Sid Melton
Encyclopedia
Sid Melton was an American actor
known for his roles as incompetent carpenter Alf Monroe in the CBS
sitcom Green Acres
and as Uncle Charlie Halper, proprietor of the Copa Club, in Make Room for Daddy and its spin-offs.
Born as Sidney Meltzer in Brooklyn, New York, he was the brother of screenwriter Lewis Meltzer, and the son of Isidor Meltzer, a Yiddish theater comedian
. In 1941 Melton was cast as "Fingers" in The Shadow of the Thin Man. During World War II he entertained American soldiers overseas where he met screenwriter Aubrey Wisberg
who arranged for him to have a part in his Treasure of Monte Cristo for Robert Lippert.
Other movies included On the Town
, The Geisha Boy
, The Tunnel of Love
, and Blondie Goes to College
. He appeared in two Lippert Pictures, Lost Continent
and Radar Secret Service, which were later featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000
, whose hosts gave Melton the nickname "Monkey Boy" due to his comedy relief antics.
Melton appeared three times as Harry Cooper in the 1955-1956 CBS sitcom It's Always Jan
, starring Janis Paige
and Merry Anders
.
His television credits also include The Golden Girls
(as Sophia
's deceased husband, Salvadore, in flashback and dream sequences), Captain Midnight
(as Ichabod "Ikky" Mudd), Dragnet and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
He also had a guest role in an episode of Adventures of Superman
called The Deadly Rock, and as a photographer in an episode of I Dream of Jeannie
called The Biggest Star in Hollywood. He also guest-starred in one episode of The Dick van Dyke Show
, where he played deli-owner Bert Monker who is in love with Sally Rogers. Without actually proposing to her, he makes it very clear that he wants her for his wife. Sally feels he's not right for her, but later admits to her cat, "If I had nine lives like you, I'd give him one."
In 2005, he attended Eddie Albert
's funeral along with Green Acres's co-stars Mary Grace Canfield
and Frank Cady
.
Melton died from pneumonia
on November 2, 2011.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
known for his roles as incompetent carpenter Alf Monroe in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
sitcom Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
and as Uncle Charlie Halper, proprietor of the Copa Club, in Make Room for Daddy and its spin-offs.
Born as Sidney Meltzer in Brooklyn, New York, he was the brother of screenwriter Lewis Meltzer, and the son of Isidor Meltzer, a Yiddish theater comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
. In 1941 Melton was cast as "Fingers" in The Shadow of the Thin Man. During World War II he entertained American soldiers overseas where he met screenwriter Aubrey Wisberg
Aubrey Wisberg
Aubrey Lionel Wisberg was a screenwriter, director, and producer.He immigrated to the United States in 1921, attended New York University and Columbia University, and married Barbara Duberstein...
who arranged for him to have a part in his Treasure of Monte Cristo for Robert Lippert.
Other movies included On the Town
On the Town (film)
On the Town is a 1949 musical film with music by Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It is an adaptation of the Broadway stage musical of the same name produced in 1944, although many changes in script and score were made from the original stage...
, The Geisha Boy
The Geisha Boy
The Geisha Boy is a 1958 American comedy film starring Jerry Lewis. Filmed from June 16 to August 7, 1958, it was released on December 23, 1958 by Paramount Pictures. This film marked the film debut of Suzanne Pleshette.-Plot:...
, The Tunnel of Love
The Tunnel of Love
The Tunnel of Love is a 1958 romantic comedy film based on the Broadway hit by Peter De Vries and Joseph Fields. The film follows a married suburban couple who for reasons unknown, are unable to conceive a child and soon endure endless red tape on a path of adopting a child. The film is the first...
, and Blondie Goes to College
Blondie Goes to College
Blondie Goes to College is a 1942 Columbia comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer. The film is a part of the Blondie series, starring Penny Singleton in the title role.-Plot:...
. He appeared in two Lippert Pictures, Lost Continent
Lost Continent (1951 film)
The Lost Continent is an American science fiction film, starring Cesar Romero and Hillary Brooke directed by Sam Newfield and produced by his brother Sigmund Neufeld. This low budget independent film was shot in eleven days. The footage on the plateau where the dinosaurs lived was printed with...
and Radar Secret Service, which were later featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
, whose hosts gave Melton the nickname "Monkey Boy" due to his comedy relief antics.
Melton appeared three times as Harry Cooper in the 1955-1956 CBS sitcom It's Always Jan
It's Always Jan
It's Always Jan is an American situation comedy starring Janis Paige, which aired on CBS in the 1955-1956 season. It was the lead-in program at 9:30 p.m...
, starring Janis Paige
Janis Paige
Janis Paige is an American film, musical theatre and television actress. Born Donna Mae Tjaden in Tacoma, Washington, she began singing in public from the age of five in local amateur shows...
and Merry Anders
Merry Anders
Merry Anders is an American actress who has appeared in a number of television programs and films since the 1950s. In 1954, she succeeded Ann Todd as Stuart Erwin's daughter in the final season of his TV series, The Stu Erwin Show.In the 1955-1956 season, she joined Janis Paige in the 26-week CBS...
.
His television credits also include The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
(as Sophia
Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
's deceased husband, Salvadore, in flashback and dream sequences), Captain Midnight
Captain Midnight
Captain Midnight is a U.S. adventure franchise first broadcast as a radio serial from 1938 to 1949. Sponsored by the Skelly Oil Company, the radio program was the creation of radio scripters Wilfred G. Moore and Robert M...
(as Ichabod "Ikky" Mudd), Dragnet and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
He also had a guest role in an episode of Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman (TV series)
Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California...
called The Deadly Rock, and as a photographer in an episode of 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...
called The Biggest Star in Hollywood. He also guest-starred in one episode of The Dick van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
, where he played deli-owner Bert Monker who is in love with Sally Rogers. Without actually proposing to her, he makes it very clear that he wants her for his wife. Sally feels he's not right for her, but later admits to her cat, "If I had nine lives like you, I'd give him one."
In 2005, he attended Eddie Albert
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
's funeral along with Green Acres's co-stars Mary Grace Canfield
Mary Grace Canfield
Mary Grace Canfield is an American actress who often played the role of a romance-starved spinster/wallflower...
and Frank Cady
Frank Cady
Frank Cady is an American actor best known for his recurring and popular role as storekeeper Sam Drucker in three US television series during the 1960s: Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies.-Career:...
.
Melton died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on November 2, 2011.
Selected filmography
- Knock on Any DoorKnock on Any DoorKnock on Any Door is an American court-room trial film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart. The picture introduced John Derek to film and was based on the novel of the same name by Willard Motley.-Plot:...
(1949) - The Steel HelmetThe Steel HelmetThe Steel Helmet is a war film directed by Samuel Fuller and produced by Lippert Studios during the Korean War. It was the first film about the war, and the first of several war films by producer-director-writer Fuller.-Plot:...
(1951) - The Lady from PekingThe Lady from PekingThat Lady from Peking is a 1969 Australian crime film directed by Eddie Davis and starring Carl Betz, Nancy Kwan and Bobby Rydell.-Cast:* Carl Betz - Max Foster* Nancy Kwan - Sue Ten Chan* Bobby Rydell - Buddy Foster* Sid Melton - Bunny Segal...
(1975)