Tom Bosley

Thomas Edward Bosley (October 1, 1927 – October 19, 2010) was an American actor, television personality and entertainer. Bosley is best known for portraying Howard Cunningham on the ABC sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984) for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nomination. Bosley also did a variety of voiceover work such as playing the lead character in the animated series '' Wait Till Your Father Gets Home'', and the narrator of the syndicated film history documentary series '' That's Hollywood''. He was also known for his role as Sheriff Amos Tupper in the Angela Lansbury-led CBS mystery series ''Murder, She Wrote'' (1984–1988), and as the title character in the NBC/ABC series ''Father Dowling Mysteries'' (1989–1991).

Known for his work on stage, he originated the role of Fiorello La Guardia in the Broadway musical '' Fiorello!'', earning the 1960 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. He's also known for his film appearances in '' Love with the Proper Stranger'' (1963), '' The World of Henry Orient'' (1964), '' Divorce American Style'' (1967), '' Yours, Mine and Ours'', '' The Secret War of Harry Frigg'' (both 1968), '' Gus'' (1976), and '' The Back-up Plan'' (2010).

Bosley made his television debut as the Knave of Hearts in the NBC adaptation of ''Alice in Wonderland'' in 1955. He gained attention as a character actor performing various roles in shows such as '' Naked City'', '' Profiles in Courage'', '' The Defenders'', ''Night Gallery'', ''Get Smart'', '' Bewitched'', and '' Mission: Impossible''.

Early life

Born and raised in Chicago, Bosley was the son of Dora (née Heyman) and Benjamin Bosley. Although well known for playing a Catholic priest and Protestant patriarchs, Bosley was actually Jewish.

Career

Early roles and stage roles

Bosley played the Knave of Hearts in a ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'' telecast of Eva Le Gallienne's production of ''Alice in Wonderland'' in 1955. But his breakthrough stage role was New York mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia in the long-running Broadway musical '' Fiorello!'' (1959), for which he won a Tony Award.

Among his early television appearances was in 1960 on the CBS summer replacement series, '' Diagnosis: Unknown'', with Patrick O'Neal. In 1962, he portrayed Assistant District Attorney Ryan in the episode "The Man Who Wanted to Die" on James Whitmore's ABC legal drama '' The Law and Mr. Jones''. Also in 1962, Bosley played Teddy opposite Tony Randall and Boris Karloff in '' Arsenic & Old Lace'' for the ''Hallmark Hall of Fame''. About this time, he was a guest star on the NBC police sitcom, ''Car 54, Where Are You?''. In June 1964, he appeared on the satirical television comedy revue, '' That Was the Week That Was''.
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He also appeared on episodes of ''Bonanza'', '' Bewitched'', ''Get Smart'', ''The Silent Force'', '' The Streets of San Francisco'', ''Night Gallery'', '' A Touch of Grace'', and ''The Love Boat''. In 1969, Bosley appeared in a comical episode of '' The Virginian'', titled "Crime Wave in Buffalo Springs," appearing alongside fellow guest-stars James Brolin, Yvonne De Carlo, Carrie Snodgress, Gary Vinson, with ''Virginian'' regulars David Hartman and Doug McClure.

Bosley's first motion picture role was in 1963, as the would-be suitor of Natalie Wood in '' Love with the Proper Stranger.'' Other films include '' The World of Henry Orient''; '' Divorce American Style''; '' Yours, Mine and Ours''; '' Gus'' and the made-for-television '' The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal''. Bosley shared a heartfelt story about his own experience with the Holocaust in the documentary film '' Paper Clips''.

In 1994, he originated the role of Maurice in the Broadway version of Disney's ''Beauty and the Beast''. Bosley toured as Cap'n Andy in Harold Prince's 1994 revival of ''Show Boat''.

''Happy Days'' and other film and television roles

Bosley's best-known role was the character Howard Cunningham in the sitcom ''Happy Days''. He portrayed Sheriff Amos Tupper on ''Murder, She Wrote'' and the eponymous Father Frank Dowling on ''Father Dowling Mysteries''. Among myriad television appearances, one notable early performance was in the "Eyes" segment of the 1969 pilot of Rod Serling's ''Night Gallery'', directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Joan Crawford. In 1977, he appeared in the miniseries ''Testimony of Two Men'' and, in 1978, he played the role of Benjamin Franklin in the television mini-series '' The Bastard'', a role he replayed the following year in the sequel '' The Rebels''.

His film appearances included roles in '' Love with the Proper Stranger'' (1963), '' The World of Henry Orient'' (1964), '' Divorce American Style'' (1967), '' Bang Bang Kid'' (1967), '' The Secret War of Harry Frigg'' (1968), '' Yours, Mine and Ours'' (1968), '' To Find a Man'' (1972), '' Mixed Company'' (1974), '' The Night That Panicked America'' (1975), '' Gus'' (1976), '' The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal'' (1979), '' O'Hara's Wife'' (1982), '' Million Dollar Mystery'' (1987), and ''Wicked Stepmother'' (1989).

Bosley starred in the 2008 Hallmark Channel television movie '' Charlie & Me''. In 2010, he appeared in '' The Back-up Plan'' and '' Santa Buddies'', which were his final films. In 1984, he guest-hosted the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular with local newscaster Pat Harper.

Voice-over roles

Bosley was known for his unique gravelly voice, leading to a number of voice acting roles. He narrated the syndicated television documentary ''That's Hollywood'' (1976–82). He hosted '' The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater'', a 1977 radio drama series for children. He voiced many cartoon characters, including Harry Boyle in the animated series '' Wait Till Your Father Gets Home''. Bosley was the voice of B.A.H. Humbug in the 1978 Rankin & Bass holiday special '' The Stingiest Man in Town''. He provided the voice of the title character in the 1980s cartoon '' The World of David the Gnome'' and the shop owner Mr. Winkle in the children's Christmas special ''The Tangerine Bear''.

Endorsements

From the 1950s through the 1990s, Bosley appeared in numerous television commercials including Studebaker automobiles (1956), and Glad sandwich and garbage bags. He appeared in radio commercials for the new Saturn car company, a "different kind of car company," in 1990. Later in life, he was the television spokesman for SMC (Specialty Merchandise Corporation), a national wholesaler and drop shipper.

Bosley was a spokesman for YES Entertainment Network, Inc., a fraudulent internet firm scheme that defrauded $13 million from investors around the country in the late 1990s.

Death

Bosley died from complications of a staph infection on October 19, 2010, at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, near his home in Palm Springs, California."Tom Bosley, Father on 'Happy Days,' Dies at 83"
Associated Press via ''The New York Times'', October 19, 2010. His agent, Sheryl Abrams, said Bosley, a longtime smoker, had been battling lung cancer. He was survived by his wife, former actress Patricia Carr, and daughter Amy Bosley Baer, who married Matthew Baer, son of Richard Baer.

''Happy Days'' lawsuit

On April 19, 2011, Bosley's estate and four of his ''Happy Days'' co-stars, Erin Moran, Don Most, Marion Ross, and Anson Williams, filed a $10 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS, which owns the show, claiming they had not been paid for merchandising revenues owed under their contracts. The cast members claimed they had not received revenues from show-related items, including comic books, T-shirts, scrapbooks, trading cards, games, lunchboxes, dolls, toy cars, magnets, greeting cards, and DVDs where their images appear on the box covers. Under their contracts, they were supposed to be paid five percent from the net proceeds of merchandising if their sole image were used, and half that amount if they were in a group. CBS said it owed the actors $8,500 and $9,000 each, most of it from slot machine revenues, but the group said they were owed millions. The lawsuit was initiated after Ross was informed by a friend playing slots at a casino of a "Happy Days" machine on which players win the jackpot when five Marion Cunninghams (Ross's character on ''Happy Days'') are rolled.

In October 2011, a judge rejected the group's fraud claim, which if proved could have garnered them millions of dollars in punitive damages, above and beyond any actual damages proven. On June 5, 2012, a judge denied a motion filed by CBS to have the case thrown out, which meant it would go to trial on July 17 if the matter was not settled by then. In July 2012, the actors settled their lawsuit with CBS. Each received a payment of $65,000 and a promise by CBS to continue honoring the terms of their contracts.

Filmography and stage roles

Film

Television

Stage

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bosley, Tom
1927 births
2010 deaths
Male actors from Chicago
Jewish American military personnel
United States Navy personnel of World War II
American male musical theatre actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Audiobook narrators
Deaths from lung cancer in California
DePaul University alumni
Infectious disease deaths in California
Jewish American male actors
Tony Award winners
United States Navy sailors
Military personnel from Illinois
American male film actors
Deaths from staphylococcal infection
21st-century American Jews