He was a New York television legend who made kids and families laugh during the 60's with daily programs on first WPIX, then WNEW (now WNYW), before going to Hollywood. He also was a founding member of the global Laurel & Hardy fan club, the Sons of The Desert, named for one of the iconic comedians' films, and probably was one of the biggest fans of Laurel & Hardy on the planet, such that he spent much of his later career impersonating Hardy in commercials and a few TV shows.
It is, however, a sad day, especially in New York, with the passing of actor-comic Chuck McCann at 83.
McCann hosted three different shows each at channels 5 & 11, including Laurel & Hardy & Chuck, in which he introduced the legendary team's shorts they made for Hal Roach. WPIX, of course, was also the home of another of Roach's iconic comedy teams, Our Gang, aka The Little Rascals, which was a mainstay of WPIX's daytime lineup, usually in the morning drive block, during the 70's & 80's.
Upon relocating to Hollywood, McCann began doing commercials, mostly for Right Guard deodorant, at the time a Gillette property (now made by Dial), in which he shared a medicine cabinet with a next-door neighbor (Bill Fiore) who kept losing his can of deodorant to McCann. There was one spot, which we'll serve up another time, in which comedy icon Groucho Marx matched wits with McCann. In 1975, McCann, along with Earle Doud, developed a Saturday morning comedy-adventure series, Far Out Space Nuts, for Sid & Marty Krofft & CBS. McCann co-starred alongside Bob Denver, but the series lasted one season.
Over at Saturday Morning Archives, we're screening a 1974 episode of Run, Joe, Run, in which McCann guest starred as a diamond smuggler. He'd do another villainous turn a few years later, this time in primetime, on ABC's Matt Houston, where his Oliver Hardy impersonation was part of the gimmick.
Speaking of Laurel & Hardy, that brings us to a Standard Oil ad Chuck did with, I believe Jim McGeorge, back in the 60's.
Chuck's last series was Norman Lear's 1977 syndicated series, All That Glitters. Unfortunately, other than commercial promos, there's nothing available right now to post.
Rest in peace, Chuck. At least now you'll get to meet Stan & Ollie in comedy heaven.
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