# R.I.P. William Schallert **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425 "2016-05-09T19:34:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/21 "2016-05-10T01:50:04Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > He was the teacher every kid would have wanted to have on _The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis_, where I first saw him. > [@quiltguy](#): > > I agree. Professor Pomfritt was cool, daddy-o. šŸ†’ > [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Leander Pomfritt and Imogene Burkhart taught just about every class at Central High School and S. Peter Pryor Collegeā€¦and were badly underpaid for having to deal with Dobie and Maynard. Every class, just as he began to talk about his favorite poet (was it Wordsworth?), the bell would ring. Now youā€™ll get to talk to Wordsworth in person, Professor. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/22 "2016-05-10T02:19:31Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Wow\*!\* He was so ubiquitous I had no idea if he was still alive or not, he was always just, there. And not only was he incredibly prolific with a distinctive voice & appearance, the guy was like Dick Clark in that he never seemed to age\*!\* (though he did seem to finally retire 5-10 years ago). Actually, he had a bit part in _Two Broke Girls_ about a year and a half ago. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/23 "2016-05-10T02:21:40Z")
I literally canā€™t remember a time when he wasnā€™t on television, either in a first-run series or at least in syndication. Heā€™s kind of like Lucy or Andy Griffith in that respect, but even better because he could show up anywhere: westerns, sitcoms, soap operas, dramas, cop shows, variety shows, and yes, he even worked with Lucy and Andy Griffith! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/24 "2016-05-10T02:43:18Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Leander Pomfritt and Imogene Burkhart taught just about every class at Central High School and S. Peter Pryor Collegeā€¦and were badly underpaid for having to deal with Dobie and Maynard. Nobody did names like Max Shulman. Yeah, I know that Imogene Burkhart was her real name before Jean Byron went into show biz. But nobody did names like Max Shulman and nobody else on television would have used that name on their show. On one episode the teachers went on strike because of their low wages. A teachersā€™ strike on a 50s sitcom! The only thing less plausible would be a beatnik who touted Thelonious Monk ! ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/25 "2016-05-10T03:05:15Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Nobody did names like Max Shulman. Yeah, I know that Imogene Burkhart was her real name before Jean Byron went into show biz. But nobody did names like Max Shulman and nobody else on television would have used that name on their show. > > On one episode the teachers went on strike because of their low wages. A teachersā€™ strike on a 50s sitcom! The only thing less plausible would be a beatnik who touted Thelonious Monk ! But Dizzy Gillespie was the main cat that Maynard G Krebs touted. I think one episode he did mention Miles Davis who, if you rebooted the show now, would probably be the anointed one. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/26 "2016-05-10T18:14:51Z")
It doesnā€™t show up in his IMDB list but I KNEW I remembered him as a doddering old admiral on _[Get Smart](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0587486/)_! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/27 "2016-05-10T18:22:53Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > It doesnā€™t show up in his IMDB list but I KNEW I remembered him as a doddering old admiral on _[Get Smart](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0587486/)_! Itā€™s right there between _Colossus: The Forbin Project_ and _The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes_. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/28 "2016-05-10T18:59:03Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > It doesnā€™t show up in his IMDB list but I KNEW I remembered him as a doddering old admiral on _[Get Smart](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0587486/)_! See post 18 šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/29 "2016-05-10T19:56:20Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > My favorite Star Trek moment is when Baris says to Kirk and Spock, ā€œI wouldnā€™t expect you or your science officer to know about it, but quadrotriticaleā€“ā€ > > Spock (interrupting): Quadrotriticale is aā€¦ (proceeds to describe it in detail, finishing with) ā€¦the root grain, triticale, can trace its ancestry back to 20th century Canada, whereā€¦ (Kirk interrupts here.) > > Ha! Take that, Baris! > > RIP, the actor. He was remarkable at his craft, adept as the warm friend or even an angry political-appointee pompous ass. He also may have played the perfect straight-man to the single greatest line in all of ST:TOS: BARIS: ā€œCaptain Kirk, how Dare you authorize a mere two men for a project of this importance! Starfleet Commandā€¦ā€ KIRK: ā€œI have never questioned the orders or the intelligence of any representative of the Federation. \_\_ Until nowā€¦ā€ Relevant thenā€¦ and 50 years later, still relevant now. RIP, Mr. Schallertā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/30 "2016-05-11T00:57:12Z")
I remember seeing him in _Innerspace_. I thought at the time: ā€œWow, good to see heā€™s still getting the occasional job.ā€ That was 1987. And he had a _huge_ number of jobs after that! If youā€™re good, you get work. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425/31 "2016-05-13T06:29:51Z")
I canā€™t believe I just learned about his death. Gee, I remember seeing him in the science fiction classics ā€œMan From Planet Xā€ and ā€œGogā€. Some time ago as I was flipping through the channels, I happened to see that he was one of the featured players in ā€œthe New Gidgetā€. I said to myself ā€œitā€™s good that heā€™s alive and that heā€™s keeping active.ā€ That was 1986!!! Wow did he keep himself active! RIP Bill - you will be missed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-william-schallert/754425.md?page=1)