Jamie Farr - Wikipedia

Thank you, my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that July 1 is the anniversary of the birth of American television and film comedian and theatre actor Jamie Farr (born Jameel Joseph Farah).
Happy 85th birthday Jamie Farr

Jamie Farr on Alan Alda and the cast from "M.A.S.H" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UupMjv8sJ3c

1. Background from .imdb.com/name/nm0268026/bio
Spouse Joy Ann Richards (16 February 1963 - present) ( 2 children)
Trade Mark (2)
His nose. (Frequently the subject of many jokes on M*A*S*H (1972). In one episode Klinger says his nose even has its own serial number).
Thick, nasally voice.

Trivia (24)
1. Was one of two cast members of the original M*A*S*H (1972) television cast to have actually served in the armed forces in Korea; Farr's tour of duty came in the years after the war. Alan Alda served a six-month tour as a gunnery officer in Korea. In addition, the dogtags Farr wore on the M*A*S*H (1972) set were actually his issued set from his time in the army.
2. Has an LPGA tournament named in his honor, the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic (formerly the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic)
3. Only son of Samuel, a Lebanese meat cutter and grocer, and Jamelia Farah, a seamstress
4. Has an older sister, Yvonne.
5. Graduated from Woodward High School with honors and was named most outstanding student. In addition to writing and acting in two variety shows, he was a member of the Drama Society, class president for three years, feature editor of the school newspaper, president of the radio class, manager of the football and basketball teams and a member of the varsity tennis team.
6. Attended the Pasadena Playhouse
7. Worked as a deliveryman for a lithograph company, a post office clerk, an army-surplus store clerk, an airline reservations clerk and an employee at a chinchilla ranch.
8. Father of son, Jonas Farr, and daughter, Yvonne Farr.
9. Grandfather of Dorian.
10. Thought at first the women's wardrobe in his dressing room meant he'd be sharing the room with a woman, but was surprised to learn otherwise. Not wanting to play a cross-dresser in the typical girlish way, he suggested to the producers that his character be manly, but crazy, thinking his clothes and other quirks were normal. The unusual spin worked.
11. Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 154. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN [login to see]
12. His M*A*S*H (1972) character was originally only supposed to be on one episode, but he proved so popular that he returned as a day player, and was finally given a contract in the third season.
13. As of 2005 was on the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Professional Advisory Board.
14. Endorsed the Mars candy bar in the early 80s.
15. In the later years of M*A*S*H (1972), especially after he took on the role of company clerk when "Radar" (Gary Burghoff) left, he stopped his recurring gag of wearing women's clothes because he didn't want his children being teased about it growing up.
16. Best remembered by the public for his role as "Corporal (later Sergeant) Max Klinger" on the television series M*A*S*H (1972).
17. Mentioned by 'Weird Al' Yankovic in the lyrics of the track, "Everything You Know is Wrong", on his "Bad Hair Day" album.
18. Was in attendance at the "Miracle on Ice" game between the US and the USSR at the Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. He said that there was a ticket available but he ended up on the Russian side surrounded by Soviet dignitaries.
19. Since the early 1990s he has battled severe rheumatoid arthritis in his hands.
20. Danny Thomas was said to be his mentor, and had a lot in common with his family.
21. With the encouragement of Danny Thomas, he chose to become an actor.
22. Acting mentee of Danny Thomas and Harry Morgan.
23. Bears a startling resemblance to Al Nesor.
24. As of the passing of William Christopher in 2016, Farr is the oldest-living M*A*S*H (1972) regular cast member.

Personal Quotes (10)
1. The benefits from stardom as Klinger outweigh any setbacks. It's a double-edged sword. What makes you famous is what interferes with getting other roles. But there are things that never would have happened without M*A*S*H (1972). There certainly would be no Jamie Farr Kroger Golf Classic.
2. [on why he did Circus of the Stars (1977)] I looked good in the tights. Plus, I have a thing for a woman in clown makeup.
3. [asked if he enjoyed wearing womens clothes on M*A*S*H (1972)] I was doing that before the show. It was a delight.
4. [on what happened to all the dresses after the show ended] I took them home, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? Actually, all those dresses were mine. I used my own dresses, bras, panties, hats and shoes.
5. [on Loretta Swit] She was funny and beautiful. A body that just makes a man feel like a real man.
6. [on playing himself with Rodney Dangerfield in a special] I gave a line reading, and he turned to me and said, "No, you wouldn't say it that way".
7. [on doing theater] When you leave the theater, you didn't see Klinger, you saw George Burns or you saw Applegate.
8. [on life after M*A*S*H (1972)] It's a difficult thing to overcome, but I've been quite fortunate. I haven't been out of work, literally since "M*A*S*H" went out of production.
9. [on the death of his professional on- and off-screen chemistry with Harry Morgan, who played Col. Sherman Potter]: Harry was very special to all of us cast members. Not only was he a wonderful performer that made such a difference ... he was a dear friend to every cast member. He was absolutely a pixie, a gremlin as mischievous as all get out. You couldn't be around Harry for very long without wanting to embrace him and I think our Lord will feel the same way.
10. [Of Harry Morgan]: Harry was the father figure, he passed away. We've all been through the internet, exchanging our thought about our friend. So meaningful he was to us, as individuals to the show, to the cast. We had so many great stories about him. He was a father figure for us."



2. Background from mash.fandom.com/wiki/Jamie_Farr
"Early life
Farr was born Jameel Joseph Farah in Toledo, Ohio on July 1, 1934 to Lebanese-American parents Jamelia M. (née Abodeely), a seamstress, and Samuel N. Farah, a grocer.[2][3] He was raised in the Maronite Eastern Catholic Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch religion.[4] Farr's first acting success occurred at age 11 when he won two dollars in a local acting contest. After graduation from Woodward High School in Toledo, where he was one of the standouts among his class, Farr attended the Pasadena Playhouse where an MGM talent scout discovered him, offering him a screen-test for Blackboard Jungle. He won the role of the mentally challenged student, Santini. With the encouragement of his mentor, Danny Thomas (who had a lot in common with him), he decided to become an actor.

Entertainment careert
Jamie's first film roles were in 1955, in Blackboard Jungle (billed as Jameel Farah) and as a fruit vendor in Kismet (uncredited).

Although Farr was off to a promising start, roles were infrequent for the young actor, and he was cast as a delivery person, a post office clerk, an army surplus store clerk, an airlines reservations agent, and as an employee at a chinchills ranch, all in all not very crediting roles. In 1958, Warner Bros. cast him as an airman in the Andy Griffith military comedy No Time for Sergeants, which also brought the young TV comic Don Knotts to motion pictures. Farr appeared as Thaddaeus in the 1965 film The Greatest Story Ever Told, along with minor roles in Who’s Minding the Mint? and With Six You Get Eggroll.

Farr began to carve out his niche in television when, in the late 1950s, he became a regular on The Red Skelton Show before becoming a second banana with Harvey Korman on The Danny Kaye Show. Farr also appeared on The Dick Van Dyke Show and was a regular on the gangster-comedy series The Chicago Teddy Bears (featuring Huntz Hall). Farr also worked in TV commercials, including a memorable spot for Wonder Bread (as a vendor who says, “If it isn’t fresh, I’m outa business!”).

M*A*S*Ht
He was hired for one day's work as “Corporal Klinger” on the M*A*S*H episode, “Chief Surgeon Who?”. His character wore dresses to try to convince the army that he was crazy and he deserved a Section 8 discharge. Comedy writer and playwright Larry Gelbart has said that comedian Lenny Bruce's attempt to be released from military service in World War II by dressing in a WAVES uniform was the original inspiration for the character of Klinger on the sitcom. He was asked back for a dozen episodes in the second season and he became a regular in the third. Eventually, his character gave up wearing women's clothing (after a lecture from Colonel Sherman Potter, explaining how a Section 8 Discharge would adversely affect his life). Like most of the characters on M*A*S*H, Corporal Klinger matured as the years passed. He gradually progressed from being a cross-dressing visual joke, and became a more sensitive and resourceful character.
Jamie's favorite episodes are "Officer of the Day" and "Big Mac".

AfterMASH and other appearancest
Jamie and M*A*S*H co-stars Harry Morgan and William Christopher spent two years starring in AfterMASH, the sequel that explored how civilian life treated their characters. While working on M*A*S*H, Farr also appeared in Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II (his appearance in 1989's Speed Zone makes him the only actor to appear in all three Cannonball Run films.) After cancelation of M*A*S*H, he continued to keep in touch with, or to run into, Harry Morgan. Years later, on December 7, 2011, Farr lost his decades-long friend Morgan to pneumonia. Morgan had played Colonel Sherman Potter for nearly a decade, on both M*A*S*H, and its sequel, AfterMASH. Upon Morgan's death, Farr released a statement: "Harry was very special to all of us cast members. Not only was he a wonderful performer that made such a difference … he was a dear friend to every cast member. He was absolutely a pixie, a gremlin as mischievous as all get out. You couldn't be around Harry for very long without wanting to embrace him and I think our Lord will feel the same way." He also said of his mentor about joining the cast, replacing the unhappy McLean Stevenson, who left after 3 seasons of playing Lt. Colonel Henry Blake, "Harry came on as a guest on one of the shows as a crazy general. When McLean Stevenson decided to leave the series, [the show's producers] decided to hire Harry. He brought a different character to the show. Rather than him being one of the boys along with Trapper John, Hawkeye, and Hunnicut, he became more of a father figure to everybody."

Farr appeared as a panelist on several game shows, including: The $25,000 Pyramid, Password Plus and Super Password, The Gong Show, Body Language, Match Game, Hollywood Squares, Wordplay, The $1.98 Beauty Show, The Magnificent Marble Machine, Tattletales and others.
He appeared in several made-for-TV movies, such as Murder Can Hurt You, Return of the Rebels, and For Love or Money; he also guest-starred in Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
Farr endorsed the U.S. Mars candy bar in commercials during the 1980s and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985.
He was a regular judge, with comedian Arte Johnson and actress/singer Jaye P. Morgan, on The Gong Show.
In the 1990s, Farr (and Nathan Lane) played the role of Nathan Detroit in a Broadway theatre revival of Guys and Dolls. Farr is still active in regional theater and guest-stars occasionally on TV series.
Since 1984, he has hosted an annual women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA tour, the "Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic|Jamie Farr Toledo Classic", presented by Kroger, Owens Corning and O-I in Sylvania, Ohio (a Toledo suburb). The tournament has raised over $6.5 million for local children's charities.
On Memorial Day 2007, Farr hosted a multi-episode presentation of M*A*S*H on the Hallmark Channel. The featured episodes showcased Farr's performances on the show, with Farr providing commentary during the commercial breaks.
Farr, Chuck Woolery, and Bob Eubanks were rotating hosts of the $250,000 Game Show Spectacular at the Las Vegas Hilton until the show ended in April 2008.
On July 17, 2008, Farr and Anita Gillette opened "Flamingo Court," a three-act play at the New World Theaters in New York City.
Farr hosts a daily radio travel feature called "Travelin' Farr."

Personal life and charitable interestst
Farr's autobiography is titled Just Farr Fun.
After his role in the 1955 film, Blackboard Jungle, he entered the United States Army for two years, serving overseas in Japan and Korea. His service in Korea was after the hostilities had ended.[10] In his M*A*S*H role as Max Klinger, he can be seen wearing his actual issued set of U.S. Army dog tags.

The park where Farr used to hang out when he was younger was renamed "Jamie Farr Park" in his honor on July 5, 1998. About the park, he said, "I wanted to be an actor, a famous actor, and I wanted my hometown of Toledo, Ohio, to be proud of me." Farr spoke to about 400 admirers and was quoted in The New York Post: "Jamie Farr Park is certainly a highlight of my life and career." Further exemplifying Farr's love of Toledo was his frequent mention of Tony Packo's hot dogs, a Toledo staple, on M*A*S*H. He also was shown in two episodes as a Toledo Mud Hens fan.

Since 2000,Farr has frequently donated to the Republican National Committee.
Farr has been married to Joy Ann Richards since 1963 and has two children, Jonas and Yvonne. He is also the grandfather of Dorian. Since the early 1990s, Farr has battled severe rheumatoid arthritis in his hands."

FYI LTC Wayne Brandon LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj Robert Thornton CPT Scott Sharon SSG William Jones SSG Donald H "Don" Bates PO3 William Hetrick PO3 Lynn Spalding SPC Mark Huddleston SGT Rick Colburn CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SSgt Brian Brakke SP5 Jeannie Carle SCPO Morris Ramsey Sgt Albert Castro

Maj Marty Hogan he was almost too good in his role for MASH

Maj Marty Hogan Great Actor and Many Thanks for His Many Appearances at the New Theatre Here in Overland Park, KS. Several of the Cast Members are Frequent Flier's there.