Janos Prohaska
Encyclopedia
Janos Prohaska was a Hungarian United States based actor and stunt performer
on American television from the 1960s. He usually played the roles of animals or monster
s.
He is best remembered for his recurring comic role as The Cookie Bear in the The Andy Williams Show
from 1969 to 1971. Prohaska also appeared more than once in such TV series as The Outer Limits
, Bewitched
, I Dream of Jeannie
, Lost in Space
, and Star Trek
, although his turns as the Horta in Star Treks "The Devil in the Dark
", and the Mugato in "A Private Little War
", are the best known of these. He made an appearance as himself on an episode of "What's My Line?
" in 1969, where he wore a monkey costume that he created.
He and his son Robert were killed along with 34 others on Wednesday, March 13, 1974 at 8:28 p.m. in the crash of a chartered Sierra Airlines Convair CV-440
aircraft near Bishop, California
while filming the ABC/Wolper Productions television series Primal Man. The plane flew into a mountain ridge in darkness, but the exact cause of the crash was never determined.http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19740313-0
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
on American television from the 1960s. He usually played the roles of animals or monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
s.
He is best remembered for his recurring comic role as The Cookie Bear in the The Andy Williams Show
The Andy Williams Show
The Andy Williams Show is a television variety show which ran from 1959 to 1971 , and a short-lived run in syndication, beginning in the fall of 1976...
from 1969 to 1971. Prohaska also appeared more than once in such TV series as The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)
The Outer Limits is an American television series that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1965. The series is similar in style to the earlier The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction, rather than fantasy stories...
, Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
, I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
, Lost in Space
Lost in Space
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
, and Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, although his turns as the Horta in Star Treks "The Devil in the Dark
The Devil in the Dark (TOS episode)
"The Devil in the Dark" is a first-season episode Star Trek: The Original Series which first aired on March 9, 1967. It was repeated on June 15, 1967. It is episode 25 of the first season and was written by Gene L. Coon and directed by Joseph Pevney. William Shatner writes in his memoirs that "The...
", and the Mugato in "A Private Little War
A Private Little War (TOS episode)
"A Private Little War" is the nineteenth episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast February 2, 1968 and repeated on August 23, 1968. The screenplay was written by Gene Roddenberry, based on a story by Jud Crucis, and directed by Marc Daniels...
", are the best known of these. He made an appearance as himself on an episode of "What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
" in 1969, where he wore a monkey costume that he created.
He and his son Robert were killed along with 34 others on Wednesday, March 13, 1974 at 8:28 p.m. in the crash of a chartered Sierra Airlines Convair CV-440
Convair 240
The Convair CV-240 was an American airliner produced by Convair from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement of the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. While featuring a more modern design, the 240 series was able to make some inroads as a commercial airliner and also had a long development cycle...
aircraft near Bishop, California
Bishop, California
Bishop is a city in Inyo County, California, United States. Though Bishop is the only city and the largest populated place in Inyo County, the county seat is Independence. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley, at an elevation of 4147 feet . The population was 3,879 at the...
while filming the ABC/Wolper Productions television series Primal Man. The plane flew into a mountain ridge in darkness, but the exact cause of the crash was never determined.http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19740313-0