Joe Flynn (November 8, 1924
– July 19, 1974) was an American
character actor best known for his
participation in the 1960s TV sitcom, McHale's Navy. He was also a
frequent guest star on 1960s sitcoms such as
Batman and appeared in several
Walt Disney film comedies. Later in his career,
Flynn worked as a
voice actor for Disney
animated features.
Early years
He was
born to a physician in Youngstown, Ohio
. Flynn graduated from Youngstown's Rayen School, attended
the University of
Notre Dame
for one year, and spent three years in the Army Medical Corps before moving west, in
1946, to pursue acting and complete his education.
He majored
in political science at the University of
Southern California
.
Early career
Flynn's interest in theater was evident well before his departure
from northeastern Ohio. He established himself early on as a radio
deejay and ventriloquist. Flynn also gained local celebrity as a
director by guiding the Canfield (Ohio) Players in such productions
as
Harvey,
Antigone, and
Pursuit of
Happiness. He broke into television in pre-network days and,
in 1948, starred in his own situation comedy,
Yer Old
Buddy.
After appearing in a number of stage plays, Flynn returned to
Youngstown, where in 1950, he conducted an unsuccessful campaign
for a seat in the
Ohio Senate as a
Republican.
Following his electoral defeat, he pursued his acting career and
got his first real motion picture start in
Alfred Hitchcock's
Rear Window. After that, he appeared in
nearly 30 films, including many
Disney films.
Flynn wouldlater recall watching an audience's reaction to his
performance in the1956 film
Indestructible Man. Although he
played a serious part in the
horror film,
people laughed, which convinced him that comedy was his
forte.
McHale's Navy
Over the years, he achieved recognition in the television field,
earning credits as a regular on
The Life of Riley and
The Adventures of Ozzie and
Harriet. In 1961, he was one of the regulars on the first
season of
The Joey Bishop Show,
but left early on, reportedly because he was stealing too many
scenes from Bishop.
That same year, he guest starred on the
Peggy Cass and Jack Weston series The Hathaways, an unusual sitcom about a suburban
Los
Angeles
couple that adopts three chimpanzees. He appeared too in
Edmond O'Brien's
syndicated 1960
crime drama,
Johnny Midnight.
From 1962-1966, Flynn played the irascible Captain Binghamton (also
known as "Old Leadbottom") on
McHale's
Navy, in which he became well known for his exasperated
catch phrase "What is it, What, WHAT, WHAT!?" He also starred in
two theatrical films spun off from the series. In the 1963 comedy
Son of Flubber, Flynn had a
cameo as a TV announcer; ironcally Flynn would later star in the
sequels of the
Flubber series as
Medfield College's "Dean Higgins" in a trio
of Disney Studio films,
The Computer Wore Tennis
Shoes,
Now
You See Him, Now You Don't and
The Strongest Man in the
World, his final live-action film.
Flynn also starred in
The Love
Bug,
The Barefoot
Executive, and with
Don Knotts
in
How to Frame a
Figg.
Later career and death
In the early 1970s, Flynn spearheaded a movement on behalf of the
Screen Actors Guild for more
equitable distribution of TV
residual payments.
Shortly
after completing voiceover work for The
Rescuers (released in 1977), Flynn was discovered by family
members in the swimming pool of his Beverly Hills
home, the victim of an apparent drowning accident. Although some celebrity
friends expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding
Flynn's death, authorities found no evidence of foul play. Some
believe Flynn suffered a
heart
attack while swimming.
He was
interred in Culver City's Holy Cross
Cemetery
.
Roots in northern Ohio
Throughout his life, Joe Flynn retained a strong connection to his
hometown; and from 1969 to the year of his death, he was involved
in northeastern Ohio's Kenley Players. He would often return to
Youngstown to visit family residing on Elm Street, on the city's
north side. In recognition of his contributions to the broadcasting
field, Flynn became the ninth recipient of the Ohio Association of
Broadcasters Award.
References
-
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1533
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