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CNN Live At Daybreak
Comedian Buddy Hackett Found Dead
Aired July 01, 2003 - 05:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: One day after losing Katherine Hepburn, Hollywood is again in mourning. Comedian Buddy Hackett was found dead in his southern California beach home on Monday.
David Daniel takes a look back at the life of a true funny man.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BUDDY HACKETT: If you're really crazy about Buddy Hackett, buy one of them things. And the fact is, after two weeks, I'll sell you the star.
DAVID DANIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In different venues for more than half a century, Buddy Hackett made people laugh. Brooklyn born Leonard Hacker, a short, round kid with a smart mouth, made his professional standup debut at age 15 and, after serving in WWII, found success headlining in comedy clubs, on Broadway and on television during its first golden age.
HACKETT: I couldn't have done it without myself.
DANIEL: His shtick came accompanied by a wide range of facial antics. A typically zany role came in 1963's "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP "IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD")
HACKETT: Just how? What can I do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Throw water at him. Throw water at him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL: Though his often raunchy Las Vegas stage act kept him busy throughout the late '60s and '70s, Hackett surfaced periodically for movies, including a turn as Dean Jones' balmy sidekick in 1968's "The Love Bug."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LOVE BUG")
HACKETT: Gradually his nose could shape more and more like a reminder of this little car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL: More than 20 years later, another Disney vehicle introduced Hackett to a new generation when he lent his distinctive voice, not to mention his side of the mouth delivery and hefty build, to Scuttle the Seagull in "The Little Mermaid."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LITTLE MERMAID")
HACKETT: This calls for a little (UNINTELLIGIBLE), romantic stimulation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL: Bouts of stage fright forced Hackett to retire his standup act in 1996, but he still took occasional roles, including that of Jay Moore's uncle and chauffeur in the controversial Fox show "Action." Whether as a sidekick or the main attraction, Buddy Hackett made comedy look easy and made laughing even easier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "ACTION")
HACKETT: And all I had to do is go out and tell jokes, which I would have done free. God bless you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 1, 2003 - 05:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: One day after losing Katherine Hepburn, Hollywood is again in mourning. Comedian Buddy Hackett was found dead in his southern California beach home on Monday.
David Daniel takes a look back at the life of a true funny man.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BUDDY HACKETT: If you're really crazy about Buddy Hackett, buy one of them things. And the fact is, after two weeks, I'll sell you the star.
DAVID DANIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In different venues for more than half a century, Buddy Hackett made people laugh. Brooklyn born Leonard Hacker, a short, round kid with a smart mouth, made his professional standup debut at age 15 and, after serving in WWII, found success headlining in comedy clubs, on Broadway and on television during its first golden age.
HACKETT: I couldn't have done it without myself.
DANIEL: His shtick came accompanied by a wide range of facial antics. A typically zany role came in 1963's "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP "IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD")
HACKETT: Just how? What can I do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Throw water at him. Throw water at him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL: Though his often raunchy Las Vegas stage act kept him busy throughout the late '60s and '70s, Hackett surfaced periodically for movies, including a turn as Dean Jones' balmy sidekick in 1968's "The Love Bug."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LOVE BUG")
HACKETT: Gradually his nose could shape more and more like a reminder of this little car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL: More than 20 years later, another Disney vehicle introduced Hackett to a new generation when he lent his distinctive voice, not to mention his side of the mouth delivery and hefty build, to Scuttle the Seagull in "The Little Mermaid."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LITTLE MERMAID")
HACKETT: This calls for a little (UNINTELLIGIBLE), romantic stimulation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL: Bouts of stage fright forced Hackett to retire his standup act in 1996, but he still took occasional roles, including that of Jay Moore's uncle and chauffeur in the controversial Fox show "Action." Whether as a sidekick or the main attraction, Buddy Hackett made comedy look easy and made laughing even easier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "ACTION")
HACKETT: And all I had to do is go out and tell jokes, which I would have done free. God bless you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
