You've heard the last of Ernest T. Bass: Howard Morris dead at 86

Cafe Society
1

Howard Morris is dead of natural causes. Eighty-six years (and five wives) is a pretty good run.

He was a truly gifted physical and vocal comedian. “She hadn’t oughta have called me a creach-ter!” and “Ol’ Man Haney’s Ocean!” are two of his many lines that will make mel pause in channel surfing if it’s that episode, and his appearance on the This is Your Life parody of Sid Caesar is one of the funniest bits of slapstick I’ve ever seen. And of course, who doesn’t remember where they were when they heard this great song from the 60s:

RIP, Ernest T.- may angels guide you the white cotton of the angels.

2

AWW! What a bummer.

3

His wacky voice characterizations were heard in many cartoons:
http://voices.fuzzy.com/actor.idc?actor_id=907

He will be missed. :frowning:

4

I don’t know what’s sadder; Mr. Morris’ passing or the fact that there are only 4 posts in this thread. :frowning:

5

Torgo
Yeah, I was surprised at the lack of replies too.
Howie Morris literally goes back to the early days of television with Sid Ceasar, Imogene Coca, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, etc. Plus he made a great number of guest appearances on numerous shows.

6

I was surprised to learn that he only made five appearances on TAGS. He contributed so much it seems like he was on it more often. (He was still pretty spry and limber in the reunion movie. He was even funny in the blah Mel Brooks movie Life Sucks a few years ago.

Trivia: the disposition of his ashes in the movie Life Sucks was based on the disposition of Howard’s father’s ashes IRL. (Mel Brooks went with him to toss his dad’s ashes in the Hudson while Sid Caesar was still running- he has some hysterical tales of his time with Howard on that show, including the “great place for a mugging” story.)

More Trivia: Though he’ll be best remembered as a Tarheel hillbilly, Morris was born and raised in the Bronx and never left NYC until he was an adult (WW2).

Yet More Trivia: two years ago he appeared in a sold-out stage performance of Love Letters with Betty “Thelma Lou” Lynn.

7

He made other appearances besides Ernest T. TV Land showed one of him as a TV repairman, and he’s the radio singer Leonard Blush in that one episode.

Shame to see him go. He was a nice old codger.

8

In the 50s, I apparently caught him in a road company version of Finnian’s Rainbow with him as Og the leprechan (sp) I came across the program about 10 years ago when my mother died and it had Morris’ name. I was very young but I remember the antics of Og, who I now know was Morris, eanthralled me.

Watching him on talk shows was fascinating too. He was always very cultured and controled as opposed to the frenetic characters he place with Sid Ceasar and on Griffith.

9

“She called me a creatchur.”

:: sigh ::