Bert Gordon (comedian)

Bert Gordon (April 8, 1895 – November 30, 1974) was an American comedian and voice actor who appeared in vaudeville, radio, and occasionally films.

Gordon was born Barney Gorodetsky. He appeared in many roles over his lengthy career and was known by the moniker "The Mad Russian". He was a regular on ''The Eddie Cantor Program'', and also appeared on '' The Jack Benny Program'', and ''The Abbott and Costello Program''. In 1945 he starred in his own film vehicle, '' How Doooo You Do!!!'', directed by Ralph Murphy; the film takes its title from Gordon's distinctive way of introducing himself, which became a catch phrase in the early 1940s.

Gordon played himself in an episode of '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' in 1964 along with several other radio-era performers.

Filmography

*''Madison Square Garden'' (1932)
*'' She Gets Her Man'' (1935)
*'' The Affair of Susan'' (1935)
*'' New Faces of 1937'' (1937)
*'' Outside of Paradise'' (1938)
*'' Sing for Your Supper'' (1941)
*'' Laugh Your Blues Away'' (1942; second billing)
*'' Let's Have Fun'' (1943; top billing)
*'' How Doooo You Do!!!'' (1945; top billing)

In popular culture

Gordon's character was parodied a number of times in Warner Bros. cartoons, including:
*Bob Clampett's '' What's Cookin' Doc?'' (1944), in which Bugs Bunny wins a "Booby Prize Oscar", and tells it "I'll take youse to bed with me every night,", upon which the Oscar-like statue comes to life and says, in The Mad Russian's voice, "Do you mean it?"."A Tale of Two Gordons"
on the WFMU website
*Clampett's '' Russian Rhapsody'' (1944), in which a "Gremlin from the Kremlin" says "How do you doooo" with Gordon's inflections before hitting Hitler with a mallet.
*Clampett's '' Hare Ribbin''' (1944), in which the Gordon character, voiced by Sammy Wolfe, is a dog with red hair who chases Bugs Bunny.Beck, Jerry and Friedwald, Will. ''Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoon''. New York, Henry Holt, 1989. p.151
* Abbott and Costello, a contemporary comedy duo, parodied his "How do you dooooooo" catchphrase in an early 1940s episode of their radio series, which was later reissued on vinyl and audio cassette in the 1970s.

References

External links

*
"A Tale of Two Gordons"
on the WFMU website

1895 births
1974 deaths
20th-century American comedians
20th-century American Jews
20th-century American male actors
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male radio actors
Burials at Eden Memorial Park Cemetery
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Male actors from New York City
American vaudeville performers

{{US-radio-bio-stub