Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: gofaster on September 23, 2003, 11:34:35 AM
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Gordon Jump of 'WKRP' and Maytag Ad Dies
Tue Sep 23, 7:52 AM ET
By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer
LOS ANGELES - Gordon Jump, who played a befuddled radio station manager on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" and made his mark in commercials as the lonely Maytag repairman, died Monday. He was 71.
Jump suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, said his cousin, Katherine Jump Wagner. The illness causes scarring of the air sacs of the lungs, leading to heart or respiratory failure.
Wagner, of Arcanum, Ohio, said she learned of her cousin's death from her father, also named Gordon Jump. Her cousin was under hospice care at his home southeast of Los Angeles, she said.
Jump played Arthur Carlson in "WKRP in Cincinnati," which aired on CBS from 1978-82 and featured Gary Sandy, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman and Richard Sanders as the ragtag station's crew.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Jump began his career working at radio and TV stations in the Midwest. Whoa, spooky. Life imitating Art here! :eek: He worked behind the microphone and the camera, including jobs as a producer for Kansas and Ohio stations.
Jump portrayed the Maytag repairman "Ol' Lonely," a well-recognized advertising symbol, from 1989 until he retired from the role in July and another actor took over.
"Gordon was an incredibly talented actor and a remarkable human being," said Ralph Hake, chairman and chief executive officer of Maytag Corp.
Jump came to appreciate the attention he got for the ad campaign and the steady work it provided, Wagner said. But his heart was elsewhere professionally.
"What he loved more than anything was doing theater. He was a marvelous actor," she said, recalling a visit to Florida to watch him perform in "Norman, Is That You?"
Jump began his Hollywood career after moving to Los Angeles in 1963, appearing on series including "Daniel Boone," "Get Smart" and "The Partridge Family."
His dramatic roles included a part in the TV movie "Ruby and Oswald," about the assassination of President Kennedy, and "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes."
Jump is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son, Maytag said in a statement. He also had a brother, Wagner said.
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Ok, so what were some of the funniest moments on "WKRP" that you can remember? There was the one where they were dropping live turkeys out of a helicopter to a crowd below, so folks could have a real holiday dinner, and the turkeys became living feather bombs of blood and gore.
And there was the sentimental moment when Bailey Quarters befriended the Soviet defector who's last words to her were Elton John's "Hold me closer, tiny dancer."
And how many of you remember the word that Howard Hessman's character supposedly had uttered on-air that got him banished to the drudgery of AM radio? He uttered it again with emphasis as soon as he learned the station had gone to rock-n-roll. :cool:
And of course, "Herb? He's a hard worker, loyal husband, and all-around nice guy."
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Quick correction, it's:
"As god is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"
"The turkeys are hitting the cement like sacks of wet cement!"
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And how many of you remember the word that Howard Hessman's character supposedly had uttered on-air that got him banished to the drudgery of AM radio? He uttered it again with emphasis as soon as he learned the station had gone to rock-n-roll.
Booger.
one of my favorite quotes from the show was the episode where they had the bomb-threat. johnny had destroyed a phone (rented in those days) and thought the 'phone cops' where after him. when told he was just being pariniod he said- "when everyone is out to get you, pariniod is just good thinking"
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Great actor, sad to hear.
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I posted it in another thread...
Best WKRP episode was when the cop was testing Johnny and Venus' reaction time while drinking just to prove the point that drinking makes the reaction time less. Trouble was Johnny kept getting faster. :)
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Originally posted by Curval
I posted it in another thread...
Best WKRP episode was when the cop was testing Johnny and Venus' reaction time while drinking just to prove the point that drinking makes the reaction time less. Trouble was Johnny kept getting faster. :)
damn you!!!:mad: You beat me to it! :D
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Originally posted by Curval
I posted it in another thread...
Best WKRP episode was when the cop was testing Johnny and Venus' reaction time while drinking just to prove the point that drinking makes the reaction time less. Trouble was Johnny kept getting faster. :)
Yep, my choice too.
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Mr. Carlson, you will be missed.
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Bailey Quarters (Jan Smithrs) was my dream girl for a long time.
The turkey episode was one of the greatest shows every on any sitcom.
dago
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Originally posted by Dago
Bailey Quarters (Jan Smithrs) was my dream girl for a long time.
She was big-time hot. Loni did a good job portraying the stereotypical blonde bombshell, but the real honey was Jan. She had that natural tom-boyish outdoorsy hotness that true beauties possess. She ended up marrying James Brolin.
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I remember once seeing the cast of WKRP on a talk/variety show, something like Merv Griffin, or its ilk. Loni Anderson was co-hosting. She was introducing the cast, and when she got to Jan Smithrs, she made a comment to the effect of "now, Jan is the real beauty of the show". She was right there, and decent of her to say it too.
dago
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Originally posted by gofaster
She was big-time hot. Loni did a good job portraying the stereotypical blonde bombshell, but the real honey was Jan. She had that natural tom-boyish outdoorsy hotness that true beauties possess. She ended up marrying James Brolin.
Who ended up dumping her for Barbara Streisand.... no accounting for taste I guess.