It’s come to my attention Harry Anderson passed two years ago at his home in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2018. His passing didn’t get enough attention, which is damn near a criminal offense in my book.
So today we’re going to celebrate the life of a goddamn comedy genius.
Harry Anderson began his career as a street hustler, con man, stand up comic, and magician. He invented the “needle through the arm” gag. During his early stage performance days he did a version of the “finger chopper” gag using a female assistant with part of her little finger missing that guaranteed at least one wet seat in the house nightly.
https://youtu.be/2Peq-3zqVQY
Anderson got noticed by the higher ups at Saturday Night Live, and his multiple appearances on the show earned him a spot on “Cheers” as Harry “The Hat” Gittes, a con man who took the beloved watering hole and its patrons for all they could lose in six episodes.
Someone in TV saw Anderson’s charisma and screen personality and decided he would make a great judge.
That’s how Anderson became “Judge Harry Stone” of Manhattan Criminal Court Part Two in Reinhold Weege’s iconic comedy “Night Court.”
If you’ve never seen Night Court pull your head out of your ass and pony up $10 to see the first season on Amazon Prime. It’s truly brilliant humor for its time. Hell, the humor still holds up today. It’s actually wholesome comedy that everyone can appreciate.
Not only do you get Harry Anderson’s quirky judge, you get John Laroquette as the lecherous ADA Dan Fielding, Markie Post as the empathic public defender, and Marsha Warfield’s “Roz” as the take no shit Baliff beside Richard Moll’s “Bull” Shannon.
Over nine seasons Anderson delighted audiences with streams of bad puns, groan inducing Dad level jokes, and loads of sight gags using props one would locate in a novelty shop.
Harry Anderson was a decent author as well. He wrote a book with longtime friend Turk Pipkin called “Games You Can’t Lose,” which collected several of Anderson’s favorite bar bets and hustles. It also goes into detail about how street games from back alleys to carnival midways are rigged against the average Joe. Unfortunately the book is now out of print, but a search of a local used bookshop should land you a copy if you’re interested.
Anderson would land several other roles in film and television, including the adult Richie Tozier in Stephen King’s “It,” but nothing would top his work on “Night Court.”
Why am I singing Harry Anderson’s praises today? I found out Melissa Rausch, formerly “Bernadette” on the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” has a “Night Court” reboot in the works. With Laroquette returning as Dan Fielding, Rausch will play “Abby Stone,” the daughter of the late Harry Stone, who takes over her father’s post.
Rausch was apparently inspired to join the project after seeing how close the pilot was to the original vision of the series. Here’s hoping the Stone legacy lives on and more sex workers charged with soliciting get a fifty dollar fine and time served.
So today at Scotch o Clock, have a toast to a truly lovable scoundrel who made a fedora actually look good. Listen to a little Mel Torme. Raise one for Harry the Hat.
And Melissa Rausch, if some odd twist of fate has you reading this, I have one message for you: don’t fuck this up.
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As you know, I kept a stuff armadillo in my office in homage to Harry Anderson, may he rest in peace.
Spot me $20 and I’ll bet you $10 you won’t roll a six before a seven.
Or an eight before a seven.
What do you say? Even money.
You lost me at “spot me $20.”
Harry would be disappointed if I didn’t try.
I laughed. I cried. It became a part of me.
Huh. Maybe you could do a post on what animals lawyers have on their desks.
I know a divorce lawyer that has a stuffed piranha. She claimed it was her spirit animal.
(Sorry for side tracking the conversation.)
Piranha also make an excellent appetizer.
Paco is usually on my bookcase. I only put him on the desk for his photo op.
Man, I loved Night Court growing up. I thought it was hysterical. I saw Markie Post and Charles Robinson passed away this year and I felt like I’d lost old friends. And John Larroquette has always been a favorite, too. I think you are right that it often overlooked for how fantastic it was.
But do y’all not all have armadillos in your offices in other parts of the country?
Note to Skink: get more rum for the Night Court–Cheersathon.
Am I the only one that thinks 2018 was three years ago and not two?
Give a guy a break. My people are known for occasional mathematic errors.
It’s why rednecks play three card Monte with two cards, after all.
It may be germane to note that Charles Robinson, who played the court clerk Mac Robinson passed away this year on July 21, 2021.
Shortly afterwards, on August 7, 2021, the lovely Markie Post, who played public defender Christine Sullivan passed away due to cancer.
A post above mentioned Mel Torme, who was Stone’s favorite singer on the show and could never get a break passed away on July 5, 1999.
Prior to that, the show lost two “bailiffs,” to their passing while the show was filming.
Selma Diamond, who played bailiff Selma Hacker passed away on May 13, 1985.
Florence Halop, who was brought in to replace Diamond and played bailiff Florence Kleiner died July 15, 1986.
In my opinion, the first season of the show is the weakest as the people surrounding bailiff Richard “Bull Shannon” Moll , Anderson, and Laroquette just didn’t seem to gel well. The second season is where the show took off with the addition of Robinson and Post.
While Anderson’s character “Harry the Hat” on “Cheers” helped get him the roll of “Judge Harold T. Stone” on “Night Court,” as part of his contract, Anderson was allowed to appear on Cheers as Harry the Hat while Night Court was in production. That was unusual at the time to have a major character on one show reprise a minor character on another.
Anderson also later played the role of author Dave Berry in the series “Dave’s World.”
In 1986, there was a Showtime production of Anderson doing his act in a show called “Hello Sucker!”
It too is very good and should be watched. [Ed. Note: Link deleted because rules.]
From what I read, he was always more interested in being a magician than an actor.
He was magician of the year for 1988 and had performed at the Magic Castle.
He was truly a talented man.
Speaking from experience, when the magic bug bites, it bites hard.
I really wish I could have seen him work live.
For those who live in NYC: Anderson’s book can be found at the Brooklyn Public Library.
Nice find!
Harry Anderson was an underappreciated treasure. It is a shame that he did not have more of a filmography that we could go back and celebrate.
At least we have Night Court.