No
sooner than I write a whiny diatribe that getting old sucks that I have to cope
with the unexpected passing of a man only 10 years older than me.
Harry
Anderson, 65, died Monday in Asheville, NC which is ostensibly down the road by
about 3 hours or so from my Fortress of Ineptitude.
Harry
was a performer who was a part of my young adult life. I first encountered
Harry’s act of magician, comic and con artist in episodes of Cheers where he
played Harry the Hat, a light heated soul with even lighter fingers, deftly
conning his way to a free drink and cash.
Harry
Anderson came to prominence as the star of Night Court. As a judge in a low
level court in New York City, Harry presided over a parade of oddballs with a
baffling array of criminal offenses. Over the course of 9 years, Night Court
began to careen towards the absurd but Harry was always solid as a judge who
followed his heart as much as he followed the rule the law.
Later,
Harry went on to star in Dave’s World, a sitcom based on the life and writing
of Dave Barry, a humor columnist for the Miami Herald. Dave’s World only lasted
4 seasons but I enjoyed the show.
After
that, Harry seemed to vanish from TV with few exceptions. One of those was an
episode of 30 Rock where Harry, Markie Post and Charlie Robinson from Night Court reunited for a
bizarre reunion episode.
As
I write this, we don’t know why Harry passed away although police did report
they did not suspect foul play.
Harry
will always be to my mind young and affable, ready for a good laugh or a good
trick or both. It is hard to accept that at age 65, Harry Anderson has left us
forever.
Bang
the gavel: court is adjourned.
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