Fred G. Sanford
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| Fred G. Sanford | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | 1972 |
| Last appearance | 1977 (original series); 1981 (Sanford-spinoff) |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Year of birth | 1908 |
| Occupation | Junk/antiques dealer |
| Relationships | Elizabeth Winfield Sanford (deceased) |
| Children | Lamont Sanford |
| Relatives | Esther Winfield Anderson (sister-in-law) |
| Portrayed by | Redd Foxx |
| Created by | Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, based on Steptoe and Son created by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson |
- For other people named Fred Sanford, see Fred Sanford (disambiguation)
Fred G. Sanford was the name of a fictional character portrayed by actor/comedian Redd Foxx on the 1972-1977 NBC sitcom Sanford and Son.
Foxx, whose real name was John Elroy Sanford, modeled the character after his real-life brother, whose name was also Fred Sanford. The character Fred is an elderly, widowed, and cantankerous junk dealer. He is the proprietor of "Sanford and Son" a junk and antique dealership which he ran out of his home, along with his son Lamont.
Fred was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1908; he, his wife, Elizabeth nee Winfield, and their young son, Lamont (Demond Wilson) later moved to the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1933 (although the year may cause a continuity error). Fred was left with the responsibility of rearing Lamont alone after his wife suddenly died. Lamont dropped out of high school, subsequently joining his father in the junk business. Fred is portrayed as irritable and wants everything his way or else. He is known for grouchy disposition, his insults, and his innumerable money-making schemes. He is bow-legged and walks with an affected stagger, presumably brought on by arthritis. Fred never gives much credit to his son Lamont, believing him to be gullible and unintelligent. He most often refers to Lamont as a "big dummy". Unhappy about his calling as a junk man, Lamont accepts his plight more for the love of his father than the junk business itself. Fred often involves himself in various get-rich-quick schemes, and as such, Lamont has to keep constant watch over his father. When Lamont would express an interest in having a life for himself, Fred would try to convince him of the importance of running the family business (which he referred to as "the empire") after he is gone. Fred often feigned illness in attempt to guilt his son into staying home and taking care of him whenever Lamont had plans to go out.
When asked over the phone for his name, he frequently responds, "Fred Sanford. S-A-N-F-O-R-D period," or, "Fred G. Sanford. The 'G' is for...", with "G" standing for a word applicable to the situation. Another trademark involves Fred becoming riled by somebody, assuming a fight stance, and wildly swinging his fists in multiple directions; often he would pose the question, "How would you like one (or five) across yo' lips?". He also frequently attempts to avoid any kind of labor, especially when asked by Lamont, by referring to his arthritis (which he pronounced "arthur-itis") while holding up a deliberately gnarled fist. In what would become the character's best known trademark, when something would alarm him, or when things didn't go the way he wanted them to, Fred would inevitably have a simulated heart attack, accentuated by clutching his chest and crying out to his late wife: "Oh, this is the big one! You hear that, Elizabeth?! I'm coming to join you, honey!"
Fred often clashes with Elizabeth's older sister, Lamont's aunt Esther Anderson (LaWanda Page). Aunt Esther and her family were against Fred marrying Elizabeth from the very beginning, and Fred and Esther continue their animosity for one another, despite the best efforts of Lamont. Fred makes a habit of teasing Esther because he thinks she is unattractive (For instance, in a now famous line from the show, Fred once told Esther, "I could stick your face in some dough and make some gorilla cookies!"). Much of the show's comedy came from the interplay between opinionated Fred and his strong-willed sister-in-law. Fred is also extremely bigoted. He often insults his Puerto Rican neighbor Julio in various ways, including deprecating his culture and making fun of his Spanish accent. Fred is also very untrusting of Lamont's friend Rollo. Fred has two best friends, Grady Wilson (Whitman Mayo) and Bubba Bexley (Don Bexley). Even though Fred thinks the two are dim-witted, he knows that they are more than reliable and can always lend him a helping hand.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Fred Sings the Blues Episode Number: 135
[edit] Facts about Fred
- His favorite song was If I Didn't Care by The Ink Spots.
- His favorite drink was Ripple. Fred would often combine Ripple with other drinks, for example, Beaujolais + Ripple = "Beaujolipple" or Cream soda + Ripple = "Cripple" or Champagne + Ripple = "Champipple."
- His favorite food was Menudo.
- The character's hair and beard were fake.
His fiance is Donna Harris. Other friends include Melvin, played by Slappy White. And Leroy and Skillet.
