Allan John Melvin (February 18, 1923 – January 17, 2008) was an American actor and impressionist, who was cast in hundreds of television episodes from the 1950s to the early 1990s, often appearing in recurring roles on various series. Some of those roles and series include portraying various characters on: The Andy Griffith Show, as real estate salesman Pete Dudley in My Favorite Martian, as Corporal Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show, Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, USMC, Alice's boyfriend Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and as Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on both All in the Family and Archie Bunker's Place. He has also voiced Tyrone the Bulldog, an archvillain (with his aliases The Jester, The Puzzler, Poochquin, Sheriff of Sherwood, and many others) in the live-action/animated series The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty and was Magilla Gorilla on The Magilla Gorilla Show, as well as Drooper on The Banana Splits.

Life and career Melvin served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during WWII. While working at a job in the sound effects department of NBC Radio, he did a nightclub act and appeared in and won on the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts radio show. While appearing on Broadway in Stalag 17, he got his break into television by getting the role of Corporal Steve Henshaw on the popular The Phil Silvers Show program. 'Brady Bunch' actor dies at 84, an Associated Press article via CNN "I think the camaraderie of all those guys made it such a pleasant way to work. They were so relaxed."

During this period, in addition to his role on The Phil Silvers Show, Melvin was often cast in slightly loud, occasionally abrasive, but generally friendly second banana roles. Melvin was also adept at "tough guy" roles; in an example of his range as an actor, one episode of The Phil Silvers Show featured Melvin doing an impersonation of Humphrey Bogart.

In the 1960s, Melvin worked extensively at CBS for Sheldon Leonard and Aaron Ruben. He made eight guest appearances on The Andy Griffith Show in eight different roles, usually as heavies, and a further appearance as yet another character on its successor show, Mayberry, R.F.D.. He played Staff Sgt. Charlie Hacker, who was Sgt. Vince Carter's rival, for four seasons on the Andy Griffith Show spin-off Gomer Pyle, USMC. He also made eight appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show.

He provided the voices of cartoon characters Magilla Gorilla and Punkin' Puss on Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse, the lion Drooper on The Banana Splits, archvillain Tyrone in The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty and Bluto on The All New Popeye Hour. He also made three guest appearances on Perry Mason in various roles, including reporter Bert Kannon in the 1966 episode "The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise." In the same year, Allan played the space enforcer on the series Lost in Space, in the episode "West of Mars".

Melvin is remembered for supporting roles on two popular 1970s sitcoms. He played Sam Franklin, the owner of a local butcher shop and boyfriend of the Brady's housekeeper Alice (played by Ann B. Davis) on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner, Archie Bunker's neighbor and friend on All in the Family. In other contributions to 1970s pop culture, he worked as a voice artist (under the name "Al Melvin"). He provided several characters' voices for the TV show H.R. Pufnstuf and the voice of Prince Thun of the Lion Men on The New Adventures of Flash Gordon. He also provided the voice of Rocky Maninoff for Tennessee Tuxedo in the episode "Mixed-up Mechanics" in 1963.

He also worked extensively in television commercials, including fifteen years as Al the Plumber on Liquid-Plumr drain opener commercials.McLellan, Dennis. "Allan Melvin 1923–2008: Character actor on 'All in the Family,' 'Phil Silvers Show,'" Los Angeles Times, Saturday, January 19, 2008.

From 1979 to 1983, Melvin appeared as a regular in Archie Bunker's Place, in which he reprised the now more important role of Barney Hefner. After the series ended in 1983, Melvin's work was exclusively devoted to cartoon voice-overs. His voice acting career continued until 1994, with Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights being his final voice work (again as Magilla Gorilla) before retiring.

Death Melvin died of cancer on January 17, 2008, aged 84,Reuters and was buried at Westwood Memorial Cemetery in Los Angeles.The AV Club

Filmography Year(s) Program/Movie Roles Notes1955-59 The Phil Silvers Show Cpl. Steve Henshaw; Indian Chief; Benny 143 episodes1961-66 The Dick Van Dyke Show Sol Pomerantz; Guard Jenkins; Gun Drummer' Harrison B. Harding; Sam Pomerantz; Sam Pomeroy 8 episodes1962-64 Make Room for Daddy Officer Johnson; Policeman; Fake Termite Inspector 3 episodes1962-67 The Andy Griffith Show Clarence 'Doc' Malloy in Jailbreak; Escaped Prisoner in Andy's Vacation; Clyde Plaunt in Howard's Main Event; Hotel Detective Bardoli in Andy & Barney in the Big City; Myrt's Accomplice Jake in Barney's First Car; Recruiting Sergeant in Ernest T. Bass Joins the Army; Farmer Neal in Lawman Barney; Fred Plummer in Barney's Uniform 8 episodes1963 Perry Mason Carl Jasper Beetle Bailey Sgt. Snorkel; Otto; ZeroNote: He wrote two episodes of the show1963-66 The FlintstonesQuartz; Jane; Cop; Stony; Sergeant; Elephant; Sportscaster; Len Frankenstone; Bony Hurdle; Mr. Nate Slate; Hoss Cartrock; Sheriff Craig; Boudler; Thug #1; Pig; Superstone; Bugsy; Bartender; Mailman; Head #1; Tom; Car 7 Policeman; Rockarabian Men 13 episodes1964-66 The Magilla Gorilla Show Magilla Gorilla, Punkin' Puss1964 Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! Police Sergeant My Favorite Martian Pete Dudley 1 episode, "The Sinkable Mrs. Brown"1964-65 The Joey Bishop Show Art Miller 8 Episodes1965 Sinbad Jr. and His Magic Belt additional voices Secret Squirrel1965-69 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Staff Sergeant Charley Hacker 16 episodes1966 Lost in Space Enforcer Claudio / Little Joe / Gambling Machine 2 episodes Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? Alice's Father; Humphrey Dumpty TV special1968 The Adventures of Gulliver Bunko; Brunik the Wild Hermit With Six You Get Eggroll Police Desk Sergeant 1968-70 The Banana Splits Adventure Hour Drooper / Banana Vac 1969 Cattanooga Cats Bumbler; Bristle Hound Mod Squad Fred Croftepisode: To Linc - With Love 1969-71 Love, American Style Various1969-74 The Brady Bunch Sam Franklin8 episodes1970 Pufnstuf H. R. Pufnstuf; Henrich Rat; Living Island Boat; Orville Pelican; Polka-Dotted Horse; Stupid Bat; West Wind Mayberry R.F.D. Earlepisode: Hair1972-79 All in the Family Sgt. Pulaski (1 episode - S2E3: "Archie in the Lock-Up"); Barney Hefner (24 episodes) 25 episodes1972 The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Drooper episode: The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Magilla Gorilla, Additional voices episode: Yogi's Ark Lark1972-73 Wait Till Your Father Gets Home additional voices1973-75 Yogi's Gang Magilla Gorilla, Additional voices1974 These Are the Days additional voices Hong Kong Phooey1976 Dynomutt, Dog Wonder1977 CB Bears1977-78 Fred Flintstone and Friends Magilla Gorilla, Additional voices1977-80 Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels additional voices1978 Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue DrooperTV special The Scooby-Doo Show additional voices Fangface1978-83 The All New Popeye Hour Bluto1979 The Popeye Valentine Special: Sweethearts at Sea TV special The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show additional voices1979-82 The New Adventures of Flash Gordon Thun the Lion Man; King Vultan 24 episodes1979-83 Archie Bunker's Place Barney Hefner 94 episodes1981 Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Electro (Marvel Comics); additional voices 1981-82 The Kwicky Koala Show Joey Bungle16 episodes1982 Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour additional voices Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper Magilla Gorilla, Additional voices TV special1984 Challenge of the GoBots additional voices1984-87 The Smurfs1985 Galtar and the Golden Lance Yogi's Treasure Hunt1985-87 The Jetsons1986-87 Foofur Chucky the Rat, Additional voices1987 Popeye and Son Bluto, J. Wellington Wimpy DuckTales Captain Bounty, Mr. Sparks episode: Bermuda Triangle Tangle Yogi's Great Escape Bandit Bear TV movie1988 The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound Magilla Gorilla, Additional voices The New Yogi Bear Show Growler Bear Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bearsadditional voices1990 TaleSpin Warden Slammerepisode: Gruel and Unusual Punishment The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda additional voices1990-91 Wake, Rattle, and Roll Magilla Gorilla1991 Yo Yogi! Magilla "Ice" Gorilla1994 Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights Magilla Gorilla TV movie; his final role

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