Misplaced Pages

Ronnie Schell
Schell in Good Morning World, 1967
Born	Ronald Ralph Schell (1931-12-23) December 23, 1931 (age 92) Richmond, California, U.S.
Occupations	Actor comedian
Years active	1958–present
Spouse	Janet Rodeberg ​(m. 1968)​
Children	2

Ronald Ralph Schell (born December 23, 1931) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He appeared on the May 28, 1959, episode of the TV quiz show You Bet Your Life, hosted by Groucho Marx. Schell demonstrated a comic barrage of beatnik jive talk. As a stand-up comedian, he first developed his act at the hungry i nightclub in San Francisco, California, and is heard (presumably as the opening act) introducing the Kingston Trio at the start of the group's 1962 College Concert album. Schell is probably best known for his 1960s television role as Duke Slater in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

Early life

Schell was born in Richmond, California, on December 23, 1931. Upon graduation from high school, he served four years in the United States Air Force, where he became an airman first class.

Career

In his role as Duke Slater on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Schell's character was cast for three seasons as a Marine private and best friend of Gomer Pyle. Schell left for a season to star as a disc jockey in his own sitcom, Good Morning World. He then returned to Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. as a corporal for its fifth and final season. Schell played Duke Slater as an urban, streetwise character, compared to Pyle's rural, bucolic character, as portrayed by Jim Nabors. Returning as a corporal, Slater acted more as a mediator between Pyle and Sgt. Carter, portrayed by Frank Sutton, than as a buddy to Pyle.

Schell lent his voice to "Jason" on the animated series Battle of the Planets and co-starred as "Mr. Brown" on The Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World episode of The Wonderful World of Disney.

His other television guest credits include The Andy Griffith Show, The Patty Duke Show, Phil of the Future, Yes, Dear, The Wayans Bros., Step by Step, Coach, The Golden Girls, 227, Saved by the Bell, Empty Nest, Mr. Belvedere, Santa Barbara, Trapper John, M.D., Too Close for Comfort, The Brian Keith Show, The New Temperatures Rising Show, The Love Boat, Love, American Style, Alice, Mork & Mindy, One Day at a Time, Charlie's Angels, The Dukes of Hazzard, Sanford and Son, Emergency!, Happy Days, Adam-12, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl, Black Sheep Squadron, and Jessie.

Schell's gradual ascendency into the public's attention earned him the title "America's Slowest Rising Comedian".

Schell also acted in a few Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) commercials such as "Smile Inspection" and "PSA Gives You A Lift Pageant". At the end of a Jerry Lewis PSA jingle, a voice said "That was Jerry Lewis for PSA, and this is Ronnie Schell. What did I do wrong?" Schell was the voice for the hockey puck-shaped character on the Peter Puck cartoons, which aired during televised National Hockey League games in the 1970s. From the mid to late 1980s, Schell appeared in numerous television commercials for Shakey's Pizza.

In 2007, Schell was part of a touring cabaret show titled, 5 Star Revue with Gary Collins, Mary Ann Mobley, Ruta Lee, and Steve Rossi. He starred in the 2009 off-Broadway production of Don't Leave it All to Your Children!, a comedic and musical revue dedicated to aging baby boomers.

Schell was the comedy advisor to Richard Dreyfuss in the 2019 Netflix film The Last Laugh.

Personal life

He married Janet Rodeberg in 1968; they have two sons, Greg and Chris Schell.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

1. Presenter: Groucho Marx (April 21, 2014). "You Bet Your Life #58-36 Creators of Honey West (Secret word 'Table', May 28, 1959)". You Bet Your Life. Retrieved July 4, 2017 – via YouTube.
2. Stack, Peter (March 1, 2001). "Comedy Veterans Reunite / Annual gig recalls North Beach days". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
3. Nolte, Carl. "The impresario of North Beach". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
4. Elwood, Philip (February 16, 1996). "Acres of backyard diamonds". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
5. "Commercials". PSA. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
6. Gans, Andrew (April 8, 2009). "Minkus, Rodd, Schell, Rossi Cast in Off-Broadway Revue, Don't Leave It All to Your Children!". Playbill. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
7. Treadway, Chris (December 22, 2011). "Ronnie Schell finds happiness in middle of show business pack". The Mercury News.

External links

• Ronnie Schell at IMDb
• Ronnie Schell at the TCM Movie Database
• Ronnie Schell - Kliph Nesteroff interview
• Appearance on You Bet Your Life

• 1931 births
• Living people
• American male film actors
• American male television actors
• American male voice actors
• American stand-up comedians
• Comedians from California
• Hanna-Barbera people
• Male actors from California
• National Hockey League broadcasters
• People from Richmond, California
• San Francisco State University alumni
• United States Air Force airmen
• 20th-century American comedians
• 21st-century American comedians
• 20th-century American male actors
• 21st-century American male actors
• American male comedians