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Charles Nelson Reilly was so BLANK

Posted: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 3:56 PM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
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I was out of town for Memorial Day, so am now just catching up with a flood of short posts about recent entertainment topics. Let's start with a tribute.

Like many of you, I kind of assumed Charles Nelson Reilly was already dead, but upon hearing that the actor just passed away, I felt another piece of my 1970s memories pass on, too. He was as much a part of that goofy decade as avocado appliances and macrame.

As a kid, I loved his repartee with Brett Somers on "Match Game," a show that could probably never happen today. It was both too broad with its humor ("Dumb Dora was so dumb...") and too loose with its seemingly always schnockered guests. But we kids didn't know that: We thought "Match Game" was hilarious, and Nelson Reilly and Somers were so obviously the coolest people at the party. Want to remember the show in rich detail? Just read through some of the pages of memories shared at Jump the Shark -- even if you disagree with the shark-jumping moments, it's a memory flood like no other.

Even before "Match Game," Charles Nelson Reilly had a voice I knew -- if not a face. He helped create nightmare fodder for a whole generation of kids when he played the villain Horatio J. HooDoo on the Kroftt brothers' creepadelic "Lidsville."  Walking and talking hats terrified us? Oh, I can assure you, they did. Ah, the childhood innocence of a pre-"Saw" world.

Rest in peace, sir. Thanks for the BLANKS.

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Comments

Also not mentioned in any of the obits or blogs was Reilly's stint as the snivelling real-estate agent/great-great nephew of the Captain on "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" TV show in the late 60's.

Brian, Levittown, PA (Sent Thursday, May 31, 2007 9:33 AM)

Lidsville??? Boy that brings back some memories. Wasn't the Kid on that show Eddie Munster??? I used to love all those Puppet Shows in the 70's. Pufnstuf, Bugaloos, Sigmund, and of course the original Jurrasic Park, Land of the Lost.

Skyler Sheppard (Sent Thursday, May 31, 2007 11:44 AM)

i have read a few obits about CNR, and none so far has referred to his stint as the realtor in The Ghost & Mrs. Muir with Hope Lange.

Megan, EH, NY (Sent Thursday, May 31, 2007 1:32 PM)

I recently purchased a Best of Match Game DVD set. I was afraid my husband would think I was cracked for purchasing footage of an old game show. Turns out he enjoys it as much as I do. No doubt about it, Charles Nelson Reilly was key in making the show the hit it was, with the good natured teasing with Brett, and that inimitable laugh. My hat's off to him, he really flipped my lid. Sorry, couldn't stop myself.

Pam, Yakima WA (Sent Thursday, May 31, 2007 6:11 PM)

During Reilly's obit on NPR, they were interviewing one of his stage career contemporaries who mentioned that Reilly was the first openly gay man to appear regularly on TV. The interviewer said, "Wait a minute. Charles Nelson Reilly was GAY???" I could just hear CNR's emphatic "HAH!!!"

Dan, Oklahoma City (Sent Thursday, May 31, 2007 7:17 PM)

All, Don't forget that Harry starts this adventure at the place that his parents lost their lives...I don't think Rowling would be so cruel as to kill one of the most beloved characters of all time, (or kill the goose that laid the golden egg) but I believe that Neville will die because he believes harry is the chosen one, but it's really Neville and he unknowingly sacrifices his life for his friends. Voldemort doesn't die either, but somehow loses his powers and becomes useless. Snape is good and becomes headmaster, and harry and ginny eventually marry and become teachers at hogwarts. Ron and hermoine also marry and name their first child neville. aLL IN ALL A HAPPY ENDING..isn't that how life is??

nettie g, hastings, nebr (Sent Sunday, June 03, 2007 4:07 PM)



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