Saturday, June 17, 2006

THE HAT SQUAD: ROBERT DONNER

The man who played Exidor on 'Mork and Mindy' and Yancy Tucker on 'The Waltons' has died.

The comedian and character actor died on June 8 at his Sherman Oaks home of a heart attack at the age of 75.

Donner also guest starred on such TV series as 'Bonanza', 'Columbo', 'The Six Million Dollar Man', 'Dharma & Greg' and 'Matlock'.

The great thing about the character of Exidor on 'Mork & Mindy' was that we know that couldn't possibly be his real name. Exidor was a street wacko befriended by Mork in Boulder.

As such, we can theorize that perhaps other characters played by Mr. Donner in other shows could have been Exidor, operating either under an assumed name, or known only by a description in a particular episode.

A good example of that would be the barfly who tried to strike up a conversation with 'Columbo' in the episode "Any Old Port In The Storm". (This character is not connected to two other characters he played on 'Columbo', however. As was the case with characters portrayed by Patrick McGoohan, Jack Cassidy, Robert Culp, and espeically Vito Scotti, they were all independent of each other and just happened to resemble one another.)

And it's always poss'ble that Exidor was the illegitimate son of Yancy Tucker, who lived near Waltons' Mountain during the Depression. I say "poss'bly" (as Mushrat of 'Deputy Dawg' would pronounce it) because I don't know if it was ever acknowledged on 'The Waltons' that Yancy had children.

At any rate, Exidor has to rank up near the top of any list compiling the greatest eccentrics of Toobworld.

And he will be missed.

BCnU.....
Tele-Toby

TV SERIES
"Mork & Mindy" - Exidor
"The Waltons" .... Yancy Tucker (1972-1979)
"The Young Pioneers" .... Mr. Peters

TV RECURRING ROLES
"Early Edition" - Lucius Snow
- Time (2000) TV Episode
- Fate (1999) TV Episode
"Legend" - Mayor Chamberlain Brown
- Fall of a Legend (1995) TV Episode
- Revenge of the Herd (1995) TV Episode
- The Life, Death, and Life of Wild Bill Hickock (1995) TV Episode
- Custer's Next to Last Stand (1995) TV Episode
- Mr. Pratt Goes to Sheridan (1995) TV Episode
"MacGyver" - Milt Bozer
- MacGyver's Women (1990) TV Episode
- Serenity (1990) TV Episode
- Halloween Knights (1989) TV Episode (uncredited)
"Falcon Crest" - Tucker Fixx
- Last Dance (1988) TV Episode
- As Tears Go By (1988) TV Episode
- Lovers and Friends (1987) TV Episode
- Hunter's Moon (1987) TV Episode
- Manhunt (1987) TV Episode
"The Fall Guy" - Edmund Trench
- Two on a Skip (1986) TV Episode
- Escape Claus (1985) TV Episode
"Adam-12" - T.J. (Tee Jay)
- Hollywood Division (1973) TV Episode
- Log 93: Once a Junkie (1969) TV Episode
- Log 32: Jimmy Eisley's Dealing Smack (1969) TV Episode
- Log 61 (1968) TV Episode
"Bonanza" - Owen
- The Horse Traders (1970) TV Episode
- Meena (1969) TV Episode

TV SEQUELS & PREQUELS
Alien Nation: Dark Horizon (1994) (TV) .... Sheriff
Columbo: Undercover (1994) (TV) .... Zeke
A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion (1993) (TV) .... Yancy Tucker
Columbo: Caution! Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health (1991) (TV) .... Arnie
A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain (1982) (TV) .... Yancey Tucker
Young Pioneers' Christmas (1976) (TV) .... Mr. Peters
Young Pioneers (1976) (TV) .... Mr. Peters
Nakia (1974) (TV) .... Fischer
Sarge (1971) (TV)
Lassie: Well of Love (1970) (TV) .... Clay Braddock

TV MINI-SERIES
"How the West Was Won" (1978) (mini) TV Series .... Mr. Evans
"Captains and the Kings" (1976) (mini) TV Series .... Wounded Texan

TV MOVIES
With a Vengeance (1992) (TV) .... Det. Max Borovey
The Hit Man (1991) (TV) .... Otto
The Rocket Boy (1989) (TV) .... Hawkhead
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1987) .... Swarma
Standing Tall (1978) (TV) .... Sheriff Brumfield
Trail of Danger (1977) (TV) .... The Sheep Boss
The Boy Who Talked to Badgers (1975) .... Burton
Mrs. Sundance (1974) (TV) .... Ben Lant
The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973) (TV) .... Dispatcher
No Place to Run (1972) (TV) .... Car salesman
The Intruders (1970) (TV) .... Roy Kirsh

TV GUEST ROLES
"Center of the Universe"
- The Break-In (????) TV Episode .... Nathan
"Dharma & Greg"
- Hell No, Greg Can't Go (2000) TV Episode .... Joe
"Pacific Blue"
- Heat of the Moment (1998) TV Episode .... Luther
"The Naked Truth"
- Hero Pig Goes Hog Wild! (1995) TV Episode
"Married with Children"
- Sofa So Good (1994) TV Episode .... Maray the Couch Maker
"Hearts Afire"
- String of Pearls (1993) TV Episode .... Sheriff
"In the Heat of the Night"
- Family Reunion (1992) TV Episode .... Roy Paxton
"Murder, She Wrote"
- From the Horse's Mouth (1991) TV Episode .... Sheriff Tyrone McKenna
- If a Body Meet a Body (1986) TV Episode .... Silas Pike
"MacGyver"
- Cleo Rocks (1989) TV Episode .... Benjamin Wintergreen
- Soft Touch (1987) TV Episode .... Vince
"Good Morning, Miss Bliss"
- The Mentor (1989) TV Episode .... James Lyman
"Matlock"
- The Fisherman (1988) TV Episode .... Tom Jakes
- The Cop (1986) TV Episode .... Truck Buyer
"Rags to Riches"
- A Very Foley Christmas (1987) TV Episode .... Eli Tuttle
"Starman"
- One for the Road (1986) TV Episode .... Joe Connell
"The Fall Guy"
- Boom (1984) TV Episode .... Conlin
- Spaced Out (1983) TV Episode .... Dep. Harris
"The A-Team"
- Breakout! (1984) TV Episode .... Sheriff
"Simon & Simon"
- A Little Wine with Murder? (1984) TV Episode .... Cody Dexter
"Blue Thunder"
- Revenge in the Sky (1984) TV Episode .... Neil Gerrard
"Little House on the Prairie"
- The Older Brothers (1983) TV Episode .... Bart Younger
"Voyagers!"
- Buffalo Bill & Annie Oakley Play the Palace (1983) TV Episode .... Buffalo Bill Cody
"Fame" - That Was the Weekend That Was (????) TV Episode .... Exalted Muskrat
"The Incredible Hulk"
- The Phenom (1981) TV Episode .... Bernard Devlin
- Sideshow (1980) TV Episode .... Mr. Benedict
"Eight Is Enough"
- Fathers and Other Strangers: Part 2 (1979) TV Episode .... Man on Bus
- Fathers and Other Strangers: Part 1 (1979) TV Episode .... Man on Bus
"CHiPs"
- Ride the Whirlwind (1979) TV Episode .... Coby
"Code R"
- Episode dated 4 February 1977 (1977) TV Episode .... Bo Plummer
"Charlie's Angels"
- To Kill an Angel (1976) TV Episode .... Korbin
"City of Angels"
- The Bloodshot Eye (1976) TV Episode
"Sara"
- Episode #1.7 (1976) TV Episode
"S.W.A.T."
- Time Bomb (1975) TV Episode .... Sarge
"Get Christie Love"
- A Few Excess People (1975) TV Episode .... Bernie Karp
"Cannon"
- Perfect Fit for a Frame (1975) TV Episode .... Sheriff
- The Seventh Grave (1973) TV Episode .... Chief
"Gunsmoke"
- The Hiders (1975) TV Episode .... Belnap
- Talbot (1973) TV Episode .... Brown
- A Noose for Dobie Price (1968) TV Episode .... Gil Boylan
"The Six Million Dollar Man"
- Stranger in Broken Folk (1974) TV Episode .... Horace Milser
"McCloud"
- The Concrete Jungle Caper (1974) TV Episode .... Val
"Griff"
- Isolate and Destroy (1973) TV Episode .... Roscoe
"Adam-12"
- Clear with a Civilian: Part 1 (1973) TV Episode .... Harry Rustin
Columbo: Any Old Port in a Storm (1973) (TV) .... The Drunk
"The Rookies"
- Get Ryker (1973) TV Episode .... Ned Collins
"Mannix"
- Climb a Deadly Mountain (1973) TV Episode .... Rizo
"McMillan and Wife"
- Two Dollars on Trouble to Win (1973) TV Episode .... Price
"Kung Fu"
- The Tide (1973) TV Episode .... Houlton
"Ghost Story"
- Creatures of the Canyon (1972) TV Episode .... Ralph
"Alias Smith and Jones"
- The Day the Amnesty Came Through (1972) TV Episode .... Charlie Taylor
- The Bounty Hunter (1971) TV Episode .... Nate
- Never Trust an Honest Man (1971) TV Episode .... Preacher
"Longstreet"
- Survival Times Two (1972) TV Episode .... Fourchet
"The Mod Squad"
- Feet of Clay (1971) TV Episode
- The Hot, Hot Car (1971) TV Episode
"The High Chaparral"
- A Matter of Vengeance (1970) TV Episode .... Wilby
- The Reluctant Deputy (1970) TV Episode .... Sam Pelletier
"The Big Valley"
- Town of No Exit (1969) TV Episode .... Pete Haunch
"The Guns of Will Sonnett"
- Guilt (1968) TV Episode .... Arch Merceen
- Look for the Hound Dog (1968) TV Episode .... Parkin
"The Outsider"
- The Twenty Thousand Dollar Carrot (1968) TV Episode .... Sheriff Wade
"The Virginian"
- Ride to Misadventure (1968) TV Episode .... Matt Dooley
"I Spy"
- Home to Judgment (1968) TV Episode .... Mailman
- Dragon's Teeth (1965) TV Episode .... Dr. Bustard
"Garrison's Gorillas"
- The Great Crime Wave (1967) TV Episode .... Sgt. Winkler
"Run for Your Life"
- Down with Willy Hatch (1967) TV Episode .... Sheriff Hinkleman
"Daniel Boone"
- Take the Southbound Stage (1967) TV Episode .... Pike
- The Trap (1966) TV Episode .... Coot
"Laredo"
- A Question of Guilt (1967) TV Episode .... Patrick Clancy
"Combat!"
- Odyssey (1965) TV Episode .... First American GI
"Rawhide"
- Incident of the Travellin' Man (1963) TV Episode .... Billy Harger
- Judgment at Hondo Seco (1961) TV Episode .... Billings
- Incident of the Running Man (1961) TV Episode .... Toland

[thanks to the IMDb.com]

1 comment:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.