Marvin Kaplan

Marvin Wilbur Kaplan (January 24, 1927 – August 25, 2016) was an American actor, screenwriter and playwright.

Early years
Kaplan was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1927, the son of Dr. I.E. Kaplan and his wife. He attended Public School 16, and Junior High School 15 and graduated from Eastern District High School in 1943. He graduated from Brooklyn College with a bachelor's degree in English in 1947 and later took classes in theater at the University of Southern California.

Television
Kaplan is probably best known for his recurring role on the sitcom Alice where he portrayed a phone lineman named Henry Beesmeyer who frequented Mel's diner. He was with the cast from 1977 until the series ended in 1985.

In addition, the actor was the voice of Choo-Choo on the 1960s cartoon series Top Cat. In 1969, he appeared as Stanley on Petticoat Junction in the episode: "The Other Woman".

In 1987, he reprised his role of Choo-Choo for Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats. At the same time, he actively returned to voice-over acting, playing roles in shows such as Garfield and Friends, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Johnny Bravo, and most recently, The Garfield Show in 2011. Kaplan was the commercial spokesperson for the American cologne Eau de Love. In addition to his role on Alice, he played Mr. Gordon on Becker alongside Ted Danson.

On cartoon series, Kaplan also provided the voices of Skids on CB Bears and Marvin on The Chicago Teddy Bears. In other roles, he portrayed Mr. Milfloss in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and Dwight McGonigle in On the Air.

Radio
Kaplan had a regular role in the radio sitcom and later television version of Meet Millie as Alfred Prinzmetal, an aspiring poet-composer. The program ran from 1951–54 on radio and continued on television from 1952–56.

He joined the California Artists Radio Theatre In January 1984 and performed leading roles in over twenty 90 minute productions. He created two musicals for the group and one."A Good House For A Killing" is a successful Musical Comedy. He appeared in CART's Alice in Wonderland as the White Rabbit,:And In Norman Corwin's Plot to Overthrow Christmas with CART, as Nero's messenger opposite David Warner. He Was in CART's Bradbury 75th Birthday Tribute. He played opposite Jo Ann Worley in three CART productions :Corwin's 100th Birthday, Chekhov's Humoresque and in The Man With Bogart's Face" he was the Cowardly Lion in Cart's Wizard of Oz opposite Norman lloyd and Linda Henning. And was the Lead in"Clarence" opposite Samantha Eggar and Janet Waldo.: and Dr.Einstein opposite David Warner in Cart's Arsenic and Old Lace..He served on the Board for California Artists Radio Theatre for 32 years.

Film
Kaplan's first film role was as a court reporter in Adam's Rib (1949). He had a small role in the 1963 film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World playing a gas station attendant alongside Arnold Stang, with whom he provided voices for the cartoon series Top Cat. He co-starred in the 1965 comedy The Great Race. He also made a brief appearance as a carpet cleaner in the 1976 film Freaky Friday.

Stage
Kaplan gained early stage experience at a Los Angeles theater, working as stage manager on a production of Rain. For many years, Kaplan was a member of Theatre West, the oldest continually-operating theatre company in Los Angeles. He performed in many plays there and elsewhere. He was also a playwright and screenwriter.

Personal life
Kaplan was married to Rosa Felsenburg, a union that ended in divorce.

Death
Kaplan died of natural causes in his sleep on August 25, 2016. He was 89.

Selected filmography

 * Adam's Rib (1949) as Court Stenographer (uncredited)
 * Francis (1950) as First Medical Corps lieutenant (uncredited)
 * Key to the City (1950) as Francis – Newspaper Photographer (uncredited)
 * The Reformer and the Redhead (1950) as Leon
 * I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951) as Arnold Fisher
 * The Fat Man (1951) as Pinkie (uncredited)
 * Criminal Lawyer (1951) as Sam Kutler
 * Behave Yourself! (1951) as Max the Umbrella
 * Angels in the Outfield (1951) as Timothy Durney
 * The Fabulous Senorita (1952) as Clifford Van Kunkle
 * Wake Me When It's Over (1960) as Hap Cosgrove
 * The Nutty Professor (1963) as English Student
 * A New Kind of Love (1963) as Harry
 * It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) as Irwin, service station co-owner
 * The Great Race (1965) as Frisbee
 * The Severed Arm (1973) as Mad Man Herman
 * Snakes (1974) as Brother Joy
 * Freaky Friday (1976) as Carpet Cleaner
 * Midnight Madness (1980) as Bonaventure Desk Clerk
 * Saturday Supercade (1984) as Shellshock 'Shelly' Turtle (voice)
 * Hollywood Vice Squad (1986) as Man with doll
 * Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats (1988) as Choo-Choo (voice)
 * Wild at Heart (1990) as Uncle Pooch
 * Delirious (1991) as Typewriter Repairman
 * Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway (1993) as Morris
 * Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love (1994) as Mr. Dawson
 * Dark and Stormy Night (2009) as Gunny
 * Lookin' Up (2016) as Vic Greeley (final film role)

Television appearances
"Meet Millie" Starring Elena Verdugo - Kaplan was a series regular (1951-1954)
 * The Danny Thomas Show Episode Evil Eye Schultz – Season 1, Episode 15 (1958)
 * The Danny Thomas Show Episode The Honeymoon – Season 1, Episode 16 (1958)
 * The Detectives – episode – Hit and Miss – Irwin (1961)
 * Top Cat – 30 episodes – Choo-Choo (1961–1962)
 * Gomer Pyle, USMC – episode – The Carriage Waits – Mr. Kendall (1968)
 * Mod Squad – episode – Flight Five Doesn't Answer & In This Corner – Sol Alpert – Sol Albert (1969)
 * I Dream of Jeannie – episode – One of Our Hotels Is Growing – Perkins (1970)
 * Wait Till Your Father Gets Home – episode – Love Story – Norman (1972)
 * CB Bears – Skids (1977)
 * Charlie's Angels – episode – Circus of Terror – Zobar (1977)
 * Alice – 82 episodes – Henry Beesmeyer (1978-1985)
 * MacGyver – episode – A Prisoner of Conscience – The Chess Master (1986)
 * Smurfquest – additional Voices (1986)
 * Wake, Rattle & Roll – Segment – Fender Bender 500 – Choo Choo (1990)
 * Garfield and Friends – episode – Moo Cow Mutt/Big Bad Buddy Bird/Angel Puss – Angel Puss (1991)
 * The Cartoon Cartoon Show – episode – O. Ratz: Rat in a Hot Tin Can – Dave D. Fly (1995)
 * Johnny Bravo – episode – Going Batty/Berry the Butler/Red Faced in the White House – Woody (1997)
 * Becker — Mr. Gordon (4 episodes) (1998–2004)
 * Cool Cats in Interview Alley – Video short – Himself (2004)
 * The Garfield Show – Hiram "High" Pressure (2012)