

Snowball Express ''Snowball Express'' is a 1972 American screwball comedy film produced by Ron Miller and Tom Leetch and directed by Norman Tokar. The film is about a man who leaves his middle class job to run a hotel left to him by his great uncle. Plot Johnny ...

'' (1972) as Mr. Manescue *''

Awake and Sing! ''Awake and Sing!'' is a drama written by American playwright Clifford Odets. The play was initially produced by The Group Theatre in 1935. Summary and characters The play is set in The Bronx borough of New York City, New York, in 1933. It con ...

'' (1972 PBS - TV) as Schlosser *'' Walking Tall'' (1973) as Lester Dickens *'' Herbie Rides Again'' (1974) as Announcer at San Francisco's Office of the President *''

The Strongest Man in the World ''The Strongest Man in the World'' is a 1975 American science fiction comedy film directed by Vincent McEveety, produced by Walt Disney Productions and starring Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn, and Eve Arden. It is the second sequel to the 1969 film '' ...

'' (1975) as Mr. Roscoe *'' Linda Lovelace for President'' (1975) as Billy Leroy Boy *''Train Ride to Hollywood'' (1975) as Sheik *'' Street People'' (1976) as Francis (uncredited) *''

'' (1976) as Captain Boomer *'' The Shaggy D.A.'' (1976) as Adm. Brenner *''

The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington ''The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington'' is a 1977 American comedy film directed by William A. Levey. It was the sequel to ''The Happy Hooker'', which was released in 1975. Joey Heatherton replaced Lynn Redgrave as the lead character of Xaviera ...

'' (1977) as Donald Axelrod *''

The Billion Dollar Hobo ''The Billion Dollar Hobo'' is a 1977 American comedy film starring Tim Conway and Will Geer (in his last role). Plot Conway is Vernon Praiseworthy, only heir to his uncle's fortune, who faced poverty and misfortune during the Great Depression b ...

'' (1977) as Cox *''

The Prize Fighter ''The Prize Fighter'' is an American comedy film starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts. Directed by Michael Preece, it was written by Tim Conway and John Myhers, based on a story by Conway. It was released by New World Pictures in November 1979. P ...

'' (1979) as Doyle *''

'' (1981) as Leader of Senate (The Roman Empire)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Myhers, John 1921 births 1992 deaths People from Eau Claire, Wisconsin Male actors from California Male actors from Wisconsin American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American male actors Deaths from pneumonia in California