Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was an American

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

and actor, and a founding member of

The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...

Chicago-based comedy troupe as well as its predecessor, the Compass Players. He is known from his film appearances for playing the human leader Kolp in the fourth and fifth ''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...

'' films. His live comedy improv skit under the character of "Walther von der Vogelweide" was influential with two generations of comic performers.

Background

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he attended the University of Chicago, where he was a "campus legend" according to poet Paul Carroll. Darden’s offbeat and intellectual sense of humor was a major element in the style of The Second City at that time, and is evident throughout his work. Carroll described him as a combination of surrealistic New Orleans and tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy. An example of his offbeat humor is the way he squeezed the phrase " Know thyself" into the seven-character limitation of a New Mexico license plate: NOYOSEF. Darden was a core comedian in Paul Sills' Compass Players, the first improvisation theater in the US; it performed around the Chicago area during the mid-1950s. Sills went on to found The Second City in 1959 and brought in many of the comedians from Compass Players, including Darden. He was present at the February 12, 1964 Acid Test organized by the Merry Pranksters in Watts, Los Angeles at ''Youth Opportunities''. He participated with the experimental artists collective "The TeePee Video Space Troupe" (aka "The TP Video Space Troupe") organized by filmmaker Shirley Clarke. Darden appeared in various movies and television series. A signature performance is in the 1967 comedy '' The President's Analyst''; there he plays a major role as Kropotkin, a Soviet agent with a laid-back persona, much like Darden's own. He played a junk dealer in another early film, '' Luv (1967)'', based on the play of the same title by Murray Schisgal, which also starred

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo on the NBC/American Broadcasting Company, ABC series ''Columbo'' (196 ...

, Elaine May, and Nina Wayne. He also played the cold-hearted Kolp in ''

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes ''Conquest of the Planet of the Apes'' is a 1972 American science fiction film directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by Paul Dehn. The film is the sequel to '' Escape from the Planet of the Apes'' (1971) and the fourth installment in the ori ...

'' and '' Battle for the Planet of the Apes''. Among his early TV roles were the artist Karpathia in the ''

Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City Po ...

'' episode "Toody and the Art World"; a toy manufacturer in an episode of ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

''; and Dr. Herb Chisholm in a 1976 episode of the sitcom ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...

''. He appeared in "Never Con a Killer," the 1976 pilot for the crime drama '' The Feather and Father Gang''. Darden was later featured in the 1985 comedy ''

Real Genius ''Real Genius'' is a 1985 American science fiction comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge, written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft, and PJ Torokvei, and starring Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret. The film, set on the campus of Pacific Tech, a scie ...

'' as a highly respected, but befuddled college dean, and in 1986 in the Off-Broadway improvisational sketch comedy show '' Sills & Company,'' directed by

Paul Sills Paul Sills (born Paul Silverberg; November 18, 1927 – June 2, 2008) was an American director and improvisation teacher, and the original director of Chicago's The Second City. Life and career Sills was born Paul Silverberg in Chicago, Illinois ...

. After triple heart bypass surgery, he lived in semi-retirement in Los Angeles; he then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1992, where he died of congestive heart failure at age 65. His interment was at Lake Lawn Park and Mausoleum in his hometown of New Orleans.

Works

Routines

''The Metaphysics Lecture''

This faux university lecture was developed by Darden while with the Compass Players. It was first performed as a solo act in 1959 at the Gate of Horn music club. According to his ''New York Times'' obituary, this routine was influential with two generations of comedians. Darden assumes the character of a German-accented speaker, Prof. Walther von der Vogelweide (borrowing the name of the famous medieval poet). An announcer introduces the lecture as ''A Short Talk on the Universe'', and the professor begins as follows: "Now, why — you will ask me — have I chosen to speak on the Universe, rather than some other topic. Well, it's very simple: there isn’t anything else!" The lecture is loaded with digressions and double-talk about time, space, etc., ending with questions from the audience on which he improvises.

''Oedipus''

This was another Prof. Walther von der Vogelweide lecture (with the assistance of the rest of the Second City cast). The subject was "free will and necessity in the light of ��''

Oedipus Rex ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' (, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. While some scholars have argued that the play was first performed , this is highly uncertain. Originally, to ...

''", or "what would have happened to Oedipus if he had read the book before going on the journey". The professor plays the role of

Oedipus Oedipus (, ; "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family. ...

and refuses to perform the acts that would lead to his fate, but finds that despite his apparent agency the other characters respond in ways that produce the same results. In the first scene, Oedipus encounters his father

Laius In Greek mythology, King Laius ( ) or Laios () of Thebes was a key personage in the Theban founding myth. Family Laius was the son of Labdacus. He was the father, by Jocasta, of Oedipus, who killed him. Mythology Abduction of Chrysip ...

, knowing that if all goes according to the book the two will get into a brawl, and he will commit the serious sin of killing his own father. Aware of this, Oedipus is very deferential to Laius, only to find that the father is extremely touchy and hostile to anything that smacks of

sycophancy In modern English, sycophant denotes an "insincere flatterer" and is used to refer to someone practising sycophancy (i.e., insincere flattery to gain advantage). The word has its origin in the legal system of Classical Athens, where it had a d ...

. Despite Oedipus' continued deference and protestations, Laius becomes increasingly angry and finally suffers a fatal

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. In the next scene, the

Sphinx A sphinx ( ; , ; or sphinges ) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. In Culture of Greece, Greek tradition, the sphinx is a treacherous and merciless being with the head of a woman, th ...

energetically tries to wheedle him into answering her riddle correctly, which Oedipus does not want to do. At one point she says, "Think of the power—of the glory—". He responds, "I don't need power and glory, I'm a

full professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a 'person who professes'. Professors ...

." In the last scene, Oedipus is on the very point of gouging his eyes out when he suddenly stops and says "Wait a minute." He has realized something which he announces to the crowd: the actual results were due to chance or forced on him against his will. He explains how that applies to each "choice" and ends with "It's not my fault!" The people murmur among themselves for a few seconds, then repeatedly shout in agreement, and his eyes are saved. The professor ends the sketch by saying, "So you see, my dear students, the lesson that we learn from this is that Man ''has'' free will, but tragic poets do not, and Art is not Nature."

''Football Comes to the University of Chicago''

This sketch was originally developed for the Compass Players and revisited for Second City. It satirized the university and its students, presenting a possible explanation for the failure to introduce football. A typical coach teaches "Football 202" and struggles with the intellectual students. Darden plays Morgenstern, a student who states his field is the "history of arithmetic". After the coach mentions the football positions called "ends", Morgenstern asks where the beginnings for those ends are, because ends must have beginnings, according to

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

. The coach presents the football, and Morgenstern declares, "It's a demi-poly-tetrahedron."

Films

* '' Goldstein'' (1964) – Doctor * ''The Double-Barrelled Detective Story'' (1965) – H.S. Stevens * '' Dead Heat on a Merry-go-round'' (1966) – Miles Fisher * '' Fearless Frank'' (1967) – Doctor / Claude * '' Luv'' (1967) – Vandergist * '' The President's Analyst'' (1967) – V.I. Kydor Kropotkin * '' P.J.'' (1968) – Shelton Quell * '' Model Shop'' (1969) – Portly Man * '' The Mad Room'' (1969) – Nate * '' Justine'' (1969) – Bathazar * ''The Virgin President'' (1969) – U.S. President / Fillmard Millmore * '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' (1969) – Cecil * '' To See or Not to See'' (animated short; 1969) – Voice * '' Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You'' (1970) * ''Bongo Wolf's Revenge'' (1970) * ''

Vanishing Point A vanishing point is a point (geometry), point on the projection plane, image plane of a graphical perspective, perspective rendering where the two-dimensional perspective projections of parallel (geometry), parallel lines in three-dimensional ...

'' (1971) – J. Hovah * '' The Hired Hand'' (1971) – McVey * '' Werewolves on Wheels'' (1971) – One * '' The Last Movie'' (1971) (also composer) – Mayor * '' Cisco Pike'' (1972) – Lawyer * '' The War Between Men and Women'' (1972) – Dr. Harris * '' Every Little Crook and Nanny'' (1972) – Dominic * ''

'' (1972) – Kolp * ''The Legend of Hillbilly John'' (1972) – Mr. Marduke * '' Play It as It Lays'' (1972) – Hypnotist * '' Dirty Little Billy'' (1972) – Big Jim McDaniel * '' Battle for the Planet of the Apes'' (1973) – Governor Kolp * ''

The Day of the Dolphin ''The Day of the Dolphin'' is a 1973 American science fiction thriller film directed by Mike Nichols and starring George C. Scott. Based on the 1967 novel '' Un animal doué de raison'' (lit. ''A Sentient Animal''), by French writer Robert Mer ...

'' (1973) – Schwinn – Foundation * '' I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?'' (1975) – Mr. Fletch / Dr. deHart * '' Jackson County Jail'' (1976) – Sheriff Dempsey * '' Mother, Jugs & Speed'' (1976) – Moran * '' Victory at Entebbe'' (1976, TV Movie) – Moshe Meyer * '' Wanda Nevada'' (1979) – Merlin Bitterstix * '' A Small Circle of Friends'' (1980) – Art Professor * ''

Why Would I Lie? ''Why Would I Lie?'' is a 1980 American comedy-drama film about a compulsive liar named Cletus ( Treat Williams). The film, which was directed by Larry Peerce and shot in Spokane, Washington, is based on the novel ''The Fabricator'' by Hollis ...

'' (1980) – Dr. Barbour * '' In God We Tru$t'' (1980) – Priest * '' Hopscotch'' (1980) – Maddox * ''Soggy Bottom U.S.A.'' (1981) – Horace Mouthamush * '' Saturday the 14th'' (1981) – Van Helsing * '' Quarterback Princess'' (1983) – Mr. Hobart * ''A Minor Miracle'' (1983) – Seminary Provincial * ''

'' (1985) – Dr. Meredith * '' Back to School'' (1986) – Dr. Borozini * '' The Telephone'' (1988) – Max

Television series

* ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (1961) (Season 7 Episode 6: "Beta Delta Gamma") as Franklin * '' Charlie Paradise'' TV series pilot (1960). Darden played an eccentric painter named Flute who is murdered in his Greenwich Village studio in this unsold pilot intended as a spinoff to the Edward Binns CBS drama "Brenner", and which was eventually repackaged for air as the last episode of the series. * ''

'' (1962) (Season 1 Episode 21: "Toody and the Art World") Darden plays Karpathia, a painter whose work appears to awaken an enthusiasm for modern art in Toody. This episode is particularly notable because Karpathia's temperament and accent somewhat resemble those of Professor Walther von der Vogelweide. Thus the portrayal gives us a hint of what Darden was like in his lectures. Darden's scenes take up about 9 minutes of the episode. * '' Honey West'' (1966) (Season 1 Episode 27: "Little Green Robin Hood") as Dr. Gregory Ames * ''

'' (1966) (Season 1 Episode 3: "Monkee vs. Machine") He plays the confused president of a toy company who is manipulated by Daggart ( Stan Freberg), a scheming executive who wants to make shoddier toys for the purpose of "planned obsolescence". * ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon and starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful but guileless 2,000-year-old Jinn, genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom s ...

'' (1967) (Season 3 Episode 12: "Jeannie and the Great Bank Robbery") as Milton * ''

'' (1968) (Season 2 Episode 19: "The Monkee's Paw") In a very brief scene, Darden has an uncredited role as a psychiatrist who angrily insists that the Monkees' interpretations of inkblots are wrong. This is notable because the portrayal is exactly like Professor Walther von der Vogelweide in his most vehement moments. * ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

'' (1968) (Season 5 Episode 9: "Valley of the Sun") as Sir Hubert Spencer * '' It Takes a Thief'' (1969) (Season 3 Episode 1: "Saturday Night in Venice") as Ambassador Nikolai Palenkin * ''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western television series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel (and, after Duel's death, Roger Davis) as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy ...

'' (1971) (Season 1 Episode 14: "Never Trust an Honest Man") Oscar Harlenjen and Alan Harlenjen (In a dual role, as father and son) * ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, '' The Twilight Zon ...

'' (1972) (Season 2 Episode 21: "You Can't Get Help Like That Anymore") as Dr. Kessler * '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker'' (1974) (Season 1 Episode 9: "The Spanish Moss Murders") as Dr. Aaron Pollack * ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

'' (1975) (TV movie) "The New Original Wonder Woman" * '' The Ghost Busters'' (1975) (Season 1 Episode 11: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...Together, for the First Time!") as Dr. Jekyll * ''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th Street in Greenwich Village (Lower Manhattan). The series was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Janu ...

'' (1976) (Season 2 Episode 22: "The Mole") as Randolph Cook * ''Captains and the Kings'' (1976) (TV movie) as Plover * ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test f ...

'' (1976) ** (Season 3 Episode 17: "The Secret of Bigfoot, Part 1") as Apploy ** (Season 3 Episode 18: "The Secret of Bigfoot, Part 2") as Apploy ** (Season 4 Episode 1: "The Return of Bigfoot, Part 1") as Apploy * ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction film, science fiction Action-adventure fiction, action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg (novel), ''Cyborg'' by ...

'' (1976) (Season 2 Episode 1: "The Return of Bigfoot: Part II") as Apploy * ''

Laverne & Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' is an American television sitcom that ran for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' stars Penny Marshall and Cindy Wi ...

'' (1977) (Season 2 Episode 23: "Citizen Crane") as Charles Pfister Krane * ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...

'' (1983) (Season 2 Episode 4: "Homicidal Ham") as Professor DeWitt (with fellow Second City alumni Shelley Long and George Wendt) * '' The Paper Chase'' (1984) (Season 2 Episode 12: "The War of the Wonks") as Professor Edwin * '' Faerie Tale Theatre'' (1986) (Season 5 Episode 2: "The Princess Who Had Never Laughed") as Farmer Silas * ''

Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...

'' (1988) (Season 1 Episode 20: "To Reign in Hell") as Waterman (uncredited) * ''

'' (1989) (Season 2 Episode 14: "When the Blue Bird Sings") as Mr. Smythe

Recordings

* ''The Metaphysics Lecture'' (recorded Jan. 30, 1961) and ''Oedipus'' are on an LP of Darden comedy routines titled . * ''Football Comes to the University of Chicago'' is on CD 3 of the collection .

References

External links

* * *
Football Comes to the University of Chicago
(excerpt, video) o
Second City's official Vimeo channel
This is a different performance from that on the ''American Comedy Box'' (see above).

The

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

professor recalls some anecdotes from his time as a University of Chicago student, including a few of Darden's escapades. His brother, José Benardete, is cited in the Metaphysics Lecture as the author of an imaginary work. {{DEFAULTSORT:Darden, Severn American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from New Orleans 1929 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American comedians Comedians from New Orleans