Larry Storch

Rubber-faced, mop-topped comic who parlayed his success on the nightclub circuit into a bountiful career as a comedic performer on Broadway and in movies and TV.

Storch replaced Jackie Gleason as the host of "Cavalcade of Stars" (1952) and then followed him again as the host of "The Larry Storch Show" (1953), a summer replacement series for "The Jackie Gleason Show." His career took off after playing a major supporting role in the Broadway comedy "Who Was That Lady I Saw You With," which was later filmed as "Who Was That Lady?" (1960).

Storch often appeared in light Hollywood comedies of the 60s, using his nightclub bag of tricks to play bizarre roles alongside the more eye-friendly talents of Tony Curtis, Gregory Peck and Angie Dickinson in "Captain Newman M.D." (1963); Rock Hudson and Leslie Caron in "A Very Special Favor" (1965); and Ann-Margret and Michael Parks in "Bus Riley's Back in Town" (1965).

From 1965-67, Storch played the role of Corporal Randolph Agarn in "F-Troop", the short-lived but well-loved situation comedy about the antics at Fort Courage, a 19th-century military outpost situated in the Wild West. As Sergeant O'Rourke's (Forrest Tucker) scheming sidekick, Storch always managed to get himself and his superiors in trouble. The program enjoyed a successful second life in syndicated reruns, mostly due to Agarn's appeal.

Storch teamed up again with Tucker for the children's series "The Ghost Busters" (1975-76), and remained active by providing voices for cartoons and appearing in the occasional TV variety special and movie and onstage.

• Also Credited As:
  Laurence Samuel Storch
• Born:
  January 8, 1923 in New York, New York
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Comedian

Family

• Father: Alfred Storch.
• Mother: Sally Storch.
• Step-daughter: June Cross. biracial; produced and was subject of the PBS documentary "My Secret Daughter" which detailed her upbringing

Education

• DeWitt Clinton High School, New York, New York, 1936-38

Milestones

• 1937 Made stage debut as an impressionist at age 14 (date approximate)
• 1942 Served as a US Navy seaman in World War II alongside Tony Curtis
• 1952 Hosted variety show, "Cavalcade of Stars" with Art Carney while Jackie Gleason vacationed
• 1953 Hosted variety series, "The Larry Storch Show"
• 1956 Starred with Joel Grey and Tammy Grimes in the Broadway production "The Littlest Revue"
• 1958 Early film credits in "Gun Fever" and "The Last Blitzkrieg"
• 1960 Acted in the film adaptation of "Who Was That Lady I Saw You With" entitled "Who Was That Lady" starring Dean Martin and Tony Curtis
• 1963 Worked again with Curtis in the cute comedy "Forty Pounds of Trouble" and the war drama "Captain Newman, M.D."
• 1964 Was featured in the romantic comedies "Sex and the Single Girl" and "Wild and Wonderful", both starring Tony Curtis
• 1965 Had memorable supporting roles in "Bus Reilly's Back in Town", "That Funny Feeling" and "A Very Special Favor"
• 1965 Sixth film with Curtis, "The Great Race"; first collaboration with Blake Edwards
• 1968 Played a disk jockey in a episode of "Get Smart!", the spy sitcom starring longtime friend Don Adams
• 1969 Had supporting roles in the Western spoof "The Great Bank Robbery" and the sci-fi satire "The Monitors"
• 1969 Starred on the short-lived sitcom "The Queen and I" as the likeably scheming purser of the cruise ship Amsterdam Queen
• 1974 Featured in the ensemble of the oft-parodied disaster sequel "Airport 1975"
• 1977 Paired again with Tucker in the TV-movie Western "The Incredible Rocky Mountain Race" (NBC)
• 1979 Played Dauphin opposite Tucker's Duke in NBC's children's adventure presentation "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"
• 1980 Lent his voice to the Rankin-Bass animated special "Jack Frost"
• 1981 Featured in the Blake Edwards comedy "S.O.B."
• 1982 Voiced a character in the Rankin-Bass animated feature "The Flight of the Dragons"
• 1983 Was the only white actor in the international tour of "Porgy and Bess", that included a four month run at Radio City Music Hall
• 1986 Third film with Blake Edwards, "A Fine Mess"
• 1990 Featured in a production of "Oklahoma!" at Los Angeles' Dorothy Chandler Pavillion
• 1991 Had a supporting role in the Off-Broadway comedy "Breaking Legs"; reprised role in 1993 West Coast production
• 1992 Acted in the romantic comedy "I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore"
• 1994 Featured in the spoof "The Silence of the Hams"
• 1995 As himself, guest starred as Kelly's acting teacher in an episode of "Married... With Children"
• 1999 Joined the cast of the Off-Broadway comedy "Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight"
• 2000 Played Chief Sitting Bull in the successful touring production of "Annie Get Your Gun"
• Cast in a regular role of Corporal Agarn on the ABC sitcom "F Troop"
• Contributed voice acting talents to NBC's animated series "The Pink Panther"
• Had a memorable recurring role on the New York-set sitcom "Car 54, Where Are You?", playing Charlie, a recovering alcoholic who becomes intoxicated by merely discussing his drinking days
• Reteamed with "F Troop" co-star Forrest Tucker in "The Ghost Busters" a CBS children-aimed live-action series matching the two bumbling paranormal investigators with a gorilla
• Starred in the Off-Broadway revue "Curtain Going Up"
• Starred with famed sitcom moms Jean Stapleton and Marion Ross in a production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" that ran on Broadway (1986-1987) and completed a year-long US tour (1987-1988)
• Voiced Koko the Clown on the syndicated animated series "Out of the Inkwell"
• Was a writer for the popular radio program "Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall"; reportedly got his big break when his impression skills landed him a last minute opportunity to stand in for Frank Morgan