Don Adams

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For other people see Don Adams (disambiguation)

Don Adams
Adams as Maxwell Smart on Get Smart
Born	April 13, 1923  New York, New York
Died	September 25, 2005 (aged 82)  Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Actor and stand-up comedian
Spouse	Judy Luciano (1977-06-10–1990) (divorced) 1 child Dorothy Bracken (1960–1976) (divorced) 2 children Adelaide Efantis Adams (1945–1960) (divorced) 4 children
Parents	William Yarmy, Consuelo Morgan
Children	Beige, Carolyn, Catherine, Christine, Cecily, Stacey, Sean

Don Adams (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), born Donald James Yarmy, was an American actor best known for his role as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the TV situation comedy Get Smart (1965–1970, 1995), for which he also directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Smart (1967–1969). Additional fame came when he provided the voice for Inspector Gadget as the title character.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Career 1.3 Personal life 2 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Adams was born in New York City to William Yarmy, a Hungarian Jew, and Consuelo Morgan, a Catholic of Dutch and Irish heritage;[1] he was not raised in any religion but became a practicing Catholic later on in his life. Adams served with the United States Marine Corps during World War II in the Pacific Theater and later as a drill instructor. He was the only member of his platoon to survive the Battle of Guadalcanal, but he contracted malaria during the invasion and nearly died of blackwater fever.

He later worked as a comic and mimic, taking the stage name of Adams after marrying singer Adelaide (Dell) Efantis, who performed under the name Adelaide Adams. After their divorce, he still went by the stage name, Adams, explaining (perhaps comically) that he kept it because he got tired of being last during alphabetical auditions.

[edit] Career

His work on television began in 1954, when he won "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" with a stand-up comedy act written by boyhood friend Bill Dana. In addition to appearing on numerous comedy, variety, and dramatic series, Adams had a role on the NBC sitcom The Bill Dana Show (1963-65), as a bumbling hotel detective—a character nearly identical to what was soon to become "Maxwell Smart" on Get Smart. The hotel manager was played by Jonathan Harris who later did a guest role on Get Smart in 1970.

Adams's projects after Get Smart were less successful, including the comedy series The Partners (1971-1972), a self-titled game show called Don Adams' Screen Test (1975–1976) and three attempts to revive the Get Smart series in the 1980s. He continued to make the majority of his income from his work on stage and in clubs. However, he astutely chose the option of co-ownership of the Get Smart property over an increased salary during the series' production period, thus guaranteeing a regular income stream.

He also worked as a voice actor in Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (1963–1966), but he was more famous as the voice of Inspector Gadget in the initial run of that television series (1983–1985) and the Christmas Special, as well as in later reprises; he even voiced himself in animated form for a guest shot in an episode of Hanna-Barbera's The New Scooby-Doo Movies, "The Exterminator," which first aired on CBS October 13, 1973. He also attempted a situation-comedy comeback in Canada with Check it Out! in 1985; the show ran for three years in Canada, but it was not successful in the United States.

He stated in interviews that his famous "clippy" voice characterization was based on, and an exaggeration of, the speaking style of actor William Powell. Occasionally, he also enjoyed doing a more explicit impersonation of Ronald Colman.

When the film version of Inspector Gadget starring Matthew Broderick went into theaters in 1999, Adams was the voice of Brain the dog in the end credits.

[edit] Personal life

He was married (and divorced) three times and was survived by six of his seven children: son Sean (who died in 2006) and daughters Carolyn, Catherine, Christine, Stacey, and Beige. His daughter Cecily Adams died before him. He died in Los Angeles, California at the age of 82 from a sudden lung infection following a long battle with bone lymphoma. He is interred in Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. His funeral mass was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.

[edit] External links

• Don Adams at the Voice Chasers Database
• Don Adams at the Internet Movie Database
• The Get Smart Page
• Don Adams, Television's Maxwell Smart, Dies at 82
• When Being Funny Means Having to Say You're Sorry About That, Chief
• Guardian obituary and obituary letter
• Find A Grave link
• Laughterlog.com Biography and discography